Happy Holidays, SoWal Friends!
This year finds us once again wondering where the time went. This Christmas we are headed to Conch Out at Grayton for about 10 days, spending the holidays with Donna's family and many of our Gulf Coast pals. We're looking forward to some sunny days, tasty fish (especially at the new D&K), walks on uncrowded beaches, and hopefully a New Year's Eve bonfire on the beach, replete with fireworks.
Our big news this year is the birth of our first grandchild, Baby Luna Mirasol Oldford, born to Marty's oldest son and his wife. Luna was born during a full moon, on December 5, and weighed 7 lbs. 14 oz. Mother and daughter and fine, and new dad is exhaling again.
Donna's mother, who lives in DeFuniak, celebrated her 87th birthday in October. In November, brother Bobby won his re-election bid with a whopping 71% of the vote in Walton County. Our longtime pal Sara Commander also won handily to become a new Walton County Commissioner. Nephew Bryan is living at Seagrove Beach, working as a D.J. at Bud & Alleys and part-time for Cerulean. His brother Bo is living in Brooklyn and working in Manhattan now.
Our Havanese puppy, Butter(scotch) keeps us busy and amused and communicates with us all the time in many ways. He goes everywhere with us, tucked under an airline seat in a sherpa bag. His caramel (or scotch) markings didn't develop as much as we thought when he was initially named, so we briefly considered renaming him "Crisco." Didn't have the right ring to it, though. Butter will make the trip to Grayton this Christmas and this time will not be bald, so no Burberry sweater and muffler, Funns.
After several trips to beautiful Bainbridge Island, WA this past summer, we purchased a second home there. It is one of 18 townhouses on nine acres of landscaped property which has a thousand feet of private waterfront on Eagle Harbor/Puget Sound. We can launch a kayak off our deck and paddle to the pub downtown in about 10 minutes, or drive there and to the Seattle Ferry (35-min. to downtown) in five minutes. The islanders are friendly and relaxed and it is an easy place to get to. Spent about 10 days there over Thanksgiving and had three beautiful snowfall events, unseasonal but lovely.
This year, we've both been putting fun ahead of work. Marty continues his avid bicycling schedule and logged about 4,000 miles during the past year, as usual. Donna has finally made some progress on that book that has been in her future for as long as she can remember. Marty is retired but works part-time managing capital improvements construction for the City of Napa. Donna has slowed her work pace, but continues to master plan wineries and small luxury resorts in the Napa Valley.
Here's hoping that all of you have had a satisfying year, that health and happiness have been yours. As always, we hope to see or to meet each of you in the New Year. In the meantime, have a happy holiday season and a peaceful New Year!
This year finds us once again wondering where the time went. This Christmas we are headed to Conch Out at Grayton for about 10 days, spending the holidays with Donna's family and many of our Gulf Coast pals. We're looking forward to some sunny days, tasty fish (especially at the new D&K), walks on uncrowded beaches, and hopefully a New Year's Eve bonfire on the beach, replete with fireworks.
Our big news this year is the birth of our first grandchild, Baby Luna Mirasol Oldford, born to Marty's oldest son and his wife. Luna was born during a full moon, on December 5, and weighed 7 lbs. 14 oz. Mother and daughter and fine, and new dad is exhaling again.
Donna's mother, who lives in DeFuniak, celebrated her 87th birthday in October. In November, brother Bobby won his re-election bid with a whopping 71% of the vote in Walton County. Our longtime pal Sara Commander also won handily to become a new Walton County Commissioner. Nephew Bryan is living at Seagrove Beach, working as a D.J. at Bud & Alleys and part-time for Cerulean. His brother Bo is living in Brooklyn and working in Manhattan now.
Our Havanese puppy, Butter(scotch) keeps us busy and amused and communicates with us all the time in many ways. He goes everywhere with us, tucked under an airline seat in a sherpa bag. His caramel (or scotch) markings didn't develop as much as we thought when he was initially named, so we briefly considered renaming him "Crisco." Didn't have the right ring to it, though. Butter will make the trip to Grayton this Christmas and this time will not be bald, so no Burberry sweater and muffler, Funns.
After several trips to beautiful Bainbridge Island, WA this past summer, we purchased a second home there. It is one of 18 townhouses on nine acres of landscaped property which has a thousand feet of private waterfront on Eagle Harbor/Puget Sound. We can launch a kayak off our deck and paddle to the pub downtown in about 10 minutes, or drive there and to the Seattle Ferry (35-min. to downtown) in five minutes. The islanders are friendly and relaxed and it is an easy place to get to. Spent about 10 days there over Thanksgiving and had three beautiful snowfall events, unseasonal but lovely.
This year, we've both been putting fun ahead of work. Marty continues his avid bicycling schedule and logged about 4,000 miles during the past year, as usual. Donna has finally made some progress on that book that has been in her future for as long as she can remember. Marty is retired but works part-time managing capital improvements construction for the City of Napa. Donna has slowed her work pace, but continues to master plan wineries and small luxury resorts in the Napa Valley.
Here's hoping that all of you have had a satisfying year, that health and happiness have been yours. As always, we hope to see or to meet each of you in the New Year. In the meantime, have a happy holiday season and a peaceful New Year!
