Retrospective: December 2009

The fall term seemed to almost dash to an end as December hit. Finals came and went in the blink of an eye, barely giving me a chance to be nervous about the results. Fortunately, my grades prior to finals in all classes were all fairly well insulated, staying in the 85% or 95% range, making the final grades reasonably bulletproof.

Eden and Cassie stayed pretty busy with market in the weeks leading up to Christmas, braving chilly weather for lucrative mercantile opportunities. Sales this winter went a lot better than the previous year, making bringing the business into the black a real possibility as Eden continued to explore new mediums and projects while Cassie hawked her wares with passion and flair.

We spent the final week before Christmas pet sitting for several friends, whenever we weren't at market or running errands like mad. While we truly enjoyed the company of Jake, Teddy, Rikki, and Spooky, we didn't really get a chance to take advantage of the relative peace of the respective homes.

We got to spend both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day celebrating with the Scheans, at Suzanne and Jon's and Pat's, respectively. Even with Libby and Tom out of town for the duration, we had a really nice time just sharing the day with the family.

Finally, Eden and I set out for Minnesota on the 26th, to join my parents and introduce Eden to the wide variety of relatives she'd recently acquired as in-laws. Predictably, she was the hit of the show, quickly attaining the status of treasured, adopted granddaughter with the matriarchs of both clans. Of course, the cousins, aunts, and uncles loved her too.

I have to admit, I did have a few hard moments on the trip, especially when hearing Eden speaking in the other room; seemed to jump directly on the brain circuits dedicated to recognizing her, and cross with those previously dedicated to Jessie, probably because most of the last intense memories I have of her were in these places, sharing her with my family. Eden, bless her heart, was wonderfully consoling, understanding clearly that my issues in no way represented a blow to our relationship. I can't describe how lucky I feel to have her to count on. Just another reason I love her so much.


2009-12 Picdump [Show images on map] [Fullscreen slideshow]

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