December 2020

Because of the pandemic, December was very different from the past. The kids all decided to stay put and so we were alone. We did see Opa and Annie regularly, but that's about it. We cooked most nights and tried some blasts from the past. Vaccines were approved and started to roll out. Christmas decorations were almost the same as usual, but since nobody was coming, we decided to do what Kris has been wanting to do for years: a simple green tree with white lights, glass stars, and glass snowflakes. It was actually very pretty. The Taylor/Woodburys joined us on Christmas Eve for a turkey dinner. Christmas day was very quiet, but that's nice sometimes. Emily set up a Zoom call with the family that afternoon and it was good to see everyone remotely. A couple of nights ago, after a dinner of ham and funeral potatoes with SKT and AW, we decided to see what kind of accommodations we could find in Paris next fall so we could use our Delta credits. Annie and I found a wonderful place in the Place-de-la-Contrascarpe neighborhood we love. We threw caution to the wind and booked. We now have something to look forward to for ten months! We had a New-Years-Eve snacks nosh with those same folks, and after watching Pixar's Soul, made it to bed just in time to tell 2020, GOODBYE! Hoping for a vaccine, an abating pandemic, end of travel restrictions, and every good thing in the new year.

So, it turns out that borscht is delicious

Quiche Loraine is good, too

Rob and Daniel (not shown) got the vaccine

Glass stars and snowflakes are a first

These guys are from England 1978

So this guy, also from England, spends Christmas with us each year

Mille popped in for a minute on Christmas Eve

Opa's rotkohl with our turkey

Christmas Eve dinner

It turns out that Kris already has a couple of pearl pendants

I love these miniature doors from England

Maren's photo of the Christmas family Zoom call

Thank heavens for Marco Polo to keep us connected

Reservation for next October in Paris!

New Years Eve with the Taylor/Woodburys

Typical New-Years fare

Still undecided on this one

Goodbye 2020

Here's hoping the plague can be brought under control and that the new year brings getting together with family and travels! That's all for 2020.

OXO

D.

November 2020

 Covid raged on through November, Joe Biden won the election so Donald Trump began to sit more gently on my mind, and we continued to keep in touch with the girlies by Marco Polo. Erick and some of his family received United States Citizenship in November. Grandmother's health took a bad turn in November and we headed to Mesa, AZ for a couple of weeks to be with and help her. We saw several family members, including Trevor and his new baby Elle. We went to the mountains to see Matt and Kim's "Land" on a delightful day out. We had a small Thanksgiving dinner with Grandmother. She had another setback that night and returned to the hospital. The next morning we headed home by way of Peoria, where we social distanced with Maren's family for a couple of hours. It's hard not to properly visit family; the pandemic sucks. 

We met Tucker in SLC to take him to get his passport renewed and

we had a nice late lunch at Greek Souvlakia

Fish sandwiches from Ripples with some of the SKTs

Proud to be American

Marco Polo keeps us connected

A great accomplishment for Erick and family, not quite in

time to vote

Taking Grandmother's Danish Modern chairs to be rebuilt

in Tempe

An ergonomic chair for Grandmother's back

Facetime chat with Ray and Carol in Canada on Bonnie's 

propped-up phone

The Mesa Temple is undergoing a multi-year refurbishment

Reading chapters of my personal history to Grandmother who

maintains that she loves it

Newest great-grandchild

Elle Boynton

I had never seen a photo of Grandad Boynton's parents, 

and Chip scanned this portrait for me

"The Land" just below the Mogollon Rim (in the background)

Matt has a wonderful well on his land

This will become the interior of the Marlpit-Hill Boyntons' cabin

This was once a garage for a neighboring cabin that will be converted

into a cabin for Matt and Kim

Kris preparing her famous stuffing

A new headset so Grandmother can listen to music

AJ's sold us a few slices of turkey and some yams

on Thanksgiving morning

Thankful people

It turned out fine: we made everything but the turkey and yams

Meagan got us all together on a Zoom call Thanksgiving evening

Social distancing outside with masks in Peoria with the Youngs (the

boys haven't had haircuts since the pandemic started)

We spent the night in Henderson on the way home and

had supper at our favorite Greek restaurant there

So isn't remarkable that the month started and ended with Greek food? We will be all alone for Covid Christmas, but will certainly celebrate anyway. That's all for now.

OXO

D.

October 2020

The Covid pandemic continued unabated, in fact, it exploded in October. I continued to heal from meniscus surgery in September and was given the go ahead for "normal life." Kris and I voted and dropped our ballots in the collection box. To say I am anxious about this election would be an understatement. We had Zoom dinner with The Group and got together with Stephen and Ann, but otherwise stayed close to home. Our back deck was torn out and replaced, and is now so much better than the original construction years ago. At the end of the month, Kris celebrated another birthday and Halloween passed without celebration. There was not a single knock on our door this year.

Photos of the before and after of my meniscus repair

High motivation to vote this year

Zoom dinner

Tearing out the deck (notice the broken board

where I fell through)

All gone

Ready for decking

Almost finished

Ta da!

Birthday flowers for Kris

Birthday dinner at Asado with AW and SKT

So that was all for October. The election is tomorrow and we are dyin' here. That's it.

OXO

D.