Merry Christmas!!!

I've always wanted to write a newsletter at Christmas time and finally made myself do it!  As you all know, this has been a very difficult year for us.  After losing Geordie, I lost my mother and my Dad's dog, Sarah, who lived with us. 

I wanted to reach out to all the friends and family who reached out to us and sent us their comforting thoughts and prayers in our darkest hours.  It truly helped us to carry on knowing that people cared for us so much. 

My Dad is taking our family on a cruise over Christmas.  His birthday is Christmas Eve.  He always reminds us that he has the initials, J.C., and is therefore more than spoiled.  We hope to go sailing on one of the ship's excursions.

Over the summer, Richie and his friend, Luke, took a sailing course through Eckerd College (see pictures).  Maybe Richie takes after his Dad and his brother, John -- two great sailors.

We recently acquired a new dog which we named "Jack."  My Dad never did have any grandchildren named after him, but he does have a grand-dog now.  Jack is very bright and little vindictive.  He already chewed up the remote, my diaries and the vinyl cover on Richard's truck.  I thought that might be the last we would see of Jack, but Sunday he got into a fight with Alymer, a silver dog that looks like a pit bull.  Richard got right in the middle of two dogs and pulled Alymer away.  It was very scary, but I think Jack and Richard have bonded.  We are still nursing puncture wounds on Jack's legs and throat.  Anyway, as I write this, I'm feeling very much alike a redneck Floridian! 

Jack is good company for me.  Every day he comes with me to the barn where my horse,

 Meeka, is recovering from a ligament injury.  His injury requires stall rest with me walking and grazing him daily for 4 weeks, then riding at the walk only for 6 months.  Today he had to be drugged because he was bucking in his stall.  It was cool outside and he wanted to run with the other horses and couldn't.  We have a barking macaw at the barn.  She mimics every dog's bark and when she does Sarah's it makes me sad.

We had a good summer.  Richie brought a friend, Sebastian, with him and they enjoyed riding our new Seadoo (which we share with my brother) and visiting with his cousins in Canada.  We also visited Richie's 90 year old grandmother, Ruth.  We had a beautiful ceremony for Geordie with a bag piper at sunset.  We threw flowers into the river and then visited with friends and family.

Richie has returned to his motorcross riding and has been riding at Sunshine/St. Pete with his friends Joe, Luke, and Greg.  And Richard is still golfing with the Beavers -- a lovely bunch of old farts!  He is also spending time working on and enjoying Geordie's Memory Garden.

We hope you and your family have a joyous Christmas and a Happy New Year.  Thank you for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers.

Love always,

Terry, Richard and Richie