Date: Mon, 07 Jan 2002 15:42:59 -0500
Subject: Weekend Update: Happy New Year 2002 (2001 Year in Review)

I missed last week's update but the January routine will be 
setting in and things can get back to normal.  We had a good
New Year's Eve with the Magnusons.  Jessica's freshman roomate,
Brooke Pate, flew in from Southern California for another
semester at ENC, joining us at the Manor just after midnight;
not a bad way to start the year.  (Jess picked her up at
Manchester airport and she stayed overnight with us.)

Joy begins to take down the Christmas decorations this week,
a room at a time.  The kids returned to school and college,
and I'm back at work catching up from the holiday slowdown.

Miranda heads off to London this evening at 8PM with a college
Communication Arts class.  She doesn't need the class to graduate
but thought it was a great way to end her college career, and
we agree.  She'll be in London until the 24th.

Many of you know that I enjoy winter the least of the four seasons,
but one of the pleasures I actually take on a cold January Saturday
morning is pruning the grapevines.  It gets me outdoors when my 
instinct is to cocoon in my house near the woodstove.  This past
Saturday was grapevine pruning day, so I put on some headphones and
grabbed my clippers and "went to town" on the vines.  It is funny,
but grapevines must have a pruning to bear fruit.  In the past, I
think I've pruned too sparingly, but this year, I took the bold step
to do a bit more because they didn't bear enough fruit this past
September.  All the long tendrils are now coiled and tangled on the
burn pile in the middle of the corn bed, awaiting their turn to be
ash fertilizer. The apple trees are my next quarry.

Some of the family highlights from last year include:

 * Joy's surgery to correct a 5-year difficulty.  She is completely
   recovered and her energy levels have been back to normal for
   some time now.  Joy also directed the children's Christmas musical,
   including helping Miranda to paint and design the sets.

 * Miranda completed her college coursework and has a permanent
   substitute (oxymoron) teaching position lined up in February
   in the Quincy public schools.  (The teacher with whom she did her
   student teaching will be taking maternity leave.)  She continues
   to add to her wall mural in the barn, completing up to May of the
   year.

 * Jessica completed her Freshman year and started dating David
   Young back in March. As of this writing, they are STILL dating!  
   She switched majors from Communication arts to Elementary Education
   and has been getting straight A's all the way.  She is an editor on
   the Campus Camera college newspaper and works in the college library
   and at a local day care center, Kinderhaus.

 * Emily expanded her musical talents by marching in the band with 
   her flute. She recently picked up the piccolo and is making musical
   progress.  Emily also ran the light show at her school's drama
   production, and is the vice president of her church teen group.

 * Andrew grew into the "second tallest" position in the family,
   and has been a successful newspaper entrepeneur.  He is part of 
   the school jazz band and continues to improve on his trumpet.
   He is also on the teen council at church and is a big
   Tom Brady fan (NE Patriot's Quarterback.)

 * We bought a Maine Coon cat in October on our annual Columbus
   weekend trip to Reed's Cabin.  Bonnie Blue was renamed Belle,
   although we often refer to her by other monikers, such as
   "scare-d-cat."  Belle is fluffing out and becoming more bold
   with her new Manor territory, but she is still skittish when
   all anyone wants to do is lavish affection on the beast!

 * I got my hair cut; first one in two years.  I donated the hair
   to Locks for Love and "fundrazor" monies when to the African
   Nazarene School of Extension.  I also bought a 2001 Mistubishi
   Eclipse to "put my body in motion" and a John Deere riding mower
   to put the younguns on yard detail.

 * We completed the addition of the spa room this summer, stenciling 
   one of our home-spun philosophies on the wall: "Happiness is not
   perfected until it is shared."  

We hope that in this year ahead, you will help us to perfect some
happiness.  Happy New Year!

Mark
-- 
+---_-----------+ Mark Metcalfe, metcalfe@cadence.com
| c a d e n c e | Cadence Design Systems, Inc.    Phone: (978) 446-6451
+---------------+ Manager, PCB Enterprise Publications