Once again it is that special time of the year when we stop,
take a deep breath and wonder where the year went. We hope you had a good year and we look
forward to the special cards and notes that remind us of good friends and
relatives who we rarely see and from whom we seldom hear. To our friends and family far and near, we
send special wishes for a very Merry Christmas, good health, happiness, less
political posturing and more sanity in the coming year.
Ours was a year filled with new adventures shared with
family and friends and blessed with relatively good health although we
experienced occasional reminders that old age is an unplanned journey. Our list of exchanged greetings grows shorter
each year as a reminder of the growing number of missing links in our chain of life. They are sorely missed for their special contributions to our life.
In March, we joined Ken’s brother and sister in law for a cruise to 16 South Pacific Islands. It was a wonderful experience and a great
adventure shared with two special people.
In May, Ken and I boarded a flight to Johannesburg, South
Africa for a two week exploration of South Africa with six wonderful traveling
companions from San Diego and Canada. We
were blessed with a guide who shared with us his love and loyalty for his
country and gave us an insightful introduction into the history of South
Africa. We are often asked what travels
we have enjoyed most and it is always difficult to say that one single location
was greater than another. However, Ken
and I agree that our South African experience was unforgettable and worthy of special acclaim.
In October, we were joined by friends for a week in Kauai
where we revisited many old sights and experienced the usual melodrama of
Hawaii’s best tourist activities.
Gary and Marci recently bought a condo in Coronado where
they plan to enjoy their leisure time at the water’s edge; Terri continues to
pursue her practice as a Marriage and Family Therapist and supervises the “old folks
at home”; Granddaughter, Lauren, has accepted a job in California and is temporarily living at home until she decides where she wants to settle; Grandson,
Sean, is finishing his last year of college and working at a golf club in San
Diego. We are blessed with a wonderful
loving family who shake their heads and tolerate us with uncanny patience. Life is good.
We trust that you will have a wonderful holiday season and
as you embark upon the realities of the New Year, be healthy, happy and of good
cheer for the end of the Mayan calendar is near.
Sincerely,
Pat and
Ken Burns
