XmasLtr03

Dear Family and Friends:

It has been a fairly decent year, all things considered. Last Christmas was subdued, due to the then-recent loss of my Mom after a long illness. We had previously agreed to make travel plans to be together in Sarasota as usual, and I think that everyone was glad that we had done so.

I visited my Dad several times this past year in Sarasota. His health has improved thanks to some new medical people and the watchful eye of his home health aide, who also cooks, cleans, drives him on errands, and provides companionship. It turned out that he was retaining excess fluid, even though he appeared to be thin. This problem has been addressed, with the result that his appetite and stamina have improved. He is joining in activities in his building and meeting other residents.

Dad and I flew to Oakland separately last spring for a family visit of a week that coincided with my nephew's 7th birthday. As usual, my sister-in-law cooked some wonderful dinners, including a magnificent seder, and a grand time was had by all.

In the spring I also briefly visited my Kenyon friend Bert Parker, who was a magnificent host as usual, in Key West and spent 2 weeks in France. In France I first spent a week or so in the southwest, including many places that I had never been to before. I was then in Paris and stayed with another Kenyon friend, Eric Allemano, who lives on the lower slopes of Montmartre. It was great to stay in an apartment and get to know the neighborhood a little as a "resident". Eric and I had dinner most evenings with our mutual friend Cheryl Mann, who was in the city at the same time.

I spent Thanksgiving with my aunt and uncle in Cambridge. I had just returned the previous Sunday from a little over 2 weeks in Northern California. I spent a week or so touring Sonoma, Mendocino, and Napa. I then spent a few days visiting my brother and his family. I stayed in several older hotels and inns, visited wineries, shopped, and ate all too well.