12/25/12 A CHRISTMAS LETTER

GRAY AND DULL OUTSIDE

WARM AND CHEERFUL INSIDE

Christmas morning.  8:00 AM.  35 degrees, wind WSW, moderate with stronger gusts.  It is a gray, cloud covered day and the barometer predicts the same but the lighted Christmas tree and a fire in the fireplace cheers the household. 
Last evening we watched, for the umpty-umpth time, “The Sound of Music.”  It may be my imagination, but it seems to have become as much a Christmas classic as “It’s a Wonderful Life,” and “Miracle on Thirty-fourth Street.”   It is really rather sappy but the music is wonderful.  And the true story with its basic themes of faith, freedom and family is quite overwhelming, even if much of the movie is fiction..  But when it comes to the really important things in life, fiction is usually as relevant as fact.
    The following is our annual letter for 2011, which has been sent to family and friends.  We hope our blog readers will count themselves among the latter.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS
From
ART AND JOAN ODE
Dear Reader:
    2011 will soon be over and we are grateful that we both are again in our usual good health and spirits, after a few problems this past  year, and hope you and yours are well and happy. Our children and grandchildren are all fine and progressing in careers and school.  We had the pleasure of visiting Dutch, Leslie and granddaughter Allison in Texas in February, and then on to Eva, Doug and grandchildren Nick and Katie in Colorado.  They all in turn visited us in Bayfield in July.  Daughter Greta was not able to be with us last summer so we visited her in Columbus in November. Her yellow lab Atticus was a finalist in the Master National Hunt Test in Virginia this fall, quite an accomplishment.
    We enjoyed maple sugaring again last March with friends Andy and Judy, and spent many summer evenings with them around the campfire at their Bayfield  tree farm.  We also managed to spend time with friends Tom and Barb in Racine in March, and cousins Susan, Marilyn, Janet, Ted, Clara Jean and Joan and I all got together at cousin Karen’s home with members of their family in Plainfield on Labor Day Weekend.  We visited old friends Bill and Alleen for goose hunting in September (a good hunt). 
    We both keep busy seasonally with our businesses and Chamber of Commerce activities and I with urban forestry volunteer work, the latter taking us around Wisconsin quite a bit during the year.  Boredom is not a problem.
    We were saddened to loose cousins Walter and Gladys, and second cousin Bob this past year.  Time marches on.
    We were also sad to loose our faithful old dog Lucky last fall, but are enjoying a new experience with Buddy, a relentlessly enthusiastic and happy English pointer.    The Holiday Season will find us at home in Bayfield, but with family and friends in spirit wherever they may be.  We wish all of you a blessed and joyful Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Art and Joan Ode