Good tidings we bring to you and your kin

We're back in winter again. The other day, we took a walk in to the camp. The mild air was melting the ice on the tree branches, so it was though we were walking through a rain shower. Snowmobilers had packed down the snow and the walking was easy.

You can't get anywhere near the camp without thinking about Huck. He died at home last January. An ice storm had knocked out the power. He slipped away in the quiet darkness. His friend, Elden, remarked how Huck could walk silently like an Indian in the woods. Karl remembers learning (albeit not very well) how to guide a canoe silently without lifting the paddle from the water. Huck may have left us quietly, but he also left us the camp and stories upon stories.

The camp has been a great place for parties in all seasons as well as time for vacations and just hanging around. We spent vacation weeks in July (with Sandra's cousin, Phyllis) and September. In July, we celebrated Sandra's 60th birthday with a whitewater rafting trip down the Deerfield River in western Massachusetts. Sandra attended another 60th birthday party, in California with a friend she's known since childhood. Add to that trips to Prince Edward Island in April, May, and August and you can see that we had good times at home and away from home. (MuscleCam gives you an idea of the wild times that can be had on PEI.) In November, the MacGregor family gathered to celebrate Woody and Marian's 65th wedding anniversary.

Illness and change were also a part of our year. Karl left his job in April due to what his doctors called treatment-refractory depression. In November, he was classified as disabled and eligible for Social Security benefits; in effect, retired. Early retirement is mostly a good thing, but it feels like getting a new bike in winter, a new toy arriving in an unexpected season.

Our family continues to flourish. The grandchildren excel in sports (Michael Francis, tri-captain and MVP of his football team; Krista making the junior high varsity track team in shotput and cross-country, Lily winning ribbons for swimming), music, and dance. Mike's business sponsored a food relief program for needy folks in the area. Adam, who was promoted to Sergeant this year, led a gift drive for a military police division stationed in Iraq. Jennie started a new job at Baystate Medical Center.

We have a couple of family traditions to carry forward. When the grandchildren turn 13, we take them to see Blue Man Group in Boston. This year, it's Joe's turn. When a child turns 10, they get to fly to PEI with Sandra. Tess's turn is in May.

If we could get several days of hard cold and not too much snow, we might be able to get together at the camp (perhaps to celebrate Krista's 12th birthday) with skating, hot chocolate, and maybe even a sauna and a roll in the snow.

We wish you good tidings at Christmas and a Happy New Year.
With love from Karl and Sandra