1992    Season's Greetings 1993

Dear Ones:

Thanksgiving is over, and the year is fast coming to an end. How quickly time flies by! We spent Thanksgiving with dear friends, Bill and Pam Stewart, and their family. What a gourmet dinner they served. It was a joy for us to be with them, as David and Bill have been friends since high school. We had a great time reminiscing about the good old days when we lived on Queens Road.

David and I attended my brother Frank's 80th birthday celebration in September. His daughters Marie and Suzanne made the occasion a day we will always remember, as David and Roz made mine 15 months earlier. Frank and Elly were deeply touched by the love shown them by the family and good friends. My brother and I have been richly blessed with the best of children and grandchildren.

I am sure you will agree that this has been a very eventful year, from the first primary in February to the election on November 3. The debates were fascinating to watch, with Ross Perot joining the skirmish. Since the election, people seem to be more optimistic and are looking for better times ahead. Here at home, the L.A. riots took a heavy tool on so many. Some will never recover. Such a tragedy must never happen again.

We have also had some terrible natural disasters this year. Hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes and fires all caused so much loss of life and property. My heart goes out to all who have suffered.

At the end of June we vacationed for a week on the beautiful island of Kauai, where my grandson John lives. We had some great visits with him while at Poipu. Little did we know that two months later Hurricane Iniki would devastate the island. It took some time before we were able to learn that John was all right. One feels helpless at such a time. I hope that Kauai will soon recover and that the lives of all its citizens will return to normal.

My granddaughter Laurie and her husband, Butch, have their hands full not only with their jobs but with their lively four-year-old, my great grandson Alex James. He is their pride and joy, and they are wonderful parents. Roz is very proud of all her family, as I am.

Of course, I see much more of my two younger grandchildren. Justin turned 17 in November, and is a tall as his dad. He is a junior in high school and has a part-time job that he enjoys. His sister Jenni is an eighth-grader and will soon be 14. She is very active in sports and other school activities, including cheerleading. David is taking them to Aspen for Christmas. They all love to ski, so they are looking forward to the holiday.

I will be spending Christmas with Roz in Tucson. I look forward to being with her and Morgan, her Welsh springer spaniel. I don't see her often as I would like, but my one luxury is calling my loved ones who live at a distance, so we are never far from one another.

I would like to end my letter with this prayer:

"May all who work for a world of peace and reason be granted the gifts of strength and courage. May the good that dwells in every heart be magnified. May the blessing of truth and understanding be ours. May the joys of the Christmas season dwell with us as we grow and build for tomorrow. May we live in sympathy with all others."

God bless you all with good health and much happiness in the New Year.

Lovingly,

Vivian and family