The year started well, but quickly ground to a halt as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. We had a trip to Spain planned for the spring, but that had to be delayed. Then we planned a family gathering at Ron’s father’s house, but the resurgent pandemic forced us to cancel that trip as well. We’ve rescheduled our trip to Spain for next year with an additional trip to Portugal. Hopefully with a vaccine on the horizon, things will be getting back to normal by then.

Ben & Candace got married on February 29, 2020. Having their anniversary on a leap day that only occurs every 4 years just fits their theatrical personalities. Although they have both been previously married, they wanted a tradition wedding. With a tent that covered most of their backyard, friends and family gathered to witness their vows. Two candles burned for Erich and Ben’s father who attended from heaven. Ben has two adult daughters from his previous marriage, so they have an extended family as shown in the photo. Ben’s aunt and uncle stood in for his father and mother. They had a honeymoon trip to Europe planned, but that got delayed by the pandemic.

Ben’s artistic abilities led him to build a pirate ship in their backyard for Penelope and Gwendolyn because, who doesn’t need a pirate ship? Ben and Candace have an Irish pub band called the Scuppermonkeys. They recently recorded an album that will be released next year.

Candace and her family came for a visit this summer when they had to cancel their honeymoon plans for a second time. While they were here, the twins played with a baby buggy that belonged to Ron’s mother. After cleaning and repainting the frame, Ron used lawn mower wheels to replace the antique spoke wheels that were beyond repair. There were lots of other things to do, like playing the drums in grandpa’s studio, rocking in great grandma’s rocker, visiting a friend’s goat farm, and hanging out on the deck with mom. We even had time to make a trip to the beach. Their visit ended with a birthday party for Candace and Ben at a Japanese restaurant.

Between the pandemic and needed repairs to our RV, Debi and I only had one road trip this year. Our primary destination was Colonial Williamsburg, with a few intermediate stops. We like to break the trip down so that we spend a few days at each stop. Debi’s 13-year-old poodle passed away the first night of the trip in Abingdon, Virginia. We knew she wasn’t doing well, but we didn’t expect to lose her that night. She passed in Debi’s arms at about 3:45am. The rest of the trip went well. There weren’t many people out, and many places were closed because of the pandemic.

Aaron and his family are doing well, but we don’t get to talk with them very much. Aaron has been busy rebuilding their house that was damaged by a bad city drainage project. His business, River City Tools, continues to do well with many loyal clients. Hunter turned 16 this year, and Evan turned 11.

Ron continues to perform with a big band in Tullahoma. They had a Valentine’s dinner and dance in February before the pandemic closed down most events. The next event was an outdoor fundraiser in Lynchburg, Tennessee for a non-profit organization that provides horse riding experiences to handicapped children. The final event of the year was a scaled-down Christmas dance at the Old Normandy School House in Tennessee. The small scale of the event allowed them to maintain safe social distancing during the event. Ron recorded and is publishing videos from these events. For more information, visit the band website at https://SJSBand.com and visit their YouTube channel.

Debi continues her sewing enterprises, and now makes face masks for friends, family, and anyone who needs one. She made pirate masks for Penny and Gwenny, guitar and music masks for Ron, and seasonal masks for fall, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. She started by using templates from the Internet, but then started designing her own to fix various problems. This picture shows her wearing her Christmas mask in her sewing room with some of her creations laid out for your review.

We sincerely hope that you and your family have fared well this year, and we wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Terms & Conditions  |  Privacy Policy