Happy New Year!

We did not send out a Christmas letter in snail mail because just
about everyone we sent the Christmas letter to is now on electronic
mail and you get our weekly updates anyway.

I spent much of last week off from Cadence and helping out my college
chum with documentation; enough to start shopping for a new home
computer.  With the new scanner I got for Christmas, perhaps you will
be getting some images coming your way in the future as well.
(Perhaps it is a blessing that you haven't been getting images from
me.)

There was lots going on besides my own distractions. Joy has been the
affible and capable hostess, as always, ensuring that our guests are
compfrtable and well-fed.  She also did much running around this week
in returns and after-Christmas sales.  She was disappointed in not
getting a 14-foot artificial Christmas tree (at a deep discount, of
course) for the barn next year; probably because the day after
Christmas was a Sunday.

Miranda's college friend, Cheryl, has been staying with us over the
Christmas break before they head back to school at the end of this
week.  Miranda is finally, apprehensively, painting a mural on our
barn wall.  When shee was little, she was punished for drawing on the
wall, but now we understand that it was merely a presage of things to
come.  We have three sections, not high but long, that we want her to
paint.  We have decided that the theme would show the changes of the
seasons with things that would have been around when our house was
built in 1860.  It is a little rough on Miranda to have her artwork
displayed in progress, but we think she is doing a fabulous job and we
are already very pleased with how it is coming along.

Jessica cut her hair in half, bringing it halfway down her back.  She
thought it would be good to even things out a bit with the family hair
length.  Andrew still has a ways to go though.

Emily has been battling little furry things in her room of late.  They
took a fancy to her Christmas stocking full of candy.  We're seeing
how much they like cheese on a trap instead.

Andrew sepnt the week with his cousins at Steve and Sharon's home in
Marshfield, MA.  They returned him on New Year's Eve and stayed the
evening to celebrate The Fall of The Ball in Times Square.  (I think
Syndey, Australia wins the fireworks display prize.  Paris was a close
second.)  Mandy's friends, Pamela and her boyfriend Brian, also joined
us for the odometer rollover.

Next Sunday, my Dad starts something exciting and new.  He will be
supplying the interim pastorate of a very small United Methodist
church in Wereham, MA, just 30 minutes up the road from his home on
Cape Cod.  Tiny churches such as these barely survive and often do not
have the means to bring in preachers much out of their latest college
courses, let alone a 45-year veteran pastor.  It will be a challenge,
I am sure, but a good one to see if an ember can light up. I am very
excited for him and this little church.

Y2K?  That's what I'd like to know.  Now is a good time to buy a
generator if you have always wanted to have one.  I am sure many are
being returned still in their original boxes.  About the only Y2K
glitch I encountered was the preventative and year end maintenance
that my company was doing to its network, making my email access a bit
troublesome at times.  Just remember, if you get a bill for anything
for a 100 years of usage, you don't have to pay it.

Have a great week and beyond!

There. I got out of this email without using the phrase 
"new millenium."  (<-- except here)

Mark
    (\____/)            Mark Metcalfe
     (_oo_)             Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
       (O)              270 Billerica Road, MS04
     __||__    \)       Chelmsford, Massachusetts 01824
  []/______\[] /              
  / \______/ \/         Phone: (978) 446-6451
 /    /__\              Fax:   (978) 262-6363
(\   /____\             metcalfe@cadence.com