We didn't sent out our annual Christmas greeting last year. Procrastination won over obligation. This is our 2011 Christmas greeting. We will print it out for technophobes and send it by snail mail. The rest of you will just have to print it out if it is worthy of your ink. End of caveats.
Contrary to some speculation, we are still here. We are shorter, vision challenged, heaing deficient (that is for one of us..the other has hearing aids-thank the Lord), and wiser. Des has macular degeneration, so eyesight is poor. We can stand, sit, wal (limited for Des), talk, read, opine, vote and meander in our thoughs as we reminisce about friends we have lost and miss so much.
Des has mobility problems because his knees are bad and he can't talk our cardiologist into letting him have surgery. Probably due to Atrial Fibrilation and his daily intake of blood thinner. On the other hand he owns two motorized scooters and a green walker whch is the delight of our cats, Mitzi and Murphy, whojump on the seat when he pushes it around. Sometimes he neglects to charge the scooter and, if you were a mouse in our house, you will find me giving him a push while he fiddles with knobs and beeps the beeper. He can't get out of the house very much these days, which is frustrating for him. He turned 86 in July and didn't get his driver's license renewed.Doctors discouraged this due to his poor eyesight.
He stays out of trouble writingin his office on his IBM Selectric III typewriter. Our garden gave up the last tomato and foot long japanese cucumber. He wants to plant more stuff. I smile with benign neutrality. He'sthe farmer, I'm the city girl. It is what it is.
Travel has not been a priority this year. OUt of towner family members visit us when possible. I went up to see Judith and family in Portola Valley via Amtrak for a few days. They were here briefly in late summer. Cal came down on Amtrak from Washington State and was with us for a month.
I went to the annual Pismo Beach Jazz Festval last month with pal Donna and several other church members and am attaching my loyalty to the Night Blooming Jazzmen. Most of them are in their sunset years, but haven't lost their touch.
The other odd occasion, was a Sunday in Chinatown, atending a Catholic Church to hear arias sung by opera singers belonging to a local opera company, with a spread of Italian food, buffet style. Great fun.
I turned 80 this October, a shock I would register at 7.7 on the Richter scale. Then we celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary November 18th. Now I know where half my life went.
I could include lots more news about kid, grandkids and great grandkids, but modesty forbids me from bragging..or whining. So, this is it. We wish you a joyful - peaceful time throughout this Christmas season. May the coming year be a time of optimism and love spread across our land, the rest of the world. We believe God watches over us; We are grateful and blest.
Keep in touch. Here are the ways. . Des and Ann Shields, 7322 RalstonStreet, Ventura, CA 93003; Email: anns40@aol.com; Landline phone: 1-805-647-5846: Cell phone: 1-805-231-4383.
