Christmas Letter 2023

 

Year’s End 2023

12/26/2023

2023: A Good Year


 

 

Wendy recently listed an excellent month by month set of highlights for the year. There were, of course, other people and events which added to our enjoyment of these fleeting times. Our opportunities to be with family and friends across the country is so meaningful as we grow older! Our current mobility both to walk and to drive hither and yon is a blessing we try not to take for granted. Thanks to all of you who hosted us in your homes and who journeyed to Burlington to be with us. We appreciate the fact that our current range will gradually decline. At least we’re still roaming while we can!

Part of the joy of our lives is our connections to not one but two faith communities. We still are involved with Govans Presbyterian Church in Baltimore. Wendy remains a member there as she serves remotely on the Racial Justice Committee. We worship there online, visit in-person and commune in other ways from time to time. Locally, Chris joined First United Methodist Church of Graham on Pentecost Sunday in May. We’re finding various connections there including attending a challenging, awareness raising event called The Wild Goose Festival back in July. https://wildgoosefestival.org

 

Our daily lives at home include: lots of reading, regular exercise (walking, swimming, biking), a plant forward diet with seafood and dairy as our main non-plant protein sources. And the daily challenge of Wordle, Connections and a few other puzzles.

 

Our last few of weeks of the year have been…interesting:

 

On Thurs. 12/14 we moved, with the help of family and friends, about ½ mile to a condo that has the MBR on the ground level. Maybe our final move? We enjoyed church that Sunday 12/17 and also a great multi-church Christmas concert that evening. Monday, feeling fine, I made my final blood donation of the year to the Red Cross. Tuesday afternoon I felt like I was getting the cold Wendy had been fighting for a couple of weeks. Wednesday evening, having fleeting chills, I tested positive for Covid for the first time! Thursday I began a 5 day regimen of Paxlovid. My symptoms were very mild. Today (December 28) I’ve finally tested negative for Covid. Life is good… again! Blessing on all!

 

2023 Highlights

(in case you missed it)

 

January: Chris turned 70

 February: Three weeks in the Dominican Republic

 March: Home almost all month, that was nice!

 April: Celebrated Wendy's Mom's 90th birthday

May: Wendy cruised Alaska with good friend, Laura

June: Wendy and sister Joy celebrated milestone birthdays (early and late)

 July: Enjoyed our condo pool and friends in NC

AND had a visit from grandson Wes


August: Shower for niece Evelyn's first baby

 September: Visited friends in ME, MA and NY

 AND bought a new home!

October: Nephew Danny's wedding to lovely Nikki

 Also visited relatives in CA and WA

AND spent 10 days in Mexico

 November and December: moved to new home

Our new home (Just Kidding)
 

Daughter Lily finished her BS in Accounting

 

New Address:

2523 Saintsbury Dr.

Burlington, NC 27215


 

 

 


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