January 2021

Hello friends and family,

It would be difficult to reflect on the past year without acknowledging the challenges that we have all faced. Without downplaying those, we do want to share happy times too.

Allen & Kathy

Let's start with Allen & Kathy, who provide us with joyful news of her pregnancy! We are expecting our new Little Bun in mid-June.

Allen also received a managerial promotion at work, and Kathy took a new job with a Video Relay Sign Language Interpreting service in addition to her work translating for the school system.

Megan

Meggy likewise moved into a new position at work with some increased responsibilities. She and Patty started a company a while back to purchase and rent houses, but have only just now been able to purchase the first home after some serious saving for the down payment.

Meggy also recently adopted a rescue pet, and we welcome Bunny Belle to our family! Although her planned trip to the Galapagos was canceled, she did manage a solo camping trip to Enchanted Rock.

Andy

Andy continues to thrive in his job as well. Because he works for a company that provides respirator clearances, they have seen a substantial increase in business due to COVID.

He has been using his social distancing time to tackle some long-neglected home improvement projects, and he did manage to squeeze in one weekend trip to Palm Springs, CA before the pandemic hit.

Mike & Patty

Mike has been doing his part to stop the spread of COVID by not leaving the house for the last nine months. He is working strictly from home, per NASA's pandemic protocol.

His projects are still going strong, including working closely with Procter & Gamble to develop space-safe laundry products. He also continues working on space refrigeration projects.

Patty has had quite the year. She exercised her First Amendment rights by participating in her first ever march for social justice on Juneteenth for Black Lives Matter. This was done in cooperation with the city police department, peacefully and with mutual respect (you know, the way it's SUPPOSED to be done).

COVID-19 has affected her very personally, as she tested positive on Christmas Day. Despite precautions, it was just a hazard of working with sick patients. That's the main reason this letter is so late this year. But, she is glad to be a survivor, and urges everyone to continue to follow all the guidelines, and please get your vaccine when it is available to you.

This has also been a year filled with lots of sourdough bread baking by us all! Yum!

We hope that 2021 is kinder to all of us than 2020, and that you all stay healthy, wealthy, and wise.

Love,
Allen, Kathy, Megan, Andy, Mike, and Patty