My holiday letter

I'm lousy about keeping in touch with friends and family. I love hearing news about the daily lives of people I care about, so I try to encourage that by sending out an annual holiday letter. It usually goes out the day before or the day after Christmas but it's the THOUGHT that counts, darn it!

So here's my holiday letter for you. Here's hoping your 2008 had more highs than lows and you continue to enjoy great highs in 2009.
- Karen

“Holy holidays, Batman – it’s Christmas time again! How can that be?”
“Well, Robin, either the Joker figured out a way to send us into the future, or we were too busy fighting crime to notice the time flying by.”

Sigh… we don’t have any crimefighting excuses or villains to blame for last-minute holiday greetings. Life just gets busy, even for us ordinary folks. Our kids would LOVE it if they caught their ‘rents kicking some bad guy tail once in awhile, though. They’d even take a tiny bat cave. (Sorry kids, but we have to do a mind wipe each time you find it…)

Wow, this letter is off to a juvenile start. Blame it on having an 8-year-old boy in the house who’s fixated on superheroes and other typical boy things. Freddy is in third grade and his big change this year was getting “blueberry Pez” glasses. The new specs must help in the ballpark, because his dad coached Freddy’s baseball team to a first place finish this summer.

Freddy also plays sweet music with the violin. The cat likes to sing along whenever he plays, so we’ve been treated to some interesting concerts. Freddy loves playing games and has a devious young mind. So if he ever challenges you to a game of Stratego or Battleship… watch out!

Elizabeth, age 12, is in 7th grade now. Her sport is softball and her team got fourth place this year. (She got the Most Improved Player award.) Lizzy’s instrument is the saxophone, and she’s working on the Pachebel Canon with her brother. Dad backs them up on the guitar, and it’s an unusual-sounding trio. Sometimes the cat joins in and it’s a quartet.

Elizabeth is a typical middle-school kid. Boys are stupid and parents are clueless about life in the 21st century. “Every child NEEDS a cell phone, mom!” (Nope, not buying it.)

Alta is a high school Sophomore this year. She’s taking Japanese and wants to go there someday. I jokingly asked her where the Sea of Japan was located, and discovered she knows a LOT about that nation’s geography. Coming from a kid who can’t find her way to the grocery store unless I drive her… it’s a little freaky. If she’s this single-minded in other pursuits, watch out for this girl.

Alta has started working a few hours a week for her dad’s business, and she teaches Sunday School with her mom. Despite her busy schedule she’s always willing to spend time at home with family…as long as our firewall doesn’t block her favorite websites.

We lost two important people in our lives this year. Fred’s dad passed away shortly before Thanksgiving. It was a sad occasion, but in true Italian style, the Alonzi clan celebrated a vibrant life and the release of a joyful spirit. My Uncle Glen passed away a few weeks earlier. Both men shared with us a love of games, music & storytelling, and a thirst for knowledge. This first Christmas without them will be hard. However, we’ll honor their memory this holiday season by celebrating the traditions we shared with them… and lives filled with warmth, laughter, stories, and love.

Peace and best wishes for the new year!