Category: Christmas Letters

Dear Friends,

It must be obvious by now that we are late with our Christmas greetings to you who mean so much to us. The Lord does work in mysterious ways sometimes and our best intentions take second place to the events of our lives.

On Saturday, December 13, we celebrated Ken’s graduation from Texas A&M University. All our Christmas cards were addressed and everything seemed to be on schedule. Then, on Monday, December 15, Pat’s father died in Ohio. He had been in pain for a long time and for him death was a gift from God. For the rest of us it was a shock and a sad time, but we too recognize the blessing in it. Pat and Karen spent a week in Ohio clearing up financial, legal and spiritual affairs and returned home on Monday evening, December 22. Christmas was beautiful as always. The “kids” were all home and we were once more reminded of the presence of God in our lives.

As for news, Pat and Karen are chugging along trying to find an extra few hours in each day. Pat is busy marrying, baptizing and catechizing at the parish as well as holding down his position at BCM. Karen seems to be a full time volunteer which is a real joy. She is training to be a spiritual director, singing at Baptisms, working in the food pantry, and generally keeping very busy! Deb is finding a lot of fulfillment and challenge in her new job as convention coordinator at the San Antonio Convention Center. It’s great to see her happy in her work. Ken is considering his options now that he’s out of school and one of them might be graduate school in the fall (if he can figure out how and where.) Kip is entering his last year at Southwest Texas State U. The world may soon have a new science teacher. He too, is busy, happy and involved in a number of hobbies such as karate and scuba diving.

Hopefully, next year we will have time to give you a more personal message at Christmas. Until then, know that you are in our thoughts and prayers. May 1987 be a year of happiness and blessing for you.
Much love,

N.B. There is no Christmas letter for 1985, or at least my files do not include one. No explanation for the omission is available. For some reason, this letter for 1986 was typed using all capitals. The usual lower case is used for this electronic copy.

Sometimes it’s called “being organized”; othertimes, being a “pack rat”. Either way it results in a file of past Christmas letters back to 1980. Some began with an apology for another form letter (brought on, no doubt, by reading Ann Landers and all of her writers who dislike annual Christmas letters); others, with a bold assertion that next year we would get started early enough to write personal ones, but this year we were (again) so rushed that we had to resort to another form letter. (This is soft guilt rather than hard guilt.) No matter what the cause may be and recognizing that although you may side with Ann’s friends, we are, nevertheless, again sending what is now our “traditional” word-processed greeting. While it may be reproduced mechanically, the warmth we offer is far from mechanical.

Over the past year the changes have been minimal, or gradual enough to go unnoticed. Perhaps that means we are finally maturing, which sounds better than aging. One change has been Karen’s return to a paid position in the church. She is now the Associate Director of the Family Life Ministry Office for the Diocese of Galveston-Houston. This means she is involved in all those efforts that make up the part of life she omitted when she worked for the Vocations Office: engagements, marriages, annulments, family planning, parenting, family development, etc. Pat still devotes his days to Baylor College of Medicine and his evenings and weekends to Christ the Good Shepherd Catholic Community.

Deb remains in San Antonio where she is one of six coordinators for the city’s Convention Center. Having an office next to River Walk, a major tourist center, has its advantages and disadvantages. Ken is using his psychology training at a local psychiatric hospital. He has his own apartment about ten minutes away from Grand Valley, a minor tourist attraction for him when he is in need of a home-cooked meal. Kip is about to enter his student teaching in an Austin suburb. Next comes a full-time job as a biology teacher, probably in the Houson area, after he graduates from Southwest Texas State.

Our travel has been limited this year. A meeting in Charleston, S.C. allowed us a chance to see the Boston-of-the-South last spring. We recommend it highly. This summer we spent our usual week at Notre Dame taking a couple classes there: a busman’s holiday. A fall meeting allowed us to journey to Washington D.C. where we experienced their 15 inches of overnight snowfall. It was an excellent reminder of why we moved to Houston. (But we also admit that we miss the colors, even the whites, of New England and the northland.)

As we close this summary of our life for 1987, we wish each of you happiness and peace in the coming months. This next year dawns with a hoped-for change in the world. May it bring you a personal sense of the peace we seek.

N.B. It’s about time we stopped apologizing for what had become a routine endeavor. This appears to be the first computerized letter; at least an electronic copy does exist. There is, however, an “error.” This letter says my file goes back to 1980. Actually, I’ve found letters from 1963, 1964 and 1968. I’m even a greater pack rat than I thought.

Dear Friends,

Another year has gone by and with it many changes in the lives of the Camerino clan. It seems we are all in the throes of growth and change … and while that is normal and healthy, it can be unsettling as well. The “nest” is empty after years of the comings and goings of college students. It’s wonderful to see three children become such fine adults; but now and then it can lead to memories of how it used to be … and musings about future grandchildren seeing Santa for the first time. We are at the midpoint of it all, enjoying the intimacy and spontaneity of being a couple again. That part is good!

Pat is still chugging along at Baylor College of Medicine .. would you believe eleven years? … and busy preaching, teaching, marrying and offering spiritual direction at Christ the Good Shepherd. Karen is semi-retired after a year as associate director of the diocesan Family Life Ministries Office. She is working on special projects two days a week and filling her “spare” time with spiritual direction, volunteering and teaching adults at the parish. We celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary by returning to England and Scotland in October. It was an exciting and wonderful experience. Come and see our photographs of castles and cathedrals!

Deb has moved from San Antonio to Denton, Texas where her intended, Joe Gunter, is working on a graduate degree. She is still looking for a position worthy of her talent and experience but seems content to live in Denton, a college town north of Dallas.

Ken is still working at Gulf Pines Psychiatric Hospital but is looking around for other options with more career potential. He is close by and becoming involved in the music ministry at Christ the Good Shepherd.

Kip (or Chris, as he is now called) graduated from Southwest Texas State University in August and is teaching physical science at Oak Ridge High School in The Woodlands, Texas. He lives in the same apartment complex as Ken, only ten minutes from home. He is hoping to teach biology next year but meanwhile is getting his feet wet as a first year teacher.

So here we are at the end of 1988, hoping that it has been a good year for you, too. Although we write seldom, you often cross our minds and enrich our memories of over thirty years as Pat and Karen. We value our friendship with you; it is our sincere hope that your lives are blessed and happy.

N.B. This electronic copy is one of the first ones printed on special Christmas paper. A very large candle with holly appears on the left side; it required that the format be modified as the outline of the candle was reached. It’s great how easily a word-processed version can accommodate this requirement. However, as a result the amount of “content” has been reduced, accounting for the brevity of this letter.

Dear Friends:

What a year this has been! For the world and for us, personally. So many changes, so much puzzlement about the future which looks so good, yet has so many potential surprises in it.

Early last spring, Karen went into “official retirement”, which means she now works three times as hard, enjoys it five times more and doesn’t get paid. She thought that she would have little to do; but that was before May 18th when we had over a foot of water inside our house as a result of a twenty-four hour flood in our part of Houston. Although the water did not stay long, it was sufficient to force us to put in new exterior dry walls and paneling, carpeting, drapes and furniture throughout the entire first floor. For several months we lived in our kitchen and a second floor bedroom. Yet, with prayer and her hard work, our abode was in order by the big date of August 12th, the day Ken married Tracey Sturek.

The newlyweds are as happy as any classic newlyweds could be. Ken is also beginning a new career with Universal Computer Management. Tracey, who is a truly wonderful daughter-in-law, is currently an office manager for an architectural firm. Once Ken completes his company training they will be moved, it appears, to the Washington, D. C. area, a place of fond memories for us; we hope it will become so for them.

Deb has gone back to school. She is seeking a Master of Library Science degree at North Texas State University in Denton while working full time as a librarian in Irving, a suburb of Dallas for our Yankee friends. She hopes to have her degree by next December. (Her Joe was awarded his MLS from Texas Women’s University in Denton this past summer; also on August 12th.)

Kip who now goes by Chris, is happily employed as a biology teacher at Oak Ridge High School in The Woodlands, TX, just north of Houston. He has decided to trade in his apartment for the thrills of renting his own house, complete with large dog (Ace) and small cat (Webster).

Karen and Pat were able to recover from the events of the spring and summer by relaxing for two magnificent weeks in October with the foliage of New England. A flight to Boston and a rental car trip along the Maine coast and overland through the Franconia Notch area, Stowe, VT and down through our beloved Hanover and Amherst to Mystic and Cohasset reminded us just how beautiful maple leaves and birch bark can be. Our Texas friends enjoyed the pictures and now understand us a little better.

Our changes have not been as dramatic, perhaps, as those now occurring in Central Europe. Perhaps the years during which all of us have prayed for peace are now bearing fruit. We truly hope so. We join you in wishing Peace on Earth for all of Good Will.

N.B. The “new mailing address” is not the result of a physical move, but rather of the devastations brought by the flood as well as other factors. For some unknown reason, neighborhood kids took to knocking over mailboxes, even brick ones such as ours. (Evidently trucks can be readily used as battering rams!) We now had our mail delivered to the postoffice on FM 1960, a process we had endured in Amherst for better reasons. Until re-reading this letter, I’d forgotten completely about this new, living condition! As to the “changes in Central Europe” … revolutions against Soviet rule had occurred in Hungary (June), in Prague (November) and in Romania (December). The Berlin Wall came down on November 9th and 10th. The Tianamen Square incident had occurred the preceding June. Yes, 1989 was a momentous year, even if none of it was part of our annual Christmas letter!

Dear Friends:

Last year we began our Christmas letter with the statement: “What a year this has been! For the world and for us, personally. So many changes, so much puzzlement about the future which looks so good, yet has so many potential surprises in it.”

It appears that the same feelings exist once more as we await Christmas 1990. The future now, however, does not look quite as “good” as last December with the shift in attention from Berlin to Baghdad. The level of “potential surprises” is even higher.

On the positive side for our family, we had neither floods nor hurricanes to occupy us … there are blessings! In fact the weather has been so mild this year that we were able to landscape our entire yard this past November. The roses are still in bloom!

In August of 1989, we celebrated the marriage of Ken and Tracey. One day less than one year later, in August 1990, Kip (who now goes by the name of Chris!) married Kelly Siegel. This way the boys (and we) will always be sure of remembering their mutual wedding days. We are looking forward to August 1991 to see what is in store for us … there is bound to be something!

Although there was a possibility that Ken and Tracey would be moving to Washington, D.C., upon completion of his training with Universal Computer Management, this did not transpire. The one-year newly-weds live near by. Ken has continued with UCM and Tracey with her part-time employment as an office manager for an architectural firm.

Chris and Kelly are living in The Woodlands, Texas, a planned community several miles north of Houston. They are both teaching at Oak Ridge High School. Chris handles biology and Kelly is the mathematics expert in the family. Between them they cover the scientific waterfront.

Deb has completed her work for her master of Library Science degree at North Texas State University in Denton and officially graduates this December. She has, however, been working as a full-time librarian in Irving, a suburb of Dallas … that northern Texas town. Both she and Joe Gunter work for an enlightened system in that the city council practically doubled their salaries; who said literacy doesn’t pay!

Karen and Pat traded off the foliage of New England this autumn for the majestic Rocky Mountains. Karen had wanted to see west Texas. That she did! We drove from Houston to El Paso and north through New Mexico to Estes Park Colorado. It was truly breath-taking. Then there was the drive back from Denver through eastern Colorado and northern Texas. If you want to see forever, that is the place to do it!

As we bring to a close both this summary letter and this year, we join all of you who long for peace. We wish you peace in your personal lives and hope that all of us can achieve what was promised by angels on high: “Peace on Earth to all of Good Will.”

P.S.: Although we have not moved, our mailing address is now a post office box: P.O. Box 90278, Houston, Texas, 77290-0278. Thanks!

N.B. The year began “well” with the Soviet Union on the verge of dis-union. On the other hand, summer saw the beginning of the re-unification of Germany. However, in August, Iraqi forces invaded Kuwait and by the end of the year, the world was wondering what the US and Russia would do about Saddam Hussein in 1991.

Dear Friends:

Another amazing year and another Christmas letter attempting to summarize it! Our note for 1990 began with a reference to the shift in our attention from Berlin (was that really two years ago?!) to concerns of Baghdad. Who would have thought, then, that we would now be puzzled by Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Croatia, Serbia, Israel, Palestine, Syria and all the other names which last appeared on the maps at the beginning of our current century? Then there is personal history.

Before starting to write this annual letter, there is a need to review what has gone before. It is surprising to find that our first “epistle” was for Christmas 1963. It focused on our new son, Kenneth, our move from New Hampshire to Oregon and Deb’s adjustment to nursery school. (No mention of anyone named Kip.) In the one for 1968 from Rockville Maryland, we wrote: “Deb, now in the fourth grade, is still in love with her classes; Ken has no complaints about his daily kindergarten sessions; and Kip keeps everyone busy just being Kip – a small package of dynamite.”

What about 1991? First we write of the newest Camerino: Jordan Michael, born to Ken and Tracey on August 6th, weighing in at 9 lb, 12 oz. At four months of age, he is 17 lb (or so) and 27 inches (or so)! He is doted upon, as one might expect, by parents and grandparents. When Ken is not being an active father he continues with his computer work and program documentation; Tracey is seldom other than an active mother.

And the eldest of the “middle” generation: Deb. She is now Mrs. Gunter. Joe and Deb were married on October 12th in San Antonio in La Villita, the “Old Town” on River Walk, near where she worked when living there. The location was chosen as being central to where they live (Irving), we live (Houston) and Joe’s family lives (Corpus Christi). For our Yankee friends, that’s like having a wedding in NYC with family in Boston and Baltimore, while living in Buffalo! Needless to say, no matter where we all live, all of us are very happy for them.

And the one who didn’t make mention in our first Christmas Letter: Chris. He and Kelly have moved from The Woodlands near where they still teach to a house they bought in a development near us. Their plans call for a cousin for Jordan sometime in early May. With August 11th and 12th and October 12th for weddings over the past three years, and an August 6th birthday so far, what date looks good to you? Remember, Kelly teaches math and Chris handles biology. (In addition to coaching freshman football, he now also coaches basketball; will wonders never cease?)

What with births and weddings, Pat and Karen were not able to get away for an extended travel vacation as in prior years. But there was a week with a view of the Gulf of Mexico at Port Aransas in late October. Unfortunately, the weather was unseasonably cold and wet, so the view was from the condominium and not from the beach, itself. Nevertheless, it was a pleasant change from the world of College and Church. We, the older generation, have weathered these parts of our lives well, albeit, with concern about Karen’s folks who are still living in Ohio.

Yet, this is what life is about: love for friends and relatives; concern for the generations before and after; joy with births, marriages and yes, with deaths, as well, for all of these are integral to the God whose coming among us we celebrate once more. So once again, we wish each of you, peace and happiness in this time of joy and continuing wonderment.

Dear Friends,

Another year is ending and who could have predicted all that has happened in 1992? We have seen the world in turmoil and although that is not new, new areas of unrest and warfare fill our newscasts and our minds. Places such as Mogadishu and Bosnia-Herzegovina roll off the lips of anchorpersons these days – places most of us were unaware of just last year. Natural disasters have devastated this country and others – earthquakes, hurricanes, forest fires, tornadoes and typhoons have changed many lives forever. And into this cauldron comes the Prince of Peace to touch our hearts, to give us hope, to teach us about love and caring and everlasting life. Once a year we remember. If only we would remember every day!

This year for the Camerinos has been one of many peaks and valleys and not many plateaus. In May, our first granddaughter, Kirby Michele, was born to Chris and Kelly. She is a charmer (of course) and has won the hearts of one and all. Pat had the privilege of baptizing her and once again reaped the benefits of his call to the Permanent Diaconate.

Then in June, we traveled with a group of 50 to the Holy Land. It was a wonderful experience! Pat particularly enjoyed the hour we spent in a boat on the Sea of Galilee. We could have remained there all day long, remembering what was spoken there. Karen was moved to tears at the sound of the well at Nazareth where Mary and Jesus must have come every day to fill their buckets. We both found the “authentic” places to be more uplifting than the “traditional” ones, most of which are surrounded by fences or covered by churches. In any case, we want to go again some day and would encourage you to make the trip.

We also traveled to Eagle, Colorado where Deb and Joe are living now – a scant half hour from Vail. The Rockies are gorgeous and it was good to see them with our almost newly-weds.

Now for the valleys. We learned last year that Karen’s nephew, Steve, was infected with the AIDS virus. Karen spent some time in Ohio with her sister Tami and a lot of time on the phone as support to Tami and Steve. We lost Steve on September 9. He was a charming, witty, talented and caring man and he is sorely missed by all who knew and loved him.

On November 9, Karen’s mother died in Ohio. Once more the trip was made to celebrate Peg’s life and to grieve her passing. Karen’s dad and sister are left to comfort each other in Ohio. Tami has her son Jeff, daughter-in-law Sharon and a dynamo grandchild, Devon, to help her through the bad times. There are times when the distances between Texas and Ohio are very great; this is one of them.

Back to good news! Ken and Tracey are expecting their second child in February. Their son, Jordan Michael, is 16 months old and lots of walking (talking?) fun. We look forward to new life and more joys of being grandparents.

Pat is chugging along at Baylor College of Medicine during the week and at the parish several hours on nights and weekends. Karen is still on the Ministry Staff of the Cenacle Retreat House and spends her time in spiritual direction and retreat work. She also has another passion: counted cross stitch. She has begun a seemingly-unending project of making Christmas stockings for all the family, eleven in all! It keeps her out of trouble, Pat says.

Our love and prayers go out to all of you. May you have a blessed and happy holiday season and a peace-filled new year.

N.B. Over the years Karen created twenty-one Christmas stockings for relatives! In addition she produced several cross-stitched illustrations and samplers. Given her arthritis of the last few years, she has purchased completed Christmas stockings for our great-grandchildren! Good things sometimes require modification.

Dear Friends,

We find it hard to believe this is the “30th anniversary” of our Christmas letter efforts. For the first six Christmases or so, we did not bore you (if Ann Landers is to be trusted) with the activities of our family and the relations with kin and others. During many of the following years we also avoided the ritual, yet, in looking back at these efforts, it would be wonderful to have a written record of the memories of those missing years. Fortunately many of them still exist in the cluttered attic of our mind and the storage bins of our heart. What will be packed away for 1993?

In mid-February, another Camerino entered the world: Dillon Andrew, at 9 lb. 133/4 oz, joined his brother Jordan Michael, who had weighed a mere 9 lb. 12 oz. Tracey and Ken seem to be destined for large events in their lives. Dillon, who is just as cute as his big brother, is almost to the walking stage. Jordan is now in what some would call the “terrible two’s”, but he resides there only a minimal part of the time. Ken is still into computers and Tracey is still keeping up with the men in her life.

Not to be outdone, Chris and Kelly are counting on a brother or sister for daughter Kirby. High school biology and mathematics teachers must be especially addicted to lesson plans, since their children are scheduled for the end of the school year and the start of summer vacations: some vacations! Right now Kirby is the favorite grand-daughter and knows exactly how to win the adorableness awards.

Deb and Joe have moved back from Colorado to San Antonio where she is the Assistant Director for one of the branch libraries and he is with Our Lady of the Lake University Library. Although they have lost the mountains and scenery of the Rockies, they have gained in being closer to Houston, for us, and to Corpus Christi, for Joe’s relatives. They are also within driving distance of Dallas for the Cowboy games, which might even be more “relative” to the move south!

Since academic institutions no longer have a mandatory retirement age, a major project Pat has been working on for Baylor College of Medicine has been “incentives for early retirement.” It would be tempting for him to practice what he preaches. But some would say that this is probably equally true for the homilies he continues to give as a permanent deacon. Karen continues her own pursuit of a spiritual life through her ministry at the Cenacle Retreat House in Houston.

Once again Karen and Pat made a “big trip”; this time a cruise of the Mediterranean. It was the first time (and we hope not the last!) we have been on a cruise. It was even more fun than we were told it would be. The Royal Odyssey departed from Rome (where we visited the usual: St Peter’s Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Roman Forum, Colosseum) for Naples and Pompeii. Then to Cyprus and Jerusalem. (We still cannot believe we’ve been to Jerusalem twice within one year!) Then on to Rhodes and Istanbul, where Pat got his fill of Crusader sights. Next: Ephesus, Corinth and Athens. Yes, last year we “did” the Gospels; this year it was the “Acts of the Apostles” and St. Paul’s journeys. We both wish that we could have spent more time in Ephesus meditating and praying and in Rhodes, just drinking up the atmosphere. Our day-dreams now include a return to Athens and the Greek isles, shortly after winning the Texas Lottery!

In reality, we did get to Put-in-Bay and South Bass Island in Lake Erie where we spent a relaxing, long weekend. It was part of a visit for Karen to Sandusky while Pat was attending his 40th high school reunion in Niles. It gave us an opportunity to see dear friends and relatives once more. And that is what life is really all about: to share with friends and relatives the gifts of memories and dreams, the fabric of love.

No one can be sure of the memories & dreams yet-to-come; but we treasure those we have acquired these past 12 months. We hope that your treasures have also been found again at this particular season of the year, when we seek in a special way the peace and good tidings promised so long ago.

Dear Friends,

It’s difficult to get into the spirit of Christmas when the temperture is still in the 70’s and low 80’s! Even after these 17 years in Houston, we continue to be amazed at the lack of correlation between what we experience and what we remember. However, given the aging process, itself, there seems to be an on-going difficulty to coordinate what we do now with what we remember from five minutes ago.

There are other reasons, too, that make it difficult to enter fully into the joy of Christmas. They also relate to the aging process. During the past months, several of our good friends have returned to God. Karen’s father died very recently in Ohio, after a long illness. His passing now completes the transition of the last of our ancestors to a new life in the Kingdom. Yet we rejoice not only in their gift of life to us but even more in the gift of new life seen in our own grandchildren.

This past spring, in mid-April, Kennedy Lane joined her sister, Kirby Michele, in the life of Chris and Kelly. The event, as we promised last year, occurred at a time not to interfer too greatly with Chris and Kelly’s teaching. They still are involved in biology and mathematics in addition to raising two daughters. Somehow it all fits together.

Ken and Tracy have the pleasure of raising (or being razed by) two active sons: Jordan Michael, a talkative three pluser, and Dillon Andrew, a running two, capable of outdistancing twenty! Ken escapes to his computer at work and Tracy keeps going and going and going. Perhaps we all could use new energizers.

With Deb and Joe returning from Colorado to San Antonio last year, we have had more opportunities to visit with them. Although their respective libraries keep them occupied, they still get to the Cowboy games in Dallas. Karen even spent a weekend in Dallas with Deb to see one of the games. When you live in Houston, you do anything to see real football!

The two of us, however, have once again traveled farther afield than Dallas or San Antonio. Although our original vacation plans called for us to return to the Pacific Northwest where we once lived, we found ourselves back in Europe. This time it was part of an eighteen-day bus tour. We hover-crafted from England to France and were driven to Paris (magnificent at night) and on to Avignon (where Pat soaked up medieval history). Then on to Pisa (the tower still stands) and to Siena (another wonderful old, walled city) and Rome. Yes, this was our second trip to Rome; once (or even twice) is not enough. This time we had a very enjoyable day with a young priest friend who had just arrived for three years of study in theology. We then went to Florence, with insufficient time to see the museums, and on to Venice (the pigeons really do take over St Mark’s Square). Since that wasn’t enough to overload our senses, except for our common senses, we continued to Lucerne Switzerland and the Rhine Valley before returning to Amsterdam and London (with an extra day in Canterbury, since British Airways’ schedule precluded a same-day connection). We arrived in Houston exhausted, with a hope that someday we could return in a more leisurely fashion to Tuscany.

Within a week of our return to Houston, we waited out our “annual” flood waters. Although much of Houston was flooded, our house lucked out with the rising waters coming only ten feet from our front door. We have some great home-video to go with the still pictures taken in Venice.

So these are our memories for this last year. The usual mixture of sadness and joy. Each one has an appropriate place in God’s dreams for us. We pray that your own memories and hopes bring you the peace and good tidings caroled out two thousand years ago.

“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory: the glory of an only son coming from the Father, filled with enduring love.” As often as I’ve pondered those words, I still marvel at the goodness of a God who made himself so small for us. It isn’t the nativity I look at but the incarnation. The baby is important, but think of the Word becoming flesh! Think of the beach becoming a grain of sand, the ocean becoming a drop of water, the universe becoming a star – just so we mortals can look and hear and follow and live better lives. That will always be beyond me and yet so much a part of me that without it I couldn’t be myself.” Karen

It’s nearly Christmas again and here we are – letting you know that we love you and that you are important to us. We are sending this letter early, because as you have probably noticed, we have moved! After giving away hundreds of books, much furniture and many possessions hoarded over eighteen years in our previous house, we moved on May 8 to what may well be our final home. We love it! We live in as rural an area as northwest Houston offers; we have trees, cattle, horses, and Texas characters all around us. We have a kitchen with a skylight, a large family room and a master suite which is great. The other rooms are small but adequate and we still have a guest room for anyone who would like to visit (hint, hint).

The “kids” are doing fine. It is a great joy to have them all so close-at-hand. Our librarians, Deb and Joe, are still in San Antonio, but we love that city and visit as often as possible. Ken and Tracey presented us with another grandchild in September, Christina Noel, who charms all of us, including her brothers Jordan and Dillon. Ken is still involved in computer documentation and is doing well; Tracey is a stay-at-home wife and mother – a rarity these days, but a nice one. Chris and Kelly are still teaching high school science and math; Chris still coaches football and basketball. Grand-daughters Kirby and Kennedy are beautiful and wonderful. It’s amazing that we have five such perfect grandchildren! It’s fun when the house is full of eight adults and five children under the age of five. We do understand why young people have babies. (Karen maintains that if she had been Sarah, she’s not sure she could have laughed!)

Pat is still at Baylor College of Medicine. One new aspect of the new housing arrangement is that he works at home and “tele-commutes” to the College about once a week. His home computer is directly linked to the office and what with voice mail, home faxes, etc. there is little disadvantage in the change. (For others who have joined the electronic age, he can be found through “camerino@bcm.tmc.edu”.) We also continue our ordained and non-ordained ministries at Christ the Good Shepherd, now a pleasant 25 minute drive through the country, even though there is a local parish only five minutes away. Karen is still on the staff of the Cenacle Retreat House and is helping with the training program for spiritual directors there. It keeps her pretty busy and yet affords moments for prayer and reflection. Karen spent two weeks in Ohio this past summer, helping her sister Tami in the recovery process following brain surgery. It was an opportunity not only to be of service but also for two sisters to grow even closer together.

With the move to the new house coupled with months of double mortgages and utility bills, we weren’t able to get away for a vacation comparable to the ones we have enjoyed for the last several years. Nevertheless, a week in Galveston in mid-October was a welcomed respite, especially since it was after we had closed on our previous house.

With the birth of grandchildren and the passing on of friends and relatives, it’s a somewhat sobering thought that we are fast becoming the older generation. If serenity is part of the package, we’re all for it. Wisdom wouldn’t hurt either.

We hope your year has been a good one, filled with blessings and joy. Please know that you are in our thoughts and even if our correspondence is limited to this one letter a year, you are special to us.