Heathens’ Greetings to all our friends, family and little ones (both the two and four legged variety.)   This holiday newsletter has become something of a holiday tradition for Ken, Plumpton and me.      I started writing this newsletter in 1995.  I have missed the past couple of years due to sheer inertia.   Mr. Einstein is supposed to that time exists so that everything doesn’t happen at once. That sounds like a convenient excuse to me because so many things happen I can barely keep up.

You have your choice of what is big news for us this year.  Ken co-authored (with Dmitri Bondarenko) a book called The Axial Ages of World History  which is no big deal because he’s published books before.  I turned 60 which I have never done before and I am retiring from my job with the First Judicial District which I have also never done before.  Ken and I traveled to Moscow (not the one in Idaho) which we have never done before and we got to see Dmitri  and his family which we have done before (but we had never visited them in Moscow before.)

Ok, ok,  I will stop being annoying (it’s nothing I haven’t done before.)  Leigh started teaching third grade which is a challenge and a half. We are almost half way through the school year  and she is still giving it the college try (even though it’s the third grade.)   Max is looking for employment  (who ever hires him will be damn lucky to have him) and working on a graduate degree.   Connor (AKA The Step Potato) started first grade and the girls are already asking him for his phone number.  Nathan (AKA The Step Banana) continues to be the smartest, cutest preschooler in the world.  I am convinced he is a budding musical genius and the only thing that keeps us from providing musical instruments for both of the boys is a promise we made to their parents early on:  No toys that make noise. But that’s Ok.  Their parents will make sure their talents are fostered at the right time.

Plumpton the cat  will be 20 years old in January!  He retired a couple of years ago.  He is now a Senior Mouser and consults occasionally. Mostly he sleeps and yells at the neighborhood kittens to play in their own yard.  Le Mutt accompanied me to Puerto Vallarta last year where I took a a metalsmithing workshop.   I didn’t get tourista for once, but Le Mutt was not as lucky.  I warned him about drinking the water from Mexican toilets but he wouldn’t listen.  Serves him right.

Here’s where I typically close with words of wisdom.  Well guess what?  I don’t have any.    Instead I am just grateful that the universe has seen fit not to grant my every wish and to give me a wonderful life.  Here’s hoping that all your wishes don’t come true.  Have a wonderful 2016