December, 2012

Dear Friends and Family,

Ah, another year and another Christmas letter This one begins with our mothers. Their strength, grit, spirit or just plain ornery-ness or good genes has kept them with us. Jeffs mother, Joan, is 92 and my mother is 98. Mine has had some close calls, with 2 hospitalizations for heart failure, but she met those challenges and continues to live independently. After her last episode she was put on oxygen 24/7, but she told the doctor she was not going to be on it for long. Sure enough, after a month she was no longer darting around with an oxygen tank wherever she went; this was just way too cumbersome and restrictive for her. She still exercises at the senior center weekly, plays bridge, and drives her car. At our Thanksgiving gathering when everyone at the table announced what they were thankful for, she chimed in with, that Im still here! Jeff and I enjoyed our daily visits with Joan in CO before and during the Palmer reunion. Though she at first refused to attend the big gathering (of her 12 children and their families) at a ranch near Pikes Peak, she ended up joining her experienced singing voice with those of the other talented

Grandma Palmer at the reunion

Palmers during evenings of music making. She was gutsy and not shy about performing; after all, she has been singing in groups since the age of six, and remembering all the words and notes to any song she has ever sung!

Grandma Coventry, Mia, and Trina at Sandys birthday

Sandy, Jeff and Cathy on a hike at the reunion

This big reunion necessitated a huge amount of food. Three of us volunteered to drive to Costcos in CO Springs to buy the stuff for 40 people for the 3-day affair. I managed to get off busy I25 at the correct exit. After a while we saw the store off in the distance on a parallel road at precisely the moment that both navigator devices in the car chirped, You are at Costcos. Hmm. About hour later after many circles and dead-ends, and an encounter with a screaming policewoman, we found the store. Guess we cant always believe those voices emanating from e-devices

This year was my 70th and I told Jeff I wanted no big party, just a nice bike ride with friends in the hills of Madison County. This we did. As we were eating lunch afterwards, a friend drove up with Amy, Trina and Mia (our newest grandchild) in tow. Wow, this was the best birthday present ever, and it was all secretly arranged by Jeff in collaboration with many friends and relatives! The 70th seemed such a milestone; it was also the inspiration for a vow to do a cycling trip in each state. This October, before Sandy struck, we toured Cape May County, NJ and the shores and interior of DE. Every state has its special spots; we want to find them all.

Bandelier National Monument was the next adventure after the reunion. In 2000-1 Jeff and I volunteered to help with an elk research project. Hiking in Frijoles Canyon and seeing the historic buildings where we once lived and worked was a wonderfully nostalgic experience. Steve, the wildlife biologist, included us in a bird banding effort at a 9000-foot site in the Jemez Mountains. This proved to be far more interesting and exciting than we anticipated, especially when a severe thunderstorm that was terrifyingly close brought torrential rain and hail. Rylee and Mia in November

Kirk, Leif and Amy in Cazenovia

Thankfully we are in good health, and so are Amy and Trina, who still reside on an island in ME and in the mountains of NC, respectively. And their kids, Leif, Rylee, and Mia are doing well, too. Maybe we owe this good fortune to our mothers?! Amy and Leif on Vinalhaven Island Sandy and Jeff