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HOPE visited New York a lot in 2017, taking the train up to see First Grandson Constantine (and his family of course). The train is a very civilized way to travel, and if you prudently buy your ticket a month in advance, quite thrifty! Otherwise NOT. People are always asking, when will she retire? To which the answer is, not any time soon. A lady can only do so much gardening and internet browsing, and it’s good to get out of the house every day. In other news, the doctor discovered a nasty aneurysm while testing for something else, so Hope’s New Year’s celebrations will include surgery on January 2. This operation is fairly routine and Hope expects to stay home for only a week or less, attended by loving family who will rally round. |
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AARON had set a personal goal for 2017 of reaching a point with his business operations in America that would allow him to be away for up to 6 out of 12 months a year. To reach it he spent many days standardizing daily operations and many evenings fiddling around in Google Drive, creating spreadsheets and forms for reporting and sharing data. His Estonian coworkers were and remain, always delighted to come work in the sun filled discount shopping heaven that is America. This year they’ve gained the experience necessary to allow Aaron time off for trips to Estonia, Prague, Croatia, and the Bahamas. He looks forward to 2018 being the year that he’s back to more time in Estonia than America. He’s thankful to have his girlfriend KIP support this goal. While they met and began dating in DC, they moved to Tartu, Estonia (with her 3 bunnies!) in September so that Kip could pursue a Master’s in Economics at the University and Aaron could pursue a way to stay living there. |
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For ARABELLA, 2017 was another year full of projects. Not so much from a happiness project, but thanks to losing her father’s ring--which she later found--she was on a mission to clean out the house and the garage thoroughly! Which led to finding letters her mum wrote about her birth, her wedding dress (that fits!) a child ren's book that her father wrote (aka next year’s project), and so much more that she is incredibly grateful for! She also finally insulated her garage (herself!), learned how to stain the front deck that she finally found someone to build, and created the photo gallery wall in her living room she has always wanted! She also discarded lots and lots and lots of stuff! The year was spent in discovering/trying lots and lots of new things: new music, new recipes, new work outs, new camp sites, and new spontaneous adventures that she could never have imagined! Such as Burning Man where she had one of the best times of her life. She also got to go to New York to meet sweet Constantine, hopefully a new tradition—all in all, a good year! |
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BEATRICE got laid off in early summer and has been happily consulting ever since. Perhaps she will get another full-time job next year. ALEC traveled for weeks with the Game of Thrones musical experience in early spring but has kept closer to home on shorter gigs ever since. The SQUAB contributes practically nothing to the family finances but managed his first trip to Greece, is working on his oratory skills, and has learned to climb on the sofa, which makes it much easier for him to NICELY AND GENTLY PET THE CAAAAAT. The Cat, like most people we know, does not approve of most of 2017. |
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This summer, JACOB moved to LA to be with his girlfriend GLORIA who recently started residency at UCLA hospital in pediatrics. They are now living in Westwood Los Angeles close to beaches, hiking, and forest fires. Despite Gloria's busy schedule, they have been able to take advantage of the local farmers markets and discounted yoga classes. They have enjoyed scrambling up several mountains in the area, but have also ventured off to Utah and North Carolina for more daunting adventures. |
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JOY spent most of the year getting a kick out of Leeds and her partner LAWRENCE (=fellow in purple suit), and also going on trips - sometimes to see you - to New York, Maine, Savannah, Berlin, and Wales. She became a British citizen and had to swear loyalty to the queen. As a direct result of this she now regularly uses additional u's without even thinking about it. Her teaching was honoured with a senior fellowship, and her next step is to carve out time for more research. This is unlikely to actually happen and you should not ask her about it. Otherwise, things continue well for her at the University of Bradford, and on this rainy isle generally. Come visit! |