Home Resumé & Bio Businesses Contact Family Pages Local Info

Christmas Newsletter 2017

Saturday, December 9, 2017

This Christmas season brings sadness to our household. Ron's mother, Sadie, passed away last Saturday after being infected with a deadly bacterium. She was doing well when we left on the Tuesday after our Thanksgiving visit. The next morning we got the call that she was in very serious condition. By Thursday morning we knew she had no chance of recovering. We arrived Friday night, and they terminated life support the next day. She was buried in the family plot in Crum Cemetery with Ron playing several hymns and instrumentals on the guitar. Our daughter Candace sang Amazing Grace with Ron accompanying her on guitar.

On a happier note, our son-in-law, Erich, got a good report from his last MRI. His cancer is still stable, so no additional treatment is required at this time. Our granddaughters, Penelope and Gwendolyn, have caught up with the standard growth chart. You would never know they were born prematurely. Candace finished performances as the Mouse King in The Nut Cracker before traveling to Florida with her family for the funeral. We had planned to spend Christmas with them in the new house they bought this year, but we changed our plans after Sadie's death to be with Ron's dad and sister during this difficult time.

Our son, Aaron, was able to fly in for the funeral, but his family could not get away. We got to spend time with Aaron and our grandsons, Hunter and Evan, last March in Rockport, Texas on the coast. We took our 5th wheel trailer down and camped in an RV park. Rockport was decimated by the hurricane, so we won't be going back anytime soon. Evan passed his test for his black belt in a Korean martial art. Hunter is playing baritone in concert band and bass guitar in jazz band at his school. Both boys play football, and Hunter also plays basketball. Hunter will test for his black belt in June.

Our 5th wheel RV got a workout this year. We have been to Fall Creek Falls State Park in Tennessee, spent time on the beach in Gulf Shores and Dauphin Island in Alabama, enjoyed Oak Mountain State Park near Birmingham, and visited a lovely fishing camp in Deridder, Louisiana. We didn't go for the fishing. Ron has a jazz guitar buddy in DeRidder, and he went to jam with Don for a few days.

Debi spent the summer in Tacoma, Washington helping Candace and her family settle into their first house. Candace and Erich perform on the renaissance faire circuit during the summer, so Debi got to spend lots of time with our granddaughters. Ron had an opportunity to travel to Japan for work, so he added stops in Florida and Washington to spend with family. Ron's mom and dad took care of our cat, Sophie, while Ron traveled for nearly 7 weeks. In August, Ron took a short road trip to be in the plain of totality for the eclipse. He had some awesome views through his telescope during the eclipse, but he doesn't have an adapter for a camera.

Debi got home just in time for our September trip to New England for a month-long vacation. We like to take our time and spend a few days at each stop along the way. Then we camped along a river in New Hampshire and made day trips around the area. Debi is trying to visit all 50 states, and she was able to add Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont to her list.

Ron continues to serve as the president of our local Arts Center where he helps host a twice monthly performing arts show. He is still playing with the church Praise Team band and recently joined a big band in Tullahoma called the South Jackson Street Band. Debi sews when she finds time and isn't doting on the granddaughters. We wish you a Merry Christmas and a very happy new year.

Some of our favorite photos from the year.