|
December 31, 2001 Hello and Happy Holidays! We wanted to catch you up on how we’ve been doing and let you know we’ve been thinking of you throughout the year and particularly this holiday season. The world has provided us with an ongoing meditation on the value and preciousness of each life, and we are especially aware of the place each of you occupies in our hearts. We’re all in good health, reasonably happy, and not much worse for wear. Ray and Leah are in screaming (as in hurtling fast – not wailing, although that sometimes comes to mind) middle age, and Rebecca is negotiating adolescence. Unlike last year, we did not make any big trips. Leah and Rebecca went the furthest, going to Houston for a soccer tournament in June. Houston is big, flat, very hot and has good soccer. In September we attended a family wedding in Pittsburgh, allowing us to visit with many good folks we hadn’t seen in too long a time. Aunt Lory, who is now living in Tucson, returned with us to Cincinnati for a brief visit. Ray and Leah spent 5 days in Chicago this summer while Rebecca attended a soccer camp at Notre Dame 1.5 hours away. This was very fun – highlights included a Cubs game at Wrigley, an MLS soccer game and the Frank Lloyd Wright tours in Oak Park. In November, the three of us returned to Chicago for a quick overnight trip to attend the “Van Gogh and Gauguin: The Studio of the South” show at the Art Institute of Chicago – quite terrific! This year, Ray’s parents, Mae and Tom, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. This is quite amazing, as they look decades younger than most of the couples you see featured in the Golden Anniversary segment of the newspaper. By mutual agreement, we decided to celebrate with a family trip, and after many fits and starts in the planning department, went to Lake George in the Adirondack Mountains for a few days (Mae, Tom, Helen, Theo, Ray, Leah and Rebecca). Everyone had a really good time and Mae and Tom felt very special and acknowledged and as this was the whole point, we were all very grateful. Leah is still at Children’s working as a genetics counselor. She will be taking on a new role, coordinating a Clinical Trial of a new medication for treatment of osteogenesis imperfecta (Brittle Bone disease) in children. She is excited about this opportunity. There was a lot of drama (and reductions in force) at Ray’s work this year, as his company was purchased and is being merged with/absorbed by, etc. a huge company that is based in Texas. In spite of many changes, he feels his job at EDS PLM Solutions is still as much fun as ever. Becca continues in school as a 9th grader at Walnut Hills High School in the Honors program. She is looking forward to saying “goodbye” to Latin at the end of this school year. She is still playing soccer (Sweeper) with the Cincinnati Classics. Her team came in first in their division (TCYSA – A), meaning they are the best in the Cincinnati area in their age group. Ray enjoys his website work, volunteering with the local youth soccer recreation program and refereeing at the younger age levels. Leah joined the Temple choir this fall and is enjoying that experience and produces the College Information Bulletin for seniors at Rebecca’s school. Those of you who enjoy the web can keep posted with many of our activities and some of the boring details of our daily life at: www.unrelated.net/homefrnt/ Take care, and Best Wishes for a wonderful 2002! Ray, Leah, and Becca |