Merry Christmas and all other assorted Holidays, including Festivus!

This Holiday letter writing is new to me, but I was inspired by two letters we got this year. Both detailed somewhat "difficult years" but were done with good humor and optimism for a better year ahead. 

Diana and I have had a wonderful year and are optimistic for an even better year next year! Diana sold her house in University Heights after living there for 36 years, no it wasn't on the market that long, it just seemed like it. The closing was at the end of November 2010, conveniently coinciding with the closing of j.t.puffins after 28 years. She, her two cats (Tucker and Coco) and her art collection moved into Fitchburg with me on November 15th.

Closing puffins after 28 years was emotionally difficult, but last year's almost free December and this year's totally free December have convinced me it was the right thing to do. Look, I'm even writing a Christmas letter.

So to the question  "what do you do with yourself now that your retired?" Well it's complicated. We never feel rushed, but there's always plenty to do. We've travelled some, all family related. In the spring off to Arcata California to visit Maja and Mike (daughter and son-in-law) and grand kids Kirsten and Clay. Our trip coincided with the Tsunami in Japan. We ran into closed roads and threat of a small Tsunami, but were largely unaffected. Truly a beautiful part of the country and a great house on "Fickle Hill" with a view of the ocean, lots of critters and redwoods and kilns and a soap factory. Also I got to meet some of Diana's good friends in Santa Rosa.

Next "air trip" was to Washington DC and Boston in September (no we weren't afraid to be flying out of Boston on September 11th.). First part of trip, in DC, Diana worked at a national gathering of Government Travel Professionals (whatever that is) and I wandered about DC trying to do things I hadn't done before. The second part of the trip was visiting Boston and Matt, Sophie and Paul (Son, daughter-in-law, grandson.). This was a very fun three days, highlighted by Paul's obsession with mustaches (age 11) and Sophie's revulsion of  facial hair. Sophie's third language is English and she had us roaring with laughter over the many malapropisms she has delivered over the years. For example, in attempting to obtain a permit for an exclusive beach, she asked the rather officious female bureaucrat for a "permit, beach. "

Last "air trip"  was to Boca Raton (11/11/11) for Chuck's nephew Mark's wedding to Jen Novak. Chuck's family was almost all there. Diana got to meet Sister Mary's family (husband Mike, daughters Marcie and Melody, son Mark (groom). Sister Pat's family (husband Gary, daughter Tricia and her husband Bill and their son Joe.). Chuck's daughter Jenny and husband Travis and granddaughter Carly  were there. Carly and Joe met for the first time (both 4 year olds).


Diana and I travelled with my Mom, who isn't fond of flying and thinks she is too old for travel (85). She was fantastic and Diana and I loved travelling with someone who needs "assistance" ... expedited security checks, first on board...


In Wisconsin we've travelled several times to Menasha to visit Diana's son Brian and his family (wife Leah, kids Otis, Colton and Noela). And the kids have come down to Madison a several times to visit Nana Dee and Chuck. The last visit was last week, we made stepping stones (Christmas gifts for Momma and Poppa), Gingerbread houses, Christmas cookies and Shrinkydink ornaments. Yes we were exhausted!

We also made it up to the Lacrosse area for Thanksgiving with some of Diana's Family: brother John (wife Wendy), brother Marty (wife Chris and daughter Emily), and brother/host Hugh (wife Becky/hostess and daughters Lizzie & Megan ). They are unfortunately all Packers fans, they were all very happy and it made for a nice day for all of them. We stopped at Marty's home on the way back to Madison, it is in a idyllic setting along the proverbial babbling brook, slightly marred by his repeated references to lounging outside naked.

We've been to lots of other places in Wisconsin because Zelda needs her exercise. Zelda as some of you know is Diana's Porsche 911! She seems happiest squealing along unmarked country roads and loves to stop at exotic eating establishments with lots of motorcycles out front. The Burgers are usually very good and the motorcyclists tend to be large, gray and in couples. Zelda made an appearance this year Oregon High School Homecoming Parade. She and Diana were fulfilling Chuck's friend Edith's bucket list desire to ride in a parade in a red convertible.

Spent some time this spring and summer helping out my aunt Zee getting over a hip accident. It was a very serious break and lots of folks would have given up, but not Zee, who is back at home after months of rehab. Niece Lauren made sure that Zee didn't give up.

Barb's Mom, Jackie Kasten passed away this spring. We've seen Barb's dad John several times since then and he is doing quite well . He's 91 and for the first time in many years he doesn't have anyone to argue with, he misses that!  It sounds as if his West Bend family is keeping him busy, Bill especially seems hell bent on getting him to use his new iPhone (John prefers the term pocket phone.) Barb's nephew Craig has been a busy fellow, In November he got married and opened a new store in Port Washington. If you go to Port Washington, stop in at Mobocracy and buy something!

Locally we have some great neighbors, we get together regularly, often with the flimsiest of excuses. Dick and Judy Smith (pretty sure the witness protection people could come up with better fake names), even added us to last year's Thanksgiving dinner when we were exhausted from moving and closing puffins. Hector and Yudelka Leger have introduced us to Dominican hospitality, which evidently involves copious amounts of exotic rums and cigars as well as some great cuisine. Dinnar and Dhana Mallah make the best appetizers around, and have a garden that puts us to shame. (more on the garden later.). Their native country is Nepal and they seem to be the unofficial ambassadors to that country (at least for Madison) . They are constantly hosting guests and we get to meet new ones every couple of months.

Grandson Aaron is 14, is as tall as I am, and is sinewy  thin. He plays football, defensive end mostly and a little tight end. His games all seemed to start at 8:00 on Saturdays this year, I think we made three. It's cold at that time in October! Anne and Greg (My step daughter and son-in-law) have been busy remodeling their home in Middleton. The exterior work was financed by serious hail storm this spring. Anne now works out of her home office for TDS and is loving it! Greg is an Ohio State and Indianapolis fan and I am loving it! Oh, and he won some golf thing.

Jenny (my daughter), her husband Travis and granddaughter Carly still live in the Town of Dunn and too have been actively remodeling. Jenny has decided to be a full time wife and mother since puffins closed. Thank you Travis for engineering chemicals every day! Diana and I get to see Carly two or three times a week depending on her schedule and Badger home games. She is a wonder, and full of energy. She does swimming, gymnastics and ballet... and does not seem tired ever! She has an alter ego Rosie the cat, and her immediate family members all have cat names too! Mine is Crusty and Diana is Posie.

This spring, summer and fall Diana and I took up walking a couple of miles every day. An effort to counteract our love of cooking and to keep those pesky doctors off our backs. It turns out it's fun. We had a Blue Heron called Albert  and a red-tailed hawk (unnamed) we kept track of, as well as a couple of other old geezers trying to stave of the ravages. In the fall,  a couple of Sandhill Cranes decided to entertain us. 

We also became more serious gardeners, building a new vegetable garden and expanding two different flower gardens. Diana is the Mistress of the Container Garden, so there were always 4 or 5 of those around this year. The seed catalogs are starting to arrive, trouble is brewing. 

We do love to cook and hence eat... see walking above. We particularly loved cooking and eating things from the garden. We grew horseradish for the first time this year and it is amazing how many things we foolishly ate before without this condiment.

Diana lent her Dean Meeker Collection... a small part of it...  to the Wisconsin Museum of Art in West Bend for a Retrospective of his work.. The show runs until January 8th. After that you'll just have to come over to the house for a show.

Most of you are recipients of the "occasional email" from me containing assorted jokes, photographs, political screeds and the like! I just learned from Grandson Aaron that he has hundreds of unopened emails in his gmail account. Hmm, perhaps he will appreciate them more as he gets older. I would like to give (credit?)to  those persons who provide me with the bulk of my material, in  no particular order here are the major e-mail donors: Sandy Adcock (Sales Rep), Russ Ringle (High School Friend), Dick Smith (Neighbor), Jack Ladinsky (Dissertation Advisor), Mary Lou Whiteford (Friend), Pam Reynolds (Friend), Janelle Pasch (Friend), George Susmilch (Cousin), Pat Radke (Sister), John Kasten (Father-in-Law), Diana Hanson (Real Good Friend), Julie Springer (Friend), Rose Zvoda (Friend), Vicky Montgomery (Friend), Cathy Donaldson (Friend), Ken Klinzing (Accountant), Marty Severson (Diana's Brother), Hugh Severson (Diana's Brother), and Edith Wilimovsky (Friend).

I know that this is a pretty long Christmas Letter, it's probably why I've never written one before. Thank heaven for the "inter-web", it would have cost a fortune to mail this baby out. 

Diana & I Wish You all a Very Merry Christmas and an Excellent New Years

Off to Mom and Zee's. We're making Christmas Eve and Christmas Dinners. Mom will not be allowed in the kitchen.