Xmas Letter 2013

Merry Christmas to all my friends and family. The year started recovering from the after Christmas clearance shoppers at Kohl’s. Then I finished my training to be a tax preparer for H&R Block. Once started, I only worked Saturdays at Kohl’s. Cats celebrated their 7th birthdays. I walked in the St Patrick’s Day parade for H&R Block holding the banner listening to the downtown crowd scream “Beads! Beads! Beads!”. Then hopped it to Kohl’s in my holiday outfit and shamrock painted on my face. I had a few beads around my neck so gave those to kids coming through my line. Started a new job opportunity as Financial Advisor for Primerica with my friend Justin I knew during childhood. Got a license to sell life insurance. Had Easter dinner at my place complete with Easter egg hunt in the courtyard. Had an odd occurrence with my Christmas cactus, it bloomed right before Easter. The end of tax season came on schedule and I worked on interviewing at temp agencies for a desk job. I have to go where the money is. Managed to get an employment verification job after my very first drug test. After 15 minutes of calling people on the phone, my ears started to ring. Driving home, I couldn’t handle the noise of the radio. I quit the next day. On the plus side, I finished fairytale trilogy for my nieces after working on it for 10 years. My youngest niece Annika wasn’t even born yet when I started writing ideas into a notebook. This fall I started rewriting the first book and plan to get it published as an ebook online for free. Hopefully next year I’ll get the first book rewrote. Had a freak occurrence and got snow on May 2nd. Last time that happened my Mom was a child. Niece Alex graduated high school and got lots of scholarships for University of Nebraska-Kearney. She intends to be a high school math teacher. The next day was Mother’s Day so the family went out for lunch. Went to Alex’s last dance recital where she did an Irish jig. Took niece Annika and nephew Lukas to the zoo to see the new rhino and new seal pool. Took Aunt Mary and Mom to the art center and drove by the downtown sculpture park to view modern art. Took Annika to Living History Farms where she learned to sew and petted a calf. Saw the 4th of July parade with brother-in-law Lance and Lukas. Later after work, took my Mom and Lukas to see fireworks. Celebrated Lukas’s 9th birthday. Lost one of my Beta fish, Medusa, taking my number down to 10 fish. Had them a year now (they live 3-4 in good care). Next I got a new furbaby named Faramir (Fair-a-meer). He is a young adult in ferret years born in January and at one year will be fully grown. They live 5-7 years. Cats view the varmint as competition for my affection so I try to love them as much as the newbie. Faramir loves to chase the cats across the apartment and keeps a stash of stuffed animals in the bath tub. After months of interviewing, I got a new job as a document processor for Marsh and McLennan in Urbandale. I left Kohl’s behind and will not be working for H&R Block next season. I won the Halloween pumpkin decorating contest and got to squish a cream pie in my boss’s face. I was nice to her. I saw an ad for a photographer for a shelter down the street called Furry Friends and started volunteering there taking pictures of the new animals for their website. Then I lost Faramir out the door when carrying in bags of groceries. A neighbor believing he was a wild opossum let him outside. I made my first Lost poster to tape up around the apartments. Another neighbor had recognized Faramir as a ferret and took him to Furry Friends thinking he was someone’s pet. The staff thought he was sweet and in perfect health. After the neighbor called me to say where my baby was, I picked him up and got him microchipped so if he escapes again, his scan will guide the shelter to me. We had a stray kitty take shelter in the drain spouts taken down during construction around the apartments. Eventually it was captured and saw its photo on a shelter Facebook page. They called it a Munchkin breed and right away was adopted. Visited a fancy pumpkin patch with rides and gift shop. They had an fairytale area of Three Little Pigs, Billy Goats Gruff Bridge, and Alice in Wonderland Tea Party. Faramir experienced his first snow and walked around with his nose in the flakes looking like a snow plow. We celebrated Annika’s 10th birthday. Had Thanksgiving dinner at sister Sylvia’s house and next day took Annika shopping. Next day had sleepover with Annika, Lukas, and Sylvia after seeing Festival of Trees and Lights. Lost another fish, Daphne, taking my number down to 9. Against better judgment of others, I got another ferret cause Faramir was attacking poor Precious. He loves his baby sister Eowyn (Ay- Oh-Win) cutting her permanent teeth and pounces her daily. She instigates play with him and loves snow. I will be hosting Christmas Day dinner and then following Sunday Mom will host the extended family Christmas at her apartment activity room. My temp job at Marsh is up in the air so here’s hoping for the best next year. Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Becky, Precious, Frodo, Faramir, and Eowyn