- We all got our vaccinations in the spring and boosters in the fall.
- Sarah completed two semesters at Penn State, one completely online and one taking in-person classes at the University Park campus in State College, PA, where Paul and Claire studied many years ago.
- Daniel has done very well with online programs for his day program and music therapy.
- Paul made a lot of progress getting rid of invasive species in our yard and continued his genealogy work until he came down with sciatica in November. He's starting to feel better now, in late December.
- Claire continued as gallery director of the Craft Gallery of Artisans United, working hard to increase awareness of the gallery, which has paid off with a big increase in business this holiday season.
We feel fortunate to continue to have excellent aides to help care for Daniel. We are happy that Sarah is finding her way toward a bachelors degree (through I still am not sure when she plans to graduate, but that's OK). We have enjoyed good health for the most part, and are working on improving that in the new year. Getting rid of the accumulation of "stuff" is a priority, but still feels overwhelming even though Freecycle, a Buy Nothing group, eBay, Goodwill/Unique, and the trash or recycling cans have taken many items. Other pursuits often seem more appealing; maybe you can relate to that!
We look forward to the day when we can return to traveling, but for now, there is enough here to keep us busy.
We hope the new year brings health to all and an easier road than the one we've been on recently! Get in touch when you have a moment so we can catch up.
The photos below provide a brief tour of some of the things that kept our lives interesting this year.
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| Claire celebrated her 70th birthday with her two best friends from high school! |
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| The cats enjoy the holiday decorations. |
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Daniel got to go to camp this year! |
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Some kids broke the window in Sarah’s car. Fortunately, the mom dealt with it with no problem. |
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Sarah is studying sustainability and energy policy at Penn State. All the furniture in her apartment was piled in the middle of the room at move in! Moving things around wasn't too hard, though. |
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Paul is removing invasive-species trees and growing orchids, which may not be native but also are not invasive. |
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| What a yawn! The foxes and deer enjoy our back yard, and Claire has a really great view from her desk. |
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Look closely to see the deer. |
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| Daniel rocking his mask after getting his first covid vaccination. |
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| Daniel still enjoys using his gait trainer. |
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Cooking new things: paella and a samosa pie with my first attempt at a hot water crust. |
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| We have blackberry lilies trying to take over a patch of the front yard. |
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| Our street is known for the azalea display in the spring. This year was especially beautiful. |
