We are at the end of another year that seems like it was five years long! Annual year in review letters can seem boring, especially to those of you who could care less about all the kids-grandkids-pets- travel that we will be sharing. We understand, which is why you can just as easily dump this in your trash folder or not even open it. It seems so easy and that is OK by us. We understand.
2021 started so hopefully. We were about to embark on a new year. Trump was almost gone, his protestations not withstanding. Vaccines were close to being released. Technology and science were set to win out over the Coronavirus; civility, propriety and reason were about to enter into the White House; the great national divide was about to be sutured together for healing. January 6th snuck up on us and, just as an entire nation had stared dumbfounded on September 11, 2001, we again were transfixed by the images on our screens of our nation being attacked, this time from within and hectored on by a man who is so self-involved, so dismissive, so … so… so…Well you get the picture and we don’t need to belabor the point. If you think we are being too harsh, you don’t really know us. We’ll leave it at that.
Early in the year, we celebrated Deb’s 70th birthday, this time via a surprise Zoom call including friends, relatives, co-workers and various fans. Not the greatest surprise party ever staged, but it got the job done in the time of COVID. This set the tone for a host of following 70th birthday events during 2021 for her friends: Jan Morrison, Deb Duggan, Glenda Pierce, Peg Strickland, Char Thiessen and Judy Cormaci to name just a few.
We completed two projects on the house this year, one intentional and one not. The intentional was to finish the remodel of the lower level (some would say basement) room into a library/TV room/alternate guest room. The unintentional was caused by a burst pipe in a wall of our family room. During a run of sub-zero days, a water line pipe leading to the laundry area burst at 11:00 one night. Luckily for us, we were awake watching television and were able to get the water shut down in a matter of minutes. The plumber arrived two days later to make the repair and then we spent a few weeks tearing out drywall, insulating the area after it dried out and then repainting.
As to travel, about the farthest we journeyed was to the COVID testing sites to have our nasal passages tortured. We tested every few weeks; it felt like we were doing something, and as Mark is immunocompromised, it felt like cheap (free) insurance. Besides we went to different sites each time so were able to travel around the city some. We were out weekly for grocery shopping, Mark drove and waited in the car, Deb masked up and went in for the supplies, trying to maintain her 6 foot safe space and spraying her hands after each trip.
In April, our friends Del and Karen Sennentz stopped by for lunch at our house on their way back to Kearney and then the drive home to Phoenix. They had come to town to get a glimpse of a first great-grandchild. Since we did not get to Arizona this year, it was our only non-Zoom chance to see them. Later in April we drove to Fairmont, Minnesota to visit Deb’s uncle, Gilbert Picken to celebrate his 90th birthday. Gilbert (Uncle Bud to Deb) was the last remaining member of that generation on her side of the family. Following our visit we journeyed to Minneapolis for shopping and a dinner with our friend April Dillon, then home again. We were saddened to learn of Gil’s death just after Thanksgiving. He fell at his home and never recovered consciousness. We are so glad we got to spend this day with him and his daughter and son-in-law Diane and Scott Posner.
Also in April, we began work on an additional vegetable garden at Abigail’s house. Her back yard is very sunny and lends itself well to the raised beds we have built over the years. This year’s addition was extra deep to accommodate potatoes and other root crops. We also began laying out border gardens for shrubs and flowers around the yard. This is going to be a long term project but allows us to be creative on a whole new gardening canvas.
In May we stopped our weekly blog chronicling our COVID adventures, thinking the pandemic was drawing to a close. Shows what we knew. Regular readers will know that we lost our beloved cat, Sushi in May. Later in the summer we became the caretakers of Cleo, an older small black cat that had been Abigail’s cat for some years. Cleo was struggling with the onslaught of other dogs and cats at their house, and we had a hole in our hearts which Cleo was soon to fill. In May we also received a visit from Mark’s high school friend David McQuinn and his wife Susan. Dave’s mother passed away last December and they traveled from their home in Minnesota to lay her ashes to rest. They stopped by the house and we spent some afternoon hours on the patio enjoying a bottle of wine and reminiscing. We hope to catch up with them in the future in our travels.
In June, Ed and Meg came to visit from their home in North Hollywood, taking a break from their respective jobs as Director of Corporate Computer Security for Warner Media, and partner in Morman Boling Casting Agency; the occasion being Ed’s 30th High School Reunion. They joined us again over the Christmas holidays, filling the house with even more seasonal spirit. We will next see them at the their wedding ceremony in Temecula, California in April 2022.
Ed’s kids are doing well, Christopher gainfully employed at the U.S. Postal Service as a mail carrier, Avery finishing up her degree at Towson University in Maryland, set to graduate in May, and Spenser learning how to cook and be a chef at a restaurant in Hagerstown, Maryland. Jake’s kids are safe: Sabrina stationed with the Air Force in Florida, and Adrian flying away on December 27th to take his oath and head off to Air Force Boot Camp at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. In Pleasant Ridge, Michigan, Jake continues to keep Ford Motor running and Audrey stays more than busy wrangling the employees and customers of her successful Woodward Pet Sitting Service.
Abigail continues her payroll work at PayPlus, the provider for Home Instead Franchisee payrolls. Home Instead was sold this year, but, so far, her firm continues to provide services. Darcy and her partner Bud (formerly Maria) continue to share Abigail’s home. Darcy wrapped up her employment this summer with Omaha Girls Rock and they have embarked on a new venture called East Oh! - a web based business providing information and safe sex equipment. If you are interested, you can check their website -www.eastohomaha.com.
Mark continued his volunteer work with Nebraska Extension Master Gardeners program, herding a crew of twenty-three mostly elderly volunteer gardeners around the 13 gardens they have created at The Josie Harper Hospice Residence. Deb continued providing travel services to a dwindling group of clients. The clientele is much older, travel in times of COVID is much more difficult, and life is getting too short. She has a few trips booked for the coming year, but is more than happy to hang up her computer, clean out her files and let it slide. 48 years may be enough. We shall see what the future brings.
Mark’s aunt, Carolyn Covert Wilcox died this past summer at age 95. She was the last of that generation on his side. We had not seen her in a few years and so must remember her only in our memories - all good ones. On the brighter side, life goes on and continues. Our friends Zöe and Garth Highland gave birth to the third member of their expanding brood - Arthur Michael Highland on July 12. This was a difficult pregnancy - Zöe spent the final 8 weeks in the maternity ward of the Nebraska Medical Center. Zöe’s mom, Bernadette Cleary, wrangled a special dispensation visa to arrive from her home in County Tipperary, Ireland prior to the birth and spent nearly three months helping out. We were able to welcome Bernadette to our front porch for a wee glass o’ wine some evenings - only to relieve the stress, mind you. Bernadette has returned to Ireland, Arthur is thriving wonderfully, his sisters Iris and Esmè are not yet tired of him, and mom and dad are coping. All is well.
In October, Deb and Abigail flew to New York State to attend the Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool Festival, allegedly the nation’s largest gathering of all things wool, including the animals, the yarn, the weavers and the knitters. Abigail met people from around the country, some of whom even follow her knitting on You Tube. If you want to follow her, look for Covert Knits on You Tube.
In early December, Deb drove to Nebraska City and met with her friend Glenda Pierce who drove in from Lincoln. The two of them then proceeded south to Weston Missouri to meet with their other high school trouble maker - Peg Strickland. They did some Christmas shopping at Weston’s fabulous Christmas Market, returning home the same day. A long day well spent and renewing an old and enduring friendship.
We hope this letter finds all of you and yours well and safe. Please keep washing your hands, staying safe and masked up. We have great hopes of getting on the road in 2022, and if we are successful, we will see you then. We love you all - Deb & Mark.
