2009 CHRISTMAS LETTER.

Make Believe
JANUARY: Mary-Elizabeth and I were invited by the Obama’s to Washington D.C. We stayed at the White House. We had the Lincoln Bedroom of course.

FEBRUARY: I was picked to be the first hip replacement/old lady to travel to the Space Station for a couple of weeks.

MARCH: Mary-Elizabeth was doing some research and located an entire cavern of Van Gogh, Monet, and Picasso’s paintings and the famed Amber Room stolen by the Germans. The French were so happy that they gave us the Mona Lisa.

APRIL: Mary-Elizabeth was picked to travel for a month with Madonna on a tour of Europe, Mideast and Africa. She met with the Queen and many other heads of state. The Queen was so impressed with Mary-Elizabeth’s collection of Queen Elizabeth flatware that she was gifted a palace and promised she could have a choice of any of the Queen’s subjects as a Senior Prom date.

MAY: Mary-Elizabeth and her friends were escorted to the prom with the real Harry Potter and his peeps. (Of course we know the books are real stories and not make-believe.) The girls were picked up by a Broom Limousine, had dinner on a platform in the sky overlooking Seattle put there by Dumbledore. Mario Batalli was the chef. Of course they stopped by Dicks after the Prom creating quite a stir as the Broom is 40 feet long and has a hot tub.

JUNE: Mary-Elizabeth was invited to attend Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Brown. They all gave her a full ride scholarship even though she never applied.

JULY: 17th birthday came and went without much hoopla. Her red Ferrari was a welcomed gift delivered by Edward Cullen and Jacob Black. (Twilight Reference)
AUGUST : We both competed in the New York Marathon. I was 3rd but Mary-Elizabeth took 1st. She beat the men a true first. We were both dressed by Mode Magazine and featured in the opening episode of Ugly Betty.

SEPTEMBER: Mary-Elizabeth settled into school for her last year at Holy Names. She is so loved by her teachers that she has no homework and only must appear each day in class. Her lessons are downloaded onto her IPod and she just has to listen. No tests, mid terms or projects are required. Only A’s will be given

OCTOBER: Martha Stewart finally confessed to the world that I gave her all of her ideas. She will be providing me with gardening, organizing and weird eggs for life. I may have the floor of my choice stenciled.

NOVEMBER: Mary-Elizabeth arranged for all of my friends to fly on the 787 Dreamliner to Vegas. I know everyone thinks there has not been a flight of the new Boeing plane but then it was a secret. She rented out the Venetian for the week-end. Everyone won at each game. The private Elvis show was pretty amazing….

DECEMBER: Central Props from Universal Studios came to our house and we are decorated to the max. 50, 0000.00 lights are on the outside and snow falls only on our house. The interior is completely done, tastefully of course. Each room is a different theme. A tree from each continent. The best part is that someone will be there on January 7th to take it all down.

REALITY; nothing happened in 2009. No big trips, other than a couple of fun weddings. A couple of college visits, some great time with family and friends. A few trips to Whidbey Island where the dogs made dog friends.

We are so so grateful and thank God and Mary and the Saint’s every day for our return to NORMAL.

Merry Christmas 2009!!!!! Sally, Mary-E, Tucker and Sadie

Thoughts about Christmas and other matters

There are things about Christmas I just love. The smells, the out door lights. That small feelling your gut that tells the tension is building.



There are things about Christmas I don't love. I hate the endless advertisements, busy stores and poor selections of Christmas cards.

This year we are going to do some things differently. We are not doing much shopping. Even when money is tight, I find that there is a lot of ways to fill the "needs on the list". We are headed to Eugene and gathering to do puzzels and eat big meat with the family.



Then we will be do lots of family bonding which result in lots of loud screaming and the we will return with stories and deep desires to not go home for Christmas. I think there will be blood when we get out the monopoly set or Mia (the dog) eats a puzzle piece. Lots of cooking, and cleaning up and dishes and valium for everyone.

And then we do it all over again.... That is how this all works.

Cancer World and Christmas

ME is fine.

Others are darting back and forth into the must loathed world. Let's see. Amy, Alex's wife, my former college roommate, has been searching for the cause of the metastasis in her lymph nodes. Lots of drama and worry and well placed concern. Yesterday they determined, as much as they ever can, that she has a form of thyroid cancer. Not the one easily treated but she will be having surgery next week. The next round of candles to be lit need to be for "containment". They seem to think things are fine.

A very good friend's mother with a rare form of breast cancer may not be celebrating Christmas this year. Lots of family is gathering. No one will be surprised but as we all know, even when expected, there is no way to prepare for the loss and hole that used to be that person in our lives.

One of Mary-Elizabeth's kids she was in charge of this summer, Maddie died last week. While Maddie could not beat leukemia, she never lost faith in the existence of Real Mermaids...

All of this has made me edgy and Mary-Elizabeth sad.

We are looking for some good news. We will take it anywhere we can find it. Maybe we have to be happy that when the Christmas Tree tumbled, nothing was lost.