Christmas past and present

Dear All, Sixty years ago my brother Paul and I were captured in our jammies on Christmas Eve too excited to sleep and already having peeked into packages under the tree. We didn't do Christmas lights then. Mom painted winter and Christmas scenes on the windows. You can see that we were in the "hand-me-down" stages then as Paul hadn't grown into my old jammies.

This year we gathered in Seattle with the children and the grandchild, Jack, and celebrated Christmas three times; first with the Christensens, our daughter's in-laws from Denmark, then with our children, and finally with the Sperry's, our son Tim's in-laws. Snow blanketed Oregon and Seattle in historic depths the day before Christmas which made travel an adventure. All the east-west streets in Seattle with any slope were quickly turned in to play areas by the young-at-heart and closed to traffic. Of course Seattle had only one snow plow and I don't think it saw the light of day. Mother nature relented, delivered rain and warm weather to re-establish former transportation modes and the skiers, snowboarders, and sledders filed this exceptional Holiday in the memory banks.

We have been heartened by the news from friends updating us on both the positive developments and the setbacks and sorrowful moments. Holiday letters of old were lists of achievements and sort of bragging lists. Now, it seems we are humbled by life's gyrations and admit to the buffets and stumbles we all suffer. We appreciate the support and candor of your notes and extend our heartfelt wishes for health and financial stability in the coming year.

I have been occupying my time in the wood shop turning out bowls on the lathe and giving them to family who aren't at all critical about their humble form. A few items have gone to charities which auction them off and raise money for their causes. Margie has been subtly plying me with self help books as Christmas gifts on how to use the wood lathe and move to something more imaginative than the peanut bowl. Stay tuned! You too, may need to buy nuts.

I took part in the CBC (annual Christmas Bird Count) a couple of Saturdays ago. Across north America thousands of birders brave sun, warm breezes, clear skies,(or the opposite) and take a bird census on the third Saturday of December. We covered our circle gallantly in very inclement circumstances, but we were propeled onward by the goal of finding more and rarer species than the next team. Almost like March madness at the end of basketball season. We got 52 species and saw on Europeon gray legged goose- an illegal immigrant if there ever was one. He was mixed in with the Canada geese and there was wild speculation about what the kids would look like and whether they would be accepted or made fun of because their beaks would be pink.

Margie and I continue to sing with the Rogue Valley Chorale and our director chooses music of high quality and historical stature. Singing, dance, rhythm, and music of any stripe is inherent in our genome. I recommend a book to you titled"Musicophilia" by Oliver Sacks. It in exploration of the depth of penetration of music into our brains and psyche. Wonderful!

The text from one of the Chorale's signature pieces follows.

Jesus Christ the apple tree

The tree of life my soul hath seen, Laden with fruit and always green:
His beauty doth all things excell: By faith I know, but Ne'er can tell,
The glory which I now can see in Jesus Christ the apple tree.
For happiness I long have sought, And pleasure dearly I have bought:
I missed of all; but now I see'tis found in Christ the apple tree.
I am weary with my former toil, Here I will sit and rest awhile:
Under the shadow I will be, Of Jesus Christ the apple tree.
This fruit doth make my soul to thrive, It keeps my dying faith alive;
Which makes my soul in haste to be with Jesus Christ the apple tree.

The Text was compiled by Joshua Smith in 1784 in a hymnal and put ot contemporary music by Elizabeth Poston

I remain in good spirits, see myself as in the " eye of the storm" waiting for the next development. Monthly chemo makes me tired and cranky but family, friends, humor, and dreams of the future propel me on ever hopefull. I had my bimonthly brain MRI this morning and we wait for word that all is well. Will keep you posted when we have news.
Love and peace to all, Eric