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Christmas 89

December 20, 1989

(Pictures are clickable; backspace to return to letter.)

These Christmas letters do accomplish one thing—they help me to organize the pictures in my scrapbook. I'll have a picture of Stephen and Stephanie and myself along with all the animals. We look pretty happy, but you can see on our faces that this has been a year of challenge. There certainly will be a snapshot of Stephanie and her friends graduating from Rosati Kane High School, one of her reception at St. John's College in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and another one of her and her friends sitting around our Christmas tree.

There's a picture of Stephen sitting at his computer, trying to unravel the final dealings of the International Graduate School. Certainly, a couple of him holding Leonard, our cat, and saying "I love you, kitty!" and walking Molly, our dog. One of him going off to work with Ed, who has a cleaning business. And there is a snapshot of he and his mother in her new retirement home, where he went to help her get settled in October and November.

Stephanie and Alison cook for us.	The dinner, with Sarah

There are lots of pictures of me at work. Sitting in the new $200,000 computer lab that I will be directing, giving talks in Milwaukee and Peoria, and looking at an article that was published in School Arts recently. Maybe some anonymous photographer caugh me at my hobbies—drawing at the Missouri Botanical Garden, or trying to learn a Marian McPartland riff on the piano. There's an occasional photo of me getting a chance to perform my songs for a captive audience.

There'll be a snapshot of mom and dad, both of whom have recovered nicely from illnesses, and of my nieces and nephews who are growing up so rapidly. Vicki's two oldest boys have girl friends now, and Tom's twins are going to be teenagers soon. I'll certainly have a whole series of pictures of my "old high school gang" traipsing through Amish country in Ohio this summer.

Mom and niece, Heidi Danielle	Adam Andris
Mom and Dorothy McFarland	Kay, Sarah, Dee and Joy

There'd be some sad memories in this album. Two funerals—one of Father Charles Bewick, a priest at Trinity Episcopal, and one of Byron Davidson, a very important person in my life. Both died of AIDS. Both received funerals at Trinity.

Lots of pictures of Stephen and I doing things together: playing and singing Italian songs, going for walks, participating in the life at Trinity, or looking through the snow over the Central West end through our front window. You'll see us spending a week in Michigan and another with Agatha, Stephen's oldest friend, in Iowa, where he helped her put her new book in final order. there are photos of the two of us with Sheila and her daughter Kate, most every weekend. And a picture of our 5th anniversary dinner with two other couples. For many months now, the two of us have got together with Jan and Charlie for A Course in Miracles weekly meeting.

	Stephanie and Stephen
	Sheila and Kate
Leonard Catkin	Christmas at Sheila's

There are some snapshots from my family album this year. I think it looks very nice. I guess it's been a good one. I hope yours was, too. Happy New Year!

Love,

Jim

Ed. note. I include this picture of me from that year. I think I look silly.