“Oh, the weather outside is delightful …” Seriously,
this is central Texas. It is early December, and the highs have been in the
eighties. The past week has been gorgeous. The past year has been interesting.
Here are the highlights to get you caught up.
Our church hosts a monthly concert series. In January, the Steel Wheels performed. After
the show, the musicians stayed at our house. They were a great group of guys. In October we hosted two of the Kerrville New
Folk Winners, Korby Lenker and Whit Hill.
Peggy reprised her role as a volunteer tax preparer for low
income families in the Austin area. She also became the treasurer at our
church. She was back at the potter’s wheel this year and brought home some
useful and “artistic” wares.
In late March we began planning a kitchen remodel. Peggy
stepped up and served as general contractor. We ordered cabinets, chose paint
colors, found light fixtures, contracted painters, electricians, and plumbers,
started demolition, agreed on backsplash materials, and lived without running
water in the kitchen for way too long -- we did dishes in the bathroom. With
only a few big surprises, the project was completed in a mere 12 weeks.
In July, Peggy took on a temporary, paying job as an
accountant for a hospital in Austin. After three months, the gig ended, and
Peggy had gained experience in a new environment. She decided that working again wasn’t so bad
and is now looking for a full time, permanent job.
In August David served as master of ceremonies for the
church’s annual talent show and silent auction. David’s bad, yet, family
friendly jokes kept the acts flowing smoothly. Fear of the punch lines ensured
that each act was set up as quickly as possible. Peggy chaired the silent
auction that raised over $3000 for a prison ministry.
At the end of September, David announced his retirement from
AT&T. On the 19th of October, he went to the office for the last
time. To celebrate, David immediately began promoting the photography business
that he started in 2011. Since then, David has shot a wedding, some family photo
sessions, and a couple of executive portrait sessions. A second wedding is
booked, and additional opportunities with camera-in-hand are being explored.
The new found “spare” time has been filled with mountain biking, Frisbee golf,
ping pong, and water aerobics with Peggy. We also learned that grandson #3 is
due to arrive in February 2013. How exciting!
Laura and Steve TerLouw spent a couple of days with us, while
Laura attended her 20th high school reunion. It is amazing that time
has flown so quickly, since the time that Laura lived with us during her senior
year. She and Steve now have three children of their own.
Election-day found us working a polling place: Peggy as
assistant election judge and David as election clerk. We began the day at 5:30
am. It was close to 10:00 pm, before the day ended. It was a long day for sure,
but was a great way to experience the political process and see lots of our
neighbors. After living in Austin for 24
years we’ve gotten to know a lot of people.
For Thanksgiving, we visited with family in Missouri,
Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Peggy went horseback riding with her sister in
Arkansas. With the good came some sad. Peggy’s brother, Darrell, passed away on
Tuesday after the holiday. We returned to Oklahoma for the memorial service. We
were fortunate to have been able to say our “goodbyes” during the holiday visit
to Darrell’s home.
As you can see, our year was full, and even with loss, we feel blessed to have lived it. May your Christmas be merry and may you also be blessed in the New Year.
Peggy, David, and the dogs, Zander and Klaus
