A slightly-less-merry-than-usual Christmas

The plan this year for the holidays was to celebrate Christmas in Santa Cruz and head up to Seattle on the train Christmas Day night. But, on Christmas Eve Day Frances had abdominal pains that went from really painful to much worse. By 6:30pm we were in the emergency room.


A night of tests and a morphine drip instead of sugar plum fairies. The diagnosis: a giant gall stone and badly inflamed gallbladder. Surgery on Christmas Day. No fun at all for poor Frances, but it worked! She is feeling much better after the surgery.

John is guarding the tree and presents till his mother gets back.

80--the new 55

My Dad turned 80 this year. Zipped up to Whidbey Island to participate in the wild celebrations.















He is doing great.








The weather was pretty awful - cold and rainy. Didn't get in the way!