Holiday Greetings 2006

This would appear to be the 4th Christmas newsletter I have composed using the technology of the day, including links.  Strictly speaking, once again, this is not a Christmas letter.  Those are missives in a pleasant type face, on fancy holiday "paper", carefully folded and sent through snail-mail with something attached called a "postage stamp!"

Lyd and I spent the 2005 Christmas holidays in Maryland, again. We shipped our luggage ahead, so when the airline removed bags from the overweight flight, we were unaffected. Lyd's brother Bill, and his children, Chris and Lisa, also joined us all from Denver. Kate and Sal drove down from Pennsylvania for a great Christmas.

 Lyd and I spent the Martin Luther King weekend at Walt Disney World in the Contemporary Hotel on the concierge floor and had a blustery, but fun, weekend. Lyd enjoyed Spring Break, in Maryland, with her mom. In April, we participated in the Commissioner's Academic Challenge, my 10th appearance as an official.

In May, Kate and Sal moved into 2011 Lincoln Court in Wyomissing, their dream house! In June, we participated, once again, in the Panasonic Academic Challenge. Also in June, Kate and Sal (and friends) spent 10 days in Italy. At the end of the month, Lyd visited Kate and Sal and then her mom. Kate came to see us in July. We enjoyed WDW again for the Labor Day weekend. In November, we spent Thanksgiving in Reading.

Lyd continues at James Weldon Johnson Middle School teaching 7th grade science to the gifted and I'm still the Director of Research Services for the Duval County Public Schools. We will work for one more academic year before retiring.   Kate  is practicing medicine as a Physician Assistant with a family practice north-east of Reading. Sal is at Wyomissing Junior-Senior High School, west of Reading, teaching AP Statistics, AP Calculus BC and Algebra II. Following our Thanksgiving visit, Kate and Sal gained Jack, a rescued Greyhound. He has a circle about one eye which gives him the look of a pirate -- hence his name of Captain Jack Sparrow -- Jack!

I 'm still moderating Brain Brawl, our 28th year. After two years in obscurity, we are now back on the local cable channel 14. The show is scheduled to be shown a staggering 42 times per week! I'm still officiating at the Commissioner's Academic Challenge, which Lyd and I attended in April, and the Panasonic Academic Challenge, which Lyd and I attended in June. (In 2007, we are hoping that Kate and Sal will be able to join us again.)

I'm still on the board of directors of Junior Achievement here in Jacksonville. I resigned as Treasurer of Jacksonville Sister Cities Association.   We're spending Christmas in Salisbury, Maryland with Lyd's mother, Margaret, her brother Bill, and Kate and Sal (and their greyhound, Jack).

Well, that is 2006, on Christmas Day.  Merry Christmas.

Tom and Lydia