Our Christmas letter to you

Christmas Letter 2012

It actually is more than just a 2012 letter. It really begins in October of 2011 when we flew to Birmingham, England. Our friends there in England, Chaulky and Christine White, John Paterson, and Jenny Insch met us and we toured England, France, and Spain. We spent the first two weeks in England and Scotland in search of Chris, Natasha, and Dr. Who. Scotland was very nice having stayed in downtown Glasgow. We found ourselves constantly closing down a curry house at 2AM and weaving ourselves home.

 

     We then set out on the epic adventure to France and Spain. The continental part of the tour was done in “Betsy” aka the “Fun Bus”. She was a 28 foot Hymer motorhome that got an amazing 24 MPG. A good thing, too, as diesel was $8.50 a gallon. The five of us fit in there pretty well. After 7 weeks and 4,000 miles later, we were still friends.

 

     Our first week was in a “Green Gite”, in Brittany. This house had full solar power and ecosystems galore. We ate tons of French bread and breton butter, and wine, wine and more wine. Ahh! Totally wonderful. We found a grand recipe for chestnut cake and made it from the dropped chestnuts around the house. Yummy! We shopped in the small villages nearby and found Brittany to be one of the best parts of France.

     We then traveled inland to a restored farm house in the middle of nowhere...we laughingly called it being in turnipville. While there was, of course, a grand chateau, we stayed in a very nice farmhouse. It was a very quiet and tranquil time. We rested a couple of days here.

We then drove south into Armagnac country. Here we stayed with my friend Libby Leyrer, who I have known since she was a teen and I a young mother to two girls. She is family. She has 20 some acres here which she has turned into guest housing, rentals and her photography studio. There are wonderful towns and hot springs all around the area. We met many of her artist friends. Had a delightful sunny visit in their homes including a great dinner and homemade fois gras.

 

     Next we headed to Spain because 13 of our friends from the states were going to be meeting us at another farm house on the coast near Trafalgar. On the way, we camped in the middle of cities, on the outskirts of towns, in open fields, and behind a large department store in the middle of town...with a McDonald's. McDonald's became the place to be for all travelers. The biggest reason is they had the fastest WI-FI around. And it's easy. Log in ONCE in France and you are good for the whole country. Then you can do the same in SPAIN. You are automatically logged in for the entire country. I would never have believed I would ever be thrilled to see Mickey D's but they are a haven for travelers from all countries, not just the US.

     We stopped in Madrid to see the Prado museum. It was amazing, and certainly justified several days to view properly. It has the largest collection of paintings in the world. We were dizzy as we left. On arrival, there was a special moment with street musicians and performers, A live performance by Edward Scissorhands and the “Invisible man”. A special moment for me, personally.

 

     After leaving the Prado and heading back to the bus station, we exited the subway and found signs advertising a Jazz concert in town. One of our friends, Lizz Wright, was one of the performers on tour. Look her up. We knew she was going to be touring in Spain and that our schedules didn't coincide. Bummer. Still...what a thrill to see her advertised in Madrid.

 

     Days later we were the first to arrive at the hacienda and began preparing a meal for the weary travelers from the states. Upon arrival, we were met by the most lovely cow guarding the front gate. She was cream in color with the sweetest of eyes. I wanted to hug her (Sue).

     The house was able to hold the 14 of us and was very comfortable. There were orange trees around the house and in the courtyard where we had breakfast. Unbeknownst to us the house also came with a cacophony of roosters. They came in three different varieties, 4 am, 5 am, and 6 am. Thank god for the wooden shutters over our windows.

 

     As evening was coming on and each person had their drink in hand we gathered around the tables in the courtyard. The sun was going down and a big full moon was rising. Jill's sister went up on the roof and started dancing on the ledge. Her shadow was projected onto the far wall across from us. It was a magic moment watching the shadow dance she wove for us.

It was a very full week with trips to Gibraltar and the local roman ruins. The day we spent in Cordoba was really nice. We went to the cathedral which was so large they could fit a mosque inside. We saw some exquisite moorish architecture. In the courtyard we came across a dove in the fountain which seemed to follow us everywhere.

 

     Each day we would return and share evening meals and have great talks around the large fireplace until bedtime. Finally, it was time to leave. It was sad to see everyone leave even though we would reunite in the states in a month. We would NOT, however, miss the rooster chorus.

 

     Now the 5 of us returned to the “fun bus” and headed back toward South France. We made a brief stop (for the second time) to see Las Setas “the mushrooms” in Seville. A monumental wooden structure built over some newly discovered roman ruins. Sue and I took a light lunch there.

     We then wound our way through the mountain roads crossing over the Pyrenees to find our grand daughter Marjorie, who was working as an au pair in France. The town we are looking for is named Sost, their family name. The Sost family has been making cheese for over 400 years. We did find them and were heartily welcomed by Marjorie. We had the whole restaurant set aside for us and enjoyed a delicious meal that she had prepared. It was great and our family hosts brought out drinks and desserts. Later, we were shown where the newborn lambs were kept and the Great Pyrenees puppies (very large).

 

       We leave here once again with regret and joy of the new friends we have all made. We are now heading toward Jean Paul's, our niece's father's place for an evening of wine and Cassoulet, South France's most famous dish. The meal is fit for kings and queens. Nothing is spared. All the family comes including Marjorie as she was able to take the evening off. It is November, and Thanksgiving for us at home has come and gone. But we have much to be thankful for here, too. Christmas is fast approaching. As our last stop before going to the coast at Calais we decided to spend the evening in Chartres and visit the Cathedral. We made our McDonald's stop to get the lay of the land and family news. All the roads in the downtown are lined with trees. Everywhere we see the signs of Christmas. Here the trees are dressed in light blue lights as if they were upside down umbrellas. Imagine walking to the cathedral with large soft snowflakes falling through the lighted square. It gives me the chills. The twin spires are a welcoming sight to see through the mists, all directing us to the Cathedral. It is evening and there is a fog all around it. JUST like it is in the painting.

 

      When we arrive there is a service being held and we moveinside, among the columns. A tenor is singing a passage andthen being answered by a chorus. The time, the place, the magic. WOW. We came out of this massive cover into the cold misty night, wrapped in tranquility and awe. Drinks anyone?

 

     The next day we took the ferry across the channel to England. We went to see Handel's Messiah (all six of us) in Symphony Hall, Birmingham where it was first performed in England, with Handel directing. Then, an evening in Lord Chamberlain's home for a traditional Wassail celebration. It was the hottest ticket in town. Christine had to buy the tickets in June.

     Greg and I spent a week with John and his friend Jenny near Oxford. Of course, no visit would be complete without a trip to Stratford upon Avon to see the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. And then … the day came for departure and we arrive home on the 15th of December.

     Our year of 2012 is much like those weeks before Christmas...a blur of events trying to be in two places at once. In March, Greg installed our solar system, so power outages are a thing of the past. Then in April we took our annual trip to the outer banks with our friends John and Christy Cahill and their two boys, and our neighbors Wezel and Denise. I made a salad bowl I had been wanting to do for years. A great experience. It worked out rather well for a beginner.

 

     In May we had our cousin Marci come visit along with two young college students, Denean and Mel from the University of Florida. Mel came to work in one of Catherine's programs, and the other, Denean came for a summer internship with a graphic design firm. Her mother was a fellow staff from Stone Soup School days. Plus, of course, Tristan was still living with us. A full house. We learned a lot about Vegan cooking. Our kitchen, bathroom and outside decks were gardens for wheat grass and sunflower sprouts. Those sprouts are the bee's knees. I miss them.

 

     We had Devon up for a week. He is 10, and our youngest grandson. He called it BAMMY CAMP. It was a total delight. He, with Greg's guidance, disassembled three 10 speed bikes and made two of them work again. He had found them over the bank in front of our yard. From this point on he was riding up and down the mountain. Brakes would come later.

 

     His sister was in Equador working with Ecuador Animal Rescue Center for 5 weeks. Her first week was in Quito for language school and the rest in the Amazon. We spent months doing cupcake fundraisers in order to pay the shelter for her lodging and food. She raised $800. I was nervous about her going. She did just fine and came back with friends from around the world.

 

     Tristan, was head life guard with Blue Ridge Assembly all summer. Not too much of his music but it helped him learn more about the area and what and who to see in the music field.

Greg had a grand garden and introduced Mel into the world of baking bread. The two of them were making lots of bread weekly (20+ loaves). Vegans can eat a lot of bread.

 

     I continue to write and now have 54 pages of autobiographical material down from my years in Winter Park and what led to the next 10 years of Stone Soup School. I love the discovery of my old journals and being given this opportunity to share my adventures.

 

     This year's Thanksgiving, Marjorie is now here with her beau Micheal Fought, past student, past staff and extended family member. Cecile and Colt are also here. It was her father and grandmother who fed us the King's meal outside of Toulouse, France. Lisa and Catherine and their families where here together, too. We get to see the Valdosta family a lot of late. They come once a month to visit with Archie. He is doing OK, not great but he is good in spirit and mind.

 

     As we remember the blue lights on the trees, as beacons showing us the way, we are reminded of just how fortunate our lives have been.  We hope that this Christmas and the year ahead, will be the same for you, your families, and your friends. 

 

Blessings to all of you from all of us.

 

Sue and Greg