December 1, 2008
Dear Family,
We are truly blessed this holiday season, and we pray that you feel the same way. And if you do, we hope that you will join us in contributing to a “family and friends” project that is just beginning this year. We have started a chronicle of favorite recipes and family history that we hope to revise and publish periodically. There is a lot to do for this to be a success. Your input is needed. And yet, there is a lot accomplished so far. In addition to the prototype that we have created, there is a flash drive with the “artifacts” we collected. Our challenge is to inspire you to add to the effort. Perhaps as a starting point, everyone could contribute a favorite recipe and a page about themselves.
Several events have prompted this project, including the meticulous records that my grandfather George Strand provided us. His death, plus the loss of my parents Mac and Ruth, reminds us that the shared memories of Family are important to us. We need to record the details, lest we forget. And this brings us to what is happening in Florida.
The kids are now seniors in college, which shows how fast time flies. Michelle gained a year when we moved to Florida.
Michelle turned 21 this year. She is studying for graduate school in library science to prepare to work in a law library. The best-ranked school for this particular combination is in the state of Washington, but we hope she will choose something closer to us. Both South Florida University and Florida State University have fine library science programs, and both are affordable. And once she has her degree, she can pursue the study of law at a more leisurely pace.
J.P., at 22, is on course, although slightly delayed, to teach biology and math in high school. The delay is due to the requirement for student teaching. He plans to finish his last courses and will substitute teach in the spring, but he can’t schedule student teaching until the fall. It will then take ten weeks to complete his credentials. His real passion remains World of Warcraft, an online computer game. How can anyone stay in one position without a break for so long? Thankfully, his dad isn’t similarly afflicted.
We are very blessed to have been in Florida for the past four years. The Florida scholarships that J.P. and Michelle earned have served us well. None of us have had to go into debt, and the goal is now in sight. In 2009 we all planned on being employed at the same time. It will be another blessing.
The dogs’ Holly and Daisy are still a joy for us all. They are the only thing in Florida that is older than John, and I. Holly sleeps almost as much as John. And Daisy, who has more energy, has slowed down a bit. To get her juices going requires a visit from my sister Kathy. John claims, and I can’t disprove, that she is exhausted from dancing in a recent Disney movie: Daisy, not Kathy.
Visit and warm yourself in the Florida sun if you can. Winters are the best weather-wise, but anytime you are welcome. Once the kids graduate from college, we may become gypsies and move to less glamorous surroundings. So now is the time to visit.
Currently, our favorite diversion is to take weekend cruises from Miami to the Bahamas. It is great having J.P. and Michelle as dog sitters. We have taken two cruises so far. The most recent one was to celebrate our 29th wedding anniversary. It hardly seems possible, but again note the ages of J.P. and Michelle. It must be true.
Meanwhile, Merry Christmas and God bless you all.
Pam (with assists by John, J.P., and Michelle)
Email: pamelcik@gmail.com