Mon Dec 22 09:25 EST 1997 Weekend Update: The Christmas Letter We had a great weekend: another party - I laughed until the tears came out. I also had a rare treat on Sunday - a 3-hour nap! What a luxury! I'm foregoing other updates so that I can send each of you the Christmas letter that my snail mail friends will be getting soon. Many of you already know what's gone on in our lives this past year. For you (and me) I pray for God's richest blessing, a closer walk, for the coming year. Mark ======================================================================== MERRY CHRISTMAS! 1997 Dear friend, On February 27, 1997 we moved into an Antique Victorian home, built in 1860 and renovated by the previous owner. There were major difficulties up to and on the day of closing(!) but we persevered and moved in on a balmy February night. We affectionately call the house Metcalfe Manor and treat it as God's gift for us to be used for Him. The Spring and Summer were breath-taking as the many dozen varieties of flowers emerged from March to September. The fruit trees bore a sumptuous harvest including delectable plums, peaches, and peerless seedless concord grapes. The vegetables we planted also produced an abundance that we shared with others. Major projects on the house this year included a new roof for all three sections, a new wood-burning Jotul stove and ceramic tile floor for under it, a bathroom off the master bedroom, and a renovated living room. We are having tremendous fun at the Manor and love sharing its warmth and charm with you. On April 19 we hosted a house-warming party for over 100 people to celebrate what God has given us. Our associate pastor led a dedication service that was beautifully delivered and received. Millie Crawford, Joy's mother, passed away after a sudden illness. Mom complained of back pain on April 3 and discovered cancer less than a week later. Her strength ebbed quickly, choosing not to prolong a terminal situation with chemotherapy, and she was gone on April 30. The loss was devastating for us all. Tom Crawford, Joy's Dad, has since retired from the Pastorate in Butler, New Jersey to Greentown, Pennsylvania to the house they built together. Joy had a difficult year on top of the loss of her mom. Her problem with cysts began to act up again. This time we were able to avoid surgical measures but it's an ongoing saga that we hope we'll get under control in 1998. Despite these trying circumstances, she remains the beautiful and talented woman she always is, making a wonderful home and doing things that would take at least three others normally to do; children's musicals, crafts, selling Tenderheart Treasures, and driving Mom's taxi are a few of the things she does. She can't be stopped or slowed down, I think. Mark just turned 38, a rather ho-hum kind of age, but a nice birthday nonetheless. I continued to write for the Herald of Holiness until December of this year. The magazine reorganized so the column was discontinued. Perhaps I'll submit material elsewhere if I have time to write some more. I spend a lot of time writing to my email friends updating them weekly on the life and times of my family. (metcalfe@cadence.com) I still hold spots on the Church board and District Pastoral Support Committee, and they let me sing occasionally in church. The job is going well, approaching three years at the company. Miranda, (18 in April), has been going to college in a dual enrollment program. She can complete her senior year of high school while earning her first year of college credit. The downside has been her commandeering the second car to get to college and back. She is also working at a day care center in the afternoons part time. Miranda has a talent for painting and has used it to decorate wooden boxes, wooden hearts, mirrors, and mason jars. She is also one of the top Bible quizzers on the district. She went to Maryland on the regional team. Jessica (15 last August) is the teen group's treasurer and participates in teen dramas and Bible quizzing. She continues her work on the piano and is doing well in 10th grade. She also received several gold medals at the regional church Festival of Life teen competitions. Both Jessica and Mandy (and their friend Kara) took first place in the region for a drama they put together. Jessica got contacts this year and cannot wait for her braces to come off! Emily (12 in January), who was certain to win the third consecutive "top sixth grader" award for the Metcalfe family (had we not moved from Nashua) has done quite nicely in her new town's school. She took first place, winning a $100 savings bond in the Public Speaking competition. She also won a citizenship award and was elected to the student council at her new school. In addition to this, she has also taken up the flute and participates in children's quizzing. Andrew (9 last July) was also elected student of the month this past September. He has taken up the trumpet (loaned to him by his Aunt Faith). We may yet have a family orchestra. Andrew participates in children's quizzing and excels at video games. Andrew also entered his first year of little league. Whatever he may have lacked in baseball skills (it being his first year and all), he made up for with enthusiasm and team spirit. By some quirk of fate, I was nominated and elected to represent the New England district as a delegate to the International Nazarene General Assembly in San Antonio, Texas this past June. I took the family with me and did my duty, and then stretched my time in Texas to see my cousins up in northern Texas and Oklahoma. We had a fabulous time with everyone (missing Keith). While we were away, Rich and Wendy Gonzalez stayed at the house being "Manor Minders" and enjoying the pool and flowers. One of the many highlights was a trip to the ostrich farm where VC and Lois Moore gave us a dozen egg shells to take home with us to decorate. (So far, Miranda has decorated one as an entry into a church craft contest.) My Uncle Ken also made us a sign for Metcalfe Manor which will be posted in the Spring when we paint the house and the sign to match. While we were there, we also saw my grandparents. My grandmother, Leona, passed away in October so it was especially good to get to see them this past July. I even had the opportunity to sing a song with grandma. She was 93. Grandpa (96) now has a new roommate. My Aunt Ruth visits him every day. Our time was far too short with my Aunt and Uncle, cousins, and their children. Cousin Kendra, her kids and her parents, made their way up New England shortly after that. It was good to have them in our neck of the woods, too. When we had a little spare time on Saturday's in the warm weather, we would travel the roads of surrounding towns yard-saling finding wonderful bargains. But even more fun for us has been attending a bi-weekly auction in Pepperell, just down the street from where we live. We've rescued some furniture to fill the Manor as well as pick up some junk that will go in next Spring's yard sale. In October, I took Joy with me to San Jose, California. I was on business and Joy was on rest and relaxation. It was doubtful that she would be able to travel (see Joy's report) but we managed and my business trip was so much more pleasurable to have her along. While there, we saw Steve and Rosita Yates; she's an old friend we hadn't seen since Jessica was a baby. They flew up for a weekend from Burbank, CA. We dipped out toes in the Pacific and found a mountain lake in the foothills of San Jose. My mother stayed with the kids. We also took our traditional Columbus Day weekend outing with the Magnuson family to an untraditional place (for us) on Cape Cod: the sprawling vacation home of Paula Bickom's parents. Our traditional stay at the Reed's cabin in the woods of Maine was not available that weekend. We hope to return, to both places, again. In November the Crawford clan, minus Grandma, gathered for a feast of love at Thanksgiving. In December, I gave my personal testimony as part of the Christmas music program at church, recounting the joys and sorrows of the past year. Despite the difficulties, God has proven Himself faithful time and time again. Mark and Joy Metcalfe and family 76 Groton Street Pepperell, MA 01463-1518 (978) 433-3976 Come Visit Us! Our email addresses: Metcalfe@cadence.com | Joy_Metcalfe@juno.com | Miranda_Metcalfe@juno.com | Jessica_Metcalfe@juno.com | Emily_Metcalfe@juno.com | Andrew_Metcalfe@juno.com Mark Metcalfe ______ ______ "He has showed you, O man, Cadence Design Systems, Inc. _/ Y \_ what is good. And what does 270 Billerica Road, MS 04 // ~~ ~~ | Micah \\ the Lord require of you? Chelmsford, MA 01824 // ~ ~ ~~ | 6:8 \\ To act justly and to love Tel: (978) 446-6451 //________.|.________\\ mercy and to walk humbly metcalfe@candence.com `----------`-'----------' with your God."