2003   Note:  Many of the links in this letter may no longer be valid.
                                                   Things change fast on the Web.
 
 
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Bruce and Sue Anne


We hope this has been a good year for you and that the end of the year finds you calm, reflective, and counting your blessings.

This year has been actually a very intense and memorable one for us.  Most important, daughter Sarah and her husband Dan became parents of Noelle Audrey on April 30.  That makes us doting, can’t have too much fun, grandparents.  True, they live a bit of a distance away, in Edmonton, Canada, a mere 2000 miles.  Believe it or not, we have all spent a lot of time together either here or there.  In June Bruce and Sue Anne took a short vacation in Jasper National Park, 4 hours west of Edmonton. The Canadian Rockies are unbelievably beautiful.  Flat valleys, steep peaks and turquoise waters.  And plenty of wildlife, mostly bears, elk, mountain goats and mountain sheep.  And one moose.  It is their park.

Bruce expects to be retiring again (for the last time) at the end of April.  He’s already retired from Civil Service and from the Army Reserve, and retirement from his job as a contractor will make him a triple-dipper.  Our house in New Hampshire is rented out until July, so projects can’t start there until summer.  We did build a darn nice tool shed/kayak storage early last summer.  Our two kayaks, red and yellow, were used often in August during our family reunion.  We’d be happy to see any of our New England friends and relatives at our northern home when we’re there this summer.

Bruce’s Mom and Dad changed housing this fall.  Milf (sometimes known as Jim) moved into a single room in a beautiful retirement community just ten minutes north of us, and Mom (Sis) now lives just next door in a nursing home.  She is well cared for there.  Milf drives over to see her nearly every day on his flashy red scooter, senior citizen variety.

Karin and Dan live in Baltimore, same as last year.  New this year: they also own a rowhouse across the street, which Dan is rehabbing.  They will finish that soon and expect to be able to rent it out to three professional singles.  They enjoy being Auntie and Uncle to Noelle as well as to Dan’s sister’s children, Claudia and Simon.  Karin continues her career as web designer extraordinaire.

Other Sarah and Dan news besides their lovely new daughter: they moved into their new house in January, and Dan was recently selected for tenure at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. We’re proud of his reaching this important academic milestone.

Sue Anne continues to make tapestries, including one she made for Noelle’s nursery.  Except for the one used as a rug for Noelle, all the rest of the tapestries are intended for walls.  She has sold some at the local art center, and may try her hand at teaching this old craft.  This will need to be thought out carefully as she has a way of making hard things look easy.  In April she started working as a docent at the Patapsco Female Institute Historic Park.  She gives tours to school children and adults of the stabilized ruins of this 19th century boarding school.

Bruce and Sue Anne just returned from an early, short but sweet, trip to Canada to spend a few days with Dan, Sarah, and Noelle before the holidays.  We proud grandparents watched as Noelle pulled herself to her feet for the first time and beamed at her accomplishment.  We rely upon a steady supply of Northwest Airline coupons which come in the mail in envelopes labeled ValPak, mixed in with those for the local restaurants and home improvement contractors.

We love hearing from you, keep the cards and letters, and reread them often.  Since we are late this year, thanks for your good wishes already received.  Have a wonderful New Year 2004.   

Reach us at bbb@acm.org.  Our Web site is http://bbottomley.tripod.com.