Leaving on a Jet Plane

Dear Gentle Reader,
I’m feeling very ambivalent as I write to you this evening. I’m eager to go see my sons and daughters-in-law and grandchildren again (last time was in June, and you know how quickly those little ones change!). But I hate leaving Dick to fend for himself—yes, I know he’s a grown-up, but he’s not used to being alone, and I’ll miss him. But since I'll be busy and distracted, he'll miss me worse. Furthermore, the temperatures in the Midwest aren’t exactly alluring! The one positive aspect is that Lake Michigan still seems to be exercising a moderating influence, so that it’s not quite as cold as in Iowa, say, where I’m told it was –19 this morning.

So my suitcases are packed and nearly ready to go, and I’ve discovered that Alana’s boots fit pretty well if I wear knee-highs instead of socks. For snacking, there’s a bag of home-made "trail mix" and four of her sinfully delicious chocolate biscotti cookies. The airlines have certainly deteriorated in terms of meal service! I wonder if you get "regular" meals when you take longer flights, e.g., to Europe or Hawaii. (My daughter-in-law and grandchildren just returned from Hawaii. I must ask the little jet-setters what they ate on their flights.)

How are you coming along with your Christmas cards? This year I decided to send "Christmas letters," and I’ve sent out about half of them so far. I considered taking the remainder on the plane, where I could write notes, but my penmanship isn’t that wonderful anyway, and the seats are usually rather cramped.

Today I received a wonderful card and letter from my cousin John, who’s a retired M.D. living in Iowa. He sent two photographs taken at our grandparents’ Christmas gathering when I was about 12 and he looks like he was maybe 6. Ah, it’s almost like going back in time to see all those familiar faces. My father looks handsome, and our aunts look so young (they were probably only in their 30s then but seemed "old" to me!) And my older sisters were pretty. Yes, that's the photo at the top of today's blog, and that’s me in a red sweater, seated next to my grandmother. My nephew David is barely visible, on my lap. My cousin John is standing between my grandmother (we called her "Nannie,") and Granddad. Who would guess that little boy would grow up to become a very respected obstetrician in his community?!! Also, he’s always been very good at corresponding, which impresses me, since not many men seem to take an interest in it.

This may be my last "news" until I return to San Diego. But sometime this week I'll try to post a transcript of a radio program I heard a few days ago. A Chinese church leader was interviewed about his experiences at a Communist labor camp where he was imprisoned for 18 years. He's an amazing man.
Until next time…Peace!