December 15, 2025

 

Dear  Friends

Well, we've had snow for a month and it is lovely to look at.  There have been some days when it's been absolutely magical, and so far our comings and goings haven't been adversely affected, really.  The difficulty is nothing to compare with what has been happening in the world, and for that we are very grateful.

 

All in all, it has been a good year for us, personally. Lee has been able to make a considerable amount of sawdust, as he says.  At the moment he has five projects in the works, making tables and stands for friends and family.  He also was able to visit and photograph four cathedrals in France on our trip last May.  We were able to rent a pied à terre in Paris and used it to make sorties to Laon, Reims, Strasbourg and, of course his all time favourite, Chartres.  

 

Our trip came seven weeks after I had my other  hip replaced, and I'm pleased to report that I hadittle trouble keeping up with him. Of course I used a cane to get around, and I'm also pleased to report that it is an excellent travel accessory.  From the time we encountered the security control at the Montreal airport until our return, I got priority treatment everywhere, including at museums.  A word to the wise: if you sometimes need a stick or cane, don't be shy to take it with you.  (BTW, I don't need one now: hip replacement surgery is terrific.)

 

The kids and their families continue to thrive.  Elin is still working in philanthropy, now at one of Montreal's two pediatric hospital foundations.  Her partner Stuart is still managing a small team in Canada’s environmental ministry. And Jeanne, at 15, is a beautiful, talented young woman who dreams of a career in musical  theatre: she has been singing in a choir since she was five and this fall participated in the workshop of a new musical.

 

Chez Lukas and Sophie, sports, particularly hockey, have pride of place.  We visited several small Quebec towns last winter, following the boys' teams, and we expect to do the same this season.  Thom, at 13, is playing defense for his highschool team and for the municipal league.  Louis, 9, is trying out both attack and defense in the municipal league, but every moment he can, he throws a baseball around.  Sophie, who teaches first grade, also played softball last summer, and Lukas says he wishes he were fishing.

The whole gang plan on being with us in Montreal
 for Christmas at various times and in several configurations.

 

This Christmas will be particularly interesting because we now have a cat.  Evi is a Siberian, a breed noted for its hypoallergenic properties.  She seems to hold to that promise because so far the only reaction anyone has had to her is delight.  Siberians were originally forest cats, and she also displays that heritage in spades: she loves to climb trees, and we're still trying to figure out how to make sure she and the Christmas  tree co-exist.

As for me, I've spent quite a bit of time revising my next book, Before We Forget: How Remembering Will Get Us through the Next 75 Years, which will come out in March 2026. It's about individual and collective memory, and how collective wisdom will be a powerful tool as civilizations attempt to overcome the major upheavals ahead. The tone is pretty up-beat which is why, I guess, the current world situation doesn't completely get me down. 

So, best wishes for 2026.  The end isn't nigh, I'm pretty sure, as long as we remember.

                                                                                         

Mary