Christmas 2004

2004 – The year of the toaster

 

It is with great fanfare that I bring to you the Nelson family year in review. 2004 was a kind year for us and I am pleased to announce that, unlike in previous years, we had no fish fatalities to report. More on that later…

 

Laura has had a good year. She has been busy tending to Margaret and her two brothers, Cal and Charlie. Though that is a heavy commitment, Laura manages to handle a lot of volunteer work. For the second year, she organized the Saint Francis Vacation Bible School program. For those who don’t know, VBS is a one-week religious education program for younger kids. There were over 300 kids this summer and more than 150 volunteers to coordinate. It was tiring, but she did a great job.

 

Margaret, who is now eight ears old, enjoys life as a second grade student at Dove Elementary. She does well academically, though math sometimes gives her problems. She enjoys riding bicycles, reading, and spending time with her Girl Scout troop. Recently, she has joined a choir that will be performing a Christmas play in December. In the play, she has the prestigious roll of “Animal Number 4” which happens to be a chicken.

 

Cal, now five years old, attends preschool two days a week. His favorite part of school is playing with all his friends at recess. Outside of school, he has taken quite an interest in cooking. Much to Laura’s dismay, he helps in the kitchen quite a lot. Over the summer, he even decided that he wanted to be superhero and a chef. He has actually identified an empty lot in Grapevine as the future location of both his house and his restaurant. He wants Margaret to open a store next to his restaurant called “MarMart”.

 

Charlie, who is not quite two, has not discerned his calling in life, like Cal has. He has just grasped the concept behind the word “No,” however. Overall, he is a very well behaved little boy. He likes to pal around with his older brother and sister and will do whatever they do. That is both good and bad.

 

As for me, this year was a calm year. I am working for a nanotechnology company named Zyvex. They have an impressive array of products and services and I have enjoyed my work and the environment. Everyone there is very nice. Also, this summer, two friends of mine convinced me to train for a Sprint Triathlon. One thing lead to another and in early October, I raced in an Olympic distance Triathlon. The term race may be a bit overstating my abilities, though. Suffice it to say I finished, and the fact that I am writing this letter is a testament to the fact that I survived. For that, I am both relieved and grateful.

 

Though we did not have any familial pet tragedies to report, we did suffer a loss in the Nelson family household in January. Our nine-year-old $29.95 Blank & Decker toaster finally died. The heating element had given out and frankly, the way it had struggled over the past few years, it was a relief to see it pass. At that, Laura and I set our sights on a replacement. We scoured the Internet reading about all sorts of brands and models. The reviews convinced me that we had somehow been living a less than full life with the old Black & Decker. With all the new features and functions, the reviews made it sound like our lives would be magically transformed by the newest in toaster technology. After making our decision, which by the way was a classically-styled chrome Cuisinart model, we waited with much anticipation for its arrival.

 

Soon enough, it came. We had hoped for a life changing experience, but what we ended up with was a toaster. In looking back, I am reminded that it is easy to get carried away with all the things that surround us, especially toasters. The holidays are a good time to remember that it is spending time with our family, friends, and community, not the latest in toaster technology, that give us quality of life. So in closing, to all of you who are reading this letter, we thank you for being a part of our lives. We hope to spend more time with you in the coming year.

 

Have a peaceful holiday season,

 

The Nelson Family