We are connected now all the time so the annual Christmas letter is a thing of the past right? Some of us are still not on Facebook and do not tweet on twitter so this Bud is for you Mr. Throwback to the days of leather football helmets, carbon paper, and white out.
2010 is drawing to a close and looking back I think it will be remembered as the year of the iPad. If you do not have one, you will soon. I think we can safely assume that there will be more iPads than people by 2020 and Steve Jobs will be the world’s first Trillionaire and Apple will have a GDP bigger than the Eurozone.
The cover of this year’s Christmas card portrays the Wizard of Oz characters: Jac as the Tin Woodman, Luc as the Scarecrow, Champ as the Cowardly Lion, and little Bonnie as Dorothy. In previous years Kelly, Kacie, Chelsea, and Charlie starred in those roles. Now that they are not cute enough for cover material I assume they are cast as Munchkins or Winged Monkeys. I presume Cherry is the Good Witch of the North or the Wicked Witch of the West depending on the day, and I remain as always the man behind the curtain, the Wizard of OZ.
Our story begins in London last Christmas when we celebrated a Dickens Christmas. It was a magical time starting with our flight into London and the red dawn illuminating the chimneys jutting out of the snow covered roof tops. With Rachel Wise, our niece from Georgia, joining us we explored the city and its attractions, enjoyed the play Oliver and the Jack the Ripper tour, dined at the Texas Embassy and finer restaurants, and attended a Christmas Eve service at the Church of Scotland (walking distance from our hotel). Cherry and I returned to Houston Christmas Day on a similar schedule to the “underwear bomber”. The Yellow Brick Road obviously stretches across the Atlantic in order for our story to continue.
Charlie is our youngest and was the original Cowardly Lion. Charlie’s search for the Emerald City took him through Duncan, Oklahoma and Cincinnati, Ohio. Charlie worked a year in the Oklahoma oil fields for Citation and learned how to keep oil producing in lightning, extreme heat, and frigid temperatures. These are old fields operating on a tight budget and requiring constant maintenance. Charlie made some good friends in the field before following his heart to Cincinnati where Kai is pursuing her degree. Charlie was able to visit Kelly and Richard in Dublin briefly before his move. You can read more on Kelly’s blog but I understand it rained the whole time he was there. Charlie landed jobs at Pottery Barn and the Bose Store and rented an apartment and has registered for courses at the University of Cincinnati. Cherry and I spent a few days before Christmas with Charlie in the Cincinnati white winter wonderland and enjoyed it very much. The Wizard recognizes Charlie for his courage in pursuing his dreams, and maturity he has shown navigating his way down the Yellow Brick Road.
Chelsea, formerly Dorothy, lives in Los Angeles and works as a graphic artist. Chelsea bravely left the security of her position at Tokyo Pop to free lance as an independent business person. She is recognized by many of her peers as a creative and talented designer. Recent commissions include Hasbro’s Mr. Potato Head and My Little Pony projects, and Sony’s Eat Pray Love film. Chelsea took me to Wurstküche in Los Angeles while I was there on business and we ate rattlesnake, rabbit, beef, and pork sausages and washed them down with German beer. I am thankful Chelsea abandoned her vegetarian lifestyle. Chelsea also joined us in Scotland and provided much entertainment acting out Monty Python and the Holy Grail and falling into nettles. Chelsea and her friend, Joe, joined us in Dallas for the Texas-OU game and the State Fair of Texas. Chelsea has opted to spend this Christmas with Joe and his family in Bakersfield. The Wizard recognizes Chelsea for having the courage to start her own business in California and for channeling her creativity into commercial enterprise.
Kacie, the Tin Woodman, and Jason followed the Yellow Brick Road from London to their very own first home in Houston. Kacie works and is pursuing her degree in interior design and has won several scholarships. Jason started a new job at Spark Energy and spends his free time fixing up their home. Bonnie spends most of her weekdays at Powderhorn with Cherry and the dogs. Jason and Kacie spent Thanksgiving in Ohio and will stay in Houston for Christmas. The Wizard recognizes Kacie for her hard work and dedication to the pursuit of her dreams.
Kelly, was our Scarecrow, and maintains an active blog describing her and Richard’s life in Dublin and their travels throughout Europe. Their time there is drawing to a close as they plan to transfer back to Austin in August 2011. Their life in Ireland has enriched all of ours as we visited and explored our ancestors’ roots. We enjoyed their time with us in Scotland in August. Nassy is the best traveled stuffed Snoopy doll on the planet (see Nassy’s blog). TJ has had it a little rough and does not enjoy his Irish allergies or the cold weather. Mackenzie Grace is a snow dog and is enjoying another white Christmas. We are all looking forward to welcoming Kelly and Richard’s son into our lives early next year. Cherry and I plan to be there soon after he arrives. The Wizard recognizes Kelly for the courage to start a family and the love her heart will feel for her new baby.
Cherry and/or I have followed the Yellow Brick Road from London, to Texas, Florida, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Wyoming, New York, Ohio, China, Japan, and Scotland. The road to Austin had a lot of loose bricks and potholes this football season and it is currently under repair. When you are on the road this much you learn that your home is where your heart is and we are thinking of our children and appreciating their love for us whether we are on a Kauai beach, a Scottish loch, or in a hotel in Beijing.
Merry Christmas to all!
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