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Have
a
T-errific 2006!
Megalithic
good wishes from,
Ron & Grace
This
is a 6000-year-old T-emple on Menorca.
I
said to the man who stood at the gate of the Year,
"Give me a light that I may tread safely into
the unknown." And he replied, "Go out into
the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light and safer than
a known way."
Minnie
Haskins (England, 1875-1957)
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Dear
Friends,
Here we are at the end of 2005. We spent two weeks
in July on the Spanish island of Menorca and found
plenty of 6,000-year-old temples - megaliths, cathedrals
and beaches are our favorite vacation finds. And yes,
we wish you colossal, terrific, megalithic blessings
in 2006!
A lot has happened this year. Much of the promise
we experienced as a family this holiday time last
year was not fulfilled, and it turned out to be our
saddest year. We lost a second puppy. Gabriel and
Michelle did not get married. Ron's father died. And
hardest of all, Joseph and Holly's baby, Eden, was
born and died on April 26. They took photos of him
while they could, and he is the most beautiful little
being.
On the plus side, we're all healthy and experiencing
some new beginnings. Gabriel relocated to Richmond,
where Michael also lives. They have nice homes and
are both continuing to create art. Michael does a
couple shows a year, while also working in a small
furniture/cabinet making company. Gabriel started
a second company (T-shirts and pillows), in addition
to his first (web design). Joseph and Holly still
live around the corner from Glastonbury, England.
They both work as yoga instructors, Holly teaches
meditation classes, Joseph is studying CranioSacral
Therapy, and they are both working on Holly's first
kirtan cd. Zosha is in her junior year of high school,
still with a humanities focus including six languages,
drama and philosophy.
The year was mixed for Ron and me. The good parts:
He had one of his best years with Krauthammer International.
And in celebration of ten years with his company,
he received a couple beautiful pieces of art that
we were able to select. I became the editor of a bimonthly
magazine for an international women's group here in
Holland. Communication, creativity and networking
- my favorites! I also took courses in HTML, Photoshop
and Dreamweaver, so I could create a website for our
family. You can poke around it if you like, by clicking
here.
Life as an expat has become more fun, as the boys
have grown older and as I've developed a circle of
wonderful girlfriends (from more than two-dozen countries).
And this year, I finally got my Dutch driver's license.
(Not such a big deal in America, but over here it's
normal to take 40+ driving lessons and perhaps pass
the test on the tenth time.) Ron and I are designing
a retreat program for corporate burnouts, hoping to
run the first pilot in 2006. And of course, travel
is a given - Europeans enjoy more vacation time, plus
travel is a lot cheaper over here.
The hardest part of the year has been watching our
kids suffer from loss. The best part, as always, has
been Ron. He's still my best friend and my great love.
As for all you sweeties, we wish you the very best
year yet in 2006 - happiness, health, prosperity,
and peace in your daily lives and your hearts. Take
care.
Love,
Grace
& Ron
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