Christmas 1992

ANGELS, WHY THIS JUBILEE? IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN! DID IT SNEAK UP ON YOU TOO? DOES THE STATEMENT "THE HURRIER I GO, THE BEHINDER I GET" APPLY TO YOU? WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE GREAT ABUNDANCE OF OUR LIVES. WE SOMETIMES WISH FOR A LITTLE LESS ABUNDANCE.

COMPARED TO THE LAST THREE YEARS WE ARE AT A LOSS FOR "BIG" EVENTS TO TELL YOU ABOUT FOR 1992. NO BABIES, NO MOVES.

AILSA HAS FINALLY FALLEN ASLEEP AT 10PM. SHE JUST TURNED FIVE AND HAS BEEN ATTENDING A PRE-SCHOOL THIS FALL. THE CHILDREN OF HER CLASS WILL PRESENT A CHRISTMAS PROGRAM TOMORROW FOR THE PARENTS. WHEN SHE FIRST GOT IN BED TONIGHT SHE WAS SO EXCITED THAT SHE FELT SHE HAD TO PRACTICE HER SONGS ABOUT TEN TIMES EACH. WE COULD HEAR HER IN THERE SINGING (AND SIGNING) SILENT NIGHT AND RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER. WELL, WE COULDN'T HEAR HER SIGNING. (THAT WAS THE ONLY SILENT PART OF THIS SILENT NIGHT.) BUT, WE KNEW SHE WAS DOING IT. SHE MAKES A GESTURE AND SAYS, "THIS MEANS MOTHER." SHE IS A MOST INTERESTING TYPE. WHENEVER SHE IS OUTSIDE, SHE DUTIFULLY SEEKS OUT ANY UNSUSPECTING NEIGHBOR WHO IS BRAVE ENOUGH TO VENTURE OUT OF DOORS. REGARDLESS OF THEIR AGE SHE FEELS IT HER RIGHT (AND OBLIGATION) AS A NEIGHBOR TO GO AND SOCIALIZE WITH THEM. AS IF THEY ARE IMPLICITLY INVITING HER TO COME OVER BY SIMPLY STEPPING OUTSIDE. SHE WILL COME UP TO ME IN THE GARAGE AND ASK (READ BEG, CAJOLE, IMPLORE) FOR PERMISSION. SHE SAYS, "THERE IS SOMEONE OUT AT BOB'S HOUSE." (BOB IS THE NAME OF OUR NEIGHBOR'S BLOND LABRADOR PUPPY. SHE IDENTIFIES THE HOUSEHOLDS BY THE "ALPHA INDIVIDUAL", THEIR RESPECTIVE PETS.) "CAN I GO TALK TO THEM?"

JENSEN TOOK A BASKETFUL OF DINOSAURS ("MY GUY-ERS") TO BED AND PLAYED WITH THEM UNTIL FALLING ASLEEP. BUT, NOT BEFORE FALLING OUT OF THE BED. WE REALIZE THAT ALMOST ALL CHILDREN ARE PRESENTLY FASCINATED WITH DINOSAURS. BUT, JENSEN HAS SUCH A PASSION, WE WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF SHE BECAME A PALEONTOLOGIST. WE HAVE A SUNDAY RITUAL OF NEGOTIATING OVER THE NUMBER OF DINOSAURS SHE CAN TAKE TO CHURCH. SHE IS A GOOD LITTLE HAGGLER. SHE STARTS OUT WITH ALL THE PLASTIC DINOSAURS SHE CAN POSSIBLY HOLD AT ONE TIME. SHE RECOGNIZES THAT HER PARENTS WIELD SUPREME EXECUTIVE POWER. HOWEVER, SHE ALSO REALIZES THAT HER PARENTS ARE SOFTIES AND ARE OFTEN TOO TIRED TO PUT UP MUCH OF A FIGHT. SHE USUALLY ENDS UP WITH TWO DINOSAURS FOR THE NON-NURSERY TIME. AT 28 MONTHS SHE STILL WALKS AROUND MOST OF THE TIME WITH A "CIUCCIO" IN HER MOUTH. (ITALIAN FOR PACIFIER, PRONOUNCED "CHEW CHOH", SHE SAYS CHOO-CHOO.) IT INTERFERES WITH HER CLEARLY PRONOUNCING WORDS. THUS THE "GUY-ERS" FOR DINOSAURS. WE WENT FOR FAMILY PORTRAIT PHOTOS. JENSEN WAS NOT IN THE MOOD. SHE WAS A VERY DIFFICULT MODEL. THE PHOTOGRAPHER MIRACULOUSLY MANAGED TO CAPTURE ABOUT FOUR SHOTS OF THE FAMILY DURING THE .7 SECONDS OF TOTAL TIME WHEN SHE WAS NOT CRYING OR SCREAMING. SO WE MANAGED TO GET ONE OF THE FOUR OF US THAT WAS "ACCEPTABLE". WHEN THAT PART WAS OVER SHE WANTED TO PLAY WITH THE TOYS. SO WE HAD THE PHOTOGRAPHER TAKE "CANDID" SHOTS OF HER IN HER ELEMENT. THEY ARE NOT WHAT THE PHOTOGRAPHER HAD IN MIND (HE WAS THINKING AMERICAN GOTHIC). BUT, WE GOT SOME ADORABLE PICTURES OF HER GUSHING WITH EFFERVESCENCE WHILE CHUMMING WITH HER SISTER AND RIDING A ROCKING HORSE AND SITTING IN A ROCKING CHAIR.

OUR TWO KITTIES, RUBY & MAXINE, JUST RECENTLY VISITED THE DOCTOR TO UNDERGO THE OPERATION TO WHICH YOUNG, PRE-PUBESCENT, FEMALE KITTENS ARE OFTEN SUBJECTED. MAXINE WOULD NOT LEAVE HER STITCHES ALONE SO SHE NOW SPORTS A VERY LOVELY ELIZABETHAN COLLAR TO PREVENT HER FROM DOING ANY HARM TO THE HEALING INCISION. SHE LOOKS VERY SILLY AND DULY HUMBLED BECAUSE OF THE COLLAR. THE POOR THING PROBABLY DOESN'T REALIZE THAT IT IS ONLY A TEMPORARY EVIL. SHE ONLY SEES THAT HER SISTER, RUBY, ISN'T WEARING ONE AND LIKELY THINKS THAT SHE IS THE VICTIM OF SOME CRUEL JOKE VISITED UPON HER BY HER DEMENTED MASTERS. UNFORTUNATELY, THE COLLAR ALSO PREVENTS HER FROM FOLLOWING HER USUAL HYGIENE REGIMEN. SO, A GAMY AIR LINGERS ABOUT HER. IT IS ALSO UNFORTUNATE DURING THIS TIME THAT SHE LIKES TO SPEND THE NIGHT WITH US ON THE BED AND SOMETIMES ENDS UP CLOSER TO OUR NOSES THAN HER PRESENT FRAGRANCE WARRANTS.

LENORE IS ON ONE OF HER SEWING BINGES. MOST NORMAL WOMEN GO THROUGH BINGE-PURGE DIETING CYCLES. LENORE HAS A DIFFERENT PROBLEM, A "HOMEMAKING DISORDER". SHE WILL INDULGE IN AN ALL OUT THREE DAY LOVE-HATE FEST WITH HER SEWING MACHINE DURING WHICH TIME ALL OTHER HOME RELATED TASKS (IE; EATING, BREATHING) TAKE A BACK SEAT. SHE IS A BIT LIKE ME IN THIS WAY: UNABLE TO ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING THAT TAKES A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF TIME IF IT REQUIRES ENDURING NUMEROUS INTERRUPTIONS. SO WE FIGURE OUT WAYS TO ELIMINATE THE INTERRUPTIONS. SHE ALMOST ALWAYS ENDS UP WITH SOME SARTORIAL MASTERPIECE. AFTER I FINISHED THE RUDIMENTS OF THE YARD THIS SUMMER, AND WITH THE ENCOURAGEMENT AND GUIDANCE OF HER GREEN-THUMBED BROTHER, LENORE UNDERTOOK TO TRIM THE YARD WITH SHRUBS AND FLOWERS. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE FRUITS OF HER LABORS WHEN THE WINTER SNOWS RETREAT. LENORE HAS ALSO BEEN RE-LEARNING HER PIANO. THE BABIES DON'T OFFER HER MUCH TIME FOR THIS. BUT, THROUGH HER DILIGENCE AND CONSISTENCE SHE HAS NEARLY PERFECTED WEDDING DAY AT TROLDHAUGEN BY GRIEG. WHEN A PERFORMANCE OR RECITAL DATE IS SUGGESTED SHE QUICKLY REJECTS THE IDEA. HOPEFULLY, SHE WILL SOMEDAY BE ABLE TO ACCOMPANY ME WHENEVER I SING.

I HAVE SPENT A LARGE PORTION OF MY VACATION TIME THIS YEAR DOING THINGS WITH THE SCOUTS. WHEN I WAS INVOLVED WITH THE "FRIENDS OF SCOUTING" FUND DRIVE, LENORE ANNOUNCED THAT SHE WAS FORMING THE "ENEMIES OF SCOUTING" COMMITTEE. ON ONE OF OUR CAMPOUTS I WAS HIKING INTO CAMP ALONE IN THE DARK AND RAN INTO TWO BEARS. JUST LAST WEEKEND I EXPERIENCED MY FIRST "WINTER" CAMPOUT COMPLETE WITH FREEZING TEMPERATURES AND SNOWFALL. NATURALLY, THE QUESTION COMES TO MIND: "WHY WOULD ANYBODY DO THIS IF THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO?" I AM PRESENTLY PREPARING FOR THE CHURCH CHRISTMAS PROGRAM, ONE OF THE TASKS THAT FALLS ON THE CHOIR DIRECTOR. AND I HAVE BEEN TAKING VOICE LESSONS NOW FOR ABOUT ONE YEAR. MY HOPE IS THAT SOMETIME DURING THIS LIFETIME I MAY BE ABLE TO SING SOMETHING IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT MIGHT, IN PERHAPS SOME SMALL WAY, VAGUELY REMIND SOMEONE OF AN OPERATIC TENOR.

AS WE LOOK BACK OVER THE YEAR WE REALIZE THAT OUR MODERN LIVES HAVE MADE IT DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN EVEN THE OCCASIONAL CONTACT WITH OUR LOVED ONES THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE. WE HOPE THAT OUR LETTER AND SEASON'S GREETING HELP TO FILL THAT VOID. WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING SIMILARLY FROM YOU. AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO A TIME WHEN CIRCUMSTANCES WILL BRING US TOGETHER AGAIN. MAY YOU BE BLESSED THIS HOLIDAY SEASON TO FEEL THE LOVE OF THE SAVIOUR AND TO SHARE THAT LOVE WITH OTHERS.