Merry Christmas 2018

2018

Our 24th Annual "First Foot" party (google it) will be held on January 1st 2019 from 3-8pm.  Bring your Holiday leftovers and help us toast the New Year!!!!!  161 St Paul St #301 Burlington VT.

May Peace and Love prevail in this crazy world in 2019

I am just going to put
this here.  This hat is from 2004 BTW

Zuzu and Thomas
in Colorado Springs

From our House Boat growing up

Rod's studio mates

Favorite activity throwing rocks

 

Evergreen Cemetery New Haven VT

Tucson sunset

Another year, another flurry of activity and some great trips.  I just reread all of the Christmas letters that we have posted here over the years.  Such a great reminder of what is important during this magical season.  Family is right at the top closely followed by friends, travel, love and learning.

After two years we have officially settled into Burlington Vermont.  Our schedules do not overlap much at all AND we have two "dates" a week; yoga with Jane at the Y on Monday nights and a weekly Love and Justice vigil on Wednesday at First UU Society of Burlington (FUUSB) nights at 5:15 followed by choir rehearsal at 7:00pm.

ALERT THE MEDIA, Sarah has reclaimed her name of Sarah Hall Russell (nicknamed Sally at birth)

We both jumped in with two feet into the community of FUUSB.  Again not a lot of overlap except leading YUUTH group, attending the weekly vigil and choir.

Sarah co-chairs the Racial Justice Team and is a member of the Caring Network and Membership Ministry.  She also helps with the monthly Second Saturday Sanctuary Coffeehouse and Potluck.  Yup, this is a lot but it keeps her happy and busy and out socializing with people which makes the entire household very happy.

Rodney is a Worship Associate which means lots more people know who am than I know who they are. On a related but necessarily separate effort I have also been more politically active for the last two years than I have since the early days of the, now defunct, SDP in the UK. First UU can support whatever cause they want but have to draw the line at sponsoring individuals so we started a "Postcards to Voters" evening at the E1 Collective Studio where those of us in progressive states can help get the vote out in less progressive races. Looks liked it worked in the midterms.

From April through October we spent a lot of time and energy with work projects and changeovers at our family property on Lake Champlain.  It was a lot of work in the first year to clean it out, and get it in shape to rent to others as well as take advantage of weeks ourselves.  See blog post here about our property and the meaning of Fancy Roamer and do let me know if you are having a family reunion or gathering of a group of people (14+) and would like to rent the Fancy Roamer on Lake Champlain in Charlotte Vermont on Thompson's Point.  This summer we expect to do a lot less sweat work and a lot more enjoying this beautiful property.

Gathered Family for the
 Ordination in Syracuse

Stole for the Ordination
Designed by Sarah and Bethany

We travelled to Syracuse three/four times this year.  Christmas last year in 2017, March for Bethany Russell-Lowe's ordination, May for Bryan Russell-Lowe's graduation with his Masters from Syracuse University and Rodney only - May for pet sitting of Isbell, Shakes and Theo, during a certain candidating week at UUCT (Unitarian Universalist Church of Tucson)

Proud of her Master of Arts

In February we travelled to Vero Beach to visit with Sarah's Mom and her husband Charlie.  It was the last time we saw her since she died August 16th of ALS.  She fought a valiant battle but in the end this dreaded disease won.  When we heard of her death we were at the Fancy Roamer  (our family camp on Thompson's Point Charlotte VT) and four of us were there and on the phone with the other three, to process this loss and continue our grief.  A Celebration of the Life of Virginia deGanahl Russell was held on October 20th in Brandon Vermont.  Almost all of our first cousins were there with spouses and many dear friends of Mom's and ours.  Her ashes are buried right next to Daddy in Evergreen Cemetery in New Haven Vermont.

4 Sarahs after Sarah 9 was born

4 first cousins - only women -
11 Men in this generation

Sarah made two additional trips to Vero, one in September and one in December. Rodney accompanied her on the December one where they cleared out almost all of the belongings that were still in Charlie's house.  A baby grand piano and a few other miscellaneous items remain but a CUBE of items are in transit to Vermont.

Rodney travelled twice to Tucson this year, and Sarah made the trip once.   Close your eyes and imagine this.  July 17th, a Mini Cooper packed to the gills, and Rodney and Isbell the dog who sat in the passenger seat for 4 days.  The other car was also packed to the gills with 2 complex cats, Shakes and Theo and Bryan and Bethany, guitars, litter boxes etc.  A 4 day road trip from South
Hero Vermont to Tucson Arizona was delayed only one day by a broken AC in B and B's car (fortunately it was fixed before they left and not a delay along the way).  Sarah was an emotional mess for 4 days with many of her loved ones in a car and her vivid imagination of them in car crashes along the way.  She insisted that friends and family occupy her with phone calls and company during those 4 days.  Thanks to all who complied!  Charles, Mike, Peg, Amy, Maryellen, Sally M., George, Judy, Joni, Noni, Suzy B, Suzy L, Bonnie, and everyone else who heard my irrational fear and did not dismiss it.

We made our way to Kansas City for the Unitarian Universalist General Assembly and for the honor of watching Bethany walk up on stage with the other Ministers in Preliminary Fellowship.

Proud parents of the
Minister in Preliminary Fellowship

 ASII family photo

July All Star 2 found ALL of us on Island.  Both of our children and spouses and our granddaughter made it the most magical week possible.  We all needed this week to recharge, prepare, renew, and visit with our spiritual Island community of 24 years.

Our second deGanahl reunion was held over Labor Day in Colorado Springs CO, hosted by Carrie Lowenstein and the deGanahls who live in Colorado, Nebraska and Arizona.  We met and heard from a line of the family "The Ted Walkers" who we had not known that well before this.  Bethany flew from Tucson and Chris and Meg and Zuzu flew from Burlington VT.  They got a twofer since Phish had a 3 day festival over the same time period in Denver.  We got some quality grandparent time and Zuzu got to meet her Colorado cousins of her same age.

In April we had a great few days working on food pantries and soup kitchens in NYC with FUUSB YUUTH. This was made all the more meaningful because some of the youth traveling with us had some reason to use these sort of services themselves in the past. We were working with YSOP and organization started and headed up by a Star Island friend of ours - we highly recommend them if you are organizing service trips for youth.

Our two kids have had quite the busy year this year. Chris and Meg moved into their new house (Still only 25 mins away). Bryan and Bethany bought a house and travelled to the opposite corner of the US and now live in Tucson, Arizona. Both our kids now have a pool (we never have) and a covered place for their cars (we waited 30 years).

The big trip of the year was in November with George and Judy to China. Beijing (Summer Palace, Tiananmen Sq, Forbidden City, Great Wall), Xi'An (City Wall, Terracotta Warriors), Chengdu (Panda Breeding Sanctuary), Lhasa (Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple), Chongqing (for 3 day cruise to the Three Gorges Dam), Hong Kong. The tourists attractions were amazing but was an eye opening trip in many more ways, and left us with so many more questions  about China than it answered. The one word we used more than any other was "gobsmacked". Every piece of civil engineering was huge and built in the 21st century. The big surprises other than the engineering was how clean it was, how green its was (in the sense of foliage even in big cities), how safe it was. Yes our initial impressions were tempered by talking with Westerners who had lived in the country for a while but it was all still extremely impressive. Rodney now reads every article that pops up with "China" in the title, because it really looks like the Chinese are about to leave The West and India in the dust. Our four home visits  with locals and talking with other Chinese along the way also showed a people proud of their country and it accomplishments.    

Cao Sao Tung - we visited
her school near
 the Terracotta Warriors

Hong Hong from Victoria Peak

Name Tags in Mandarin

Tiananmen Sq

On the Yangtze with the Captain

Potala Palace Tibet

When was the last time you laughed so hard you could not drive?

Yesterday I helped my brother Ken move some stuff from Burlington to his house in Montpelier.  We loaded both cars to the gills and I had a co-pilot (Ken got this from the Hopkins Center at Dartmouth when he worked there briefly in the 1980s)

I was following Ken's Subaru, the state car of Vermont.  He passed the rest area on 89 South and stuck his thumb out to ask if I needed it.  He stuck his finger out to show Ceres, newly installed on the State Capitol building.  I followed his car through a couple of 4-way stops in Montpelier, and took a left on his street.

My thoughts:
"I thought Ken lived a bit closer to town"

"Maybe he is taking me to Thomas's school first"

"Maybe he needs gas"

"Maybe he is going to lunch first"

My mind was trying to normalize why we were now well past past Ken's house.

He called me on my mobile and I illegally answered it.

"Where did you go?"

"Oh shit, I was following the wrong Subaru!"

I started laughing so hard I almost could not breathe and I probably should not have been driving.  Don't worry, I had hung up by now.  I literally laughed all the way back to his house and for the first few minutes there.

Lots of Subarus in Vermont!

Remembering Denny Davidoff

We just finished watching the live stream of the Memorial Service for Denny Davidoff.  At our first General Assembly in 2000 in Nashville she was the moderator and she was spectacular.  I did not realize at the time how lucky we were to have her as our introduction to the messy process of our denomination as we conduct our annual business.

The most memorable story pertained to the youth.  Youth Caucus returned to their hotel the night before and had seen some homeless people and they were very upset.  At midnight they collected money from among themselves, went shopping, and delivered the food to a homeless shelter.

The next morning they asked to speak before the Assembly, and Denny allowed them to.  They told their story and she said "Let me get this right, you recognized a need at midnight, collected the funds necessary, shopped and delivered it by 4am all without a Committee meeting?"  Of course they answered yes.

In that moment she impacted a whole generation of youth because she listened to them and recognized them and in her incredible skillful way she also sent a message to the rest of us who insist on Committee meetings to get work done.

I saw her at every other General Assembly I went to and her presence was always wise, and measured and definite and influencing.  I had to watch the service today because of the impact she had on me in my very first General Assembly.  I will miss Denny although I was not very close to her.  That did not matter, just watching her from afar,  has informed my life.

Lake Champlain living - a dream come true

This will NOT be the last sunset we see from Thompson's Point

Fancy Roamer - link on Airbnb to our new property

From 1964-1976 our family lived on Lake Champlain for most of the summer.  The first year, our family of 8 drove across country from Colorado and the following June we moved permanently to Vermont.  Two years later we added a 9th to our family.

We owned Gardiner Island off Long Point in North Ferrisburg VT with our grandparents and our Aunt and Uncle and their three children.  So from age 10 until age 22 I spent many hours on a 4 acre Island with a generator for power, an old stone house and a bunkhouse where the kids slept.  We also had a houseboat that our family lived on and traveled all around Lake Champlain.  Those were magical summers that I treasure more and more every day.

The property was sold in 1976 and since then I have longed to own a "camp" on the Lake again.  We looked at some camps near Gardiner Island in the mid 1990s, and eventually did buy a house in South Hero Vermont in 2008, BUT it is not right on the Lake.  My first summer there, swimming at White's Beach with friends, I said "Now this is swimming, in a lake not in the Ocean".  The Lake has been calling to me for most of my life.

Last August the dream to own a property came true for our extended family.  We own some real estate together and we meet regularly to manage the properties.  When we articulate a strategic vision it often included the idea of owning "a family compound".

We found the property, 3 dwellings, with the ability to gather together AND have privacy if we want.   After a lot of conversation we realized we could not let the opportunity pass us by and we made a huge leap of faith the buy it for our generation and for future generations.

Yes, we are crazy and in LOVE with our new property

We are actively filling weeks for next summer through Airbnb and Vermont Properties AND we will have some weeks for ourselves.   We had a bonfire there in -1F degrees over the holidays and we anticipate many picnics on the beach and nights spent around the outside fire place.

Merry Christmas 2017

Lots of people to celebrate Bethany

Our new M Div

Future Starboard scribe on a Day Trip Visit to Star

3 Sarahs at Ruby and Will's reception

No live tree this year so a quilted one

New mug I use whenever it is clean

Zuzu at the Sheldon Museum

New UU Society at Church
Street tree lighting

So Serious and concentrating

Lots of Bike Riding with Sally
 this last summer

Hadrian's Wall hikers

GA Service at First UU Society 

Some of the family who

travelled to Antarctica 

Lexington Men's group on Camel's Hump

On the Wall

All for Sale at Rod's Studio

Wow another year has passed and we packed in a few activities

Travels - big ones were to India in April, Hiking Hadrian's Wall in August, and Antarctica in December.  Domestic ones were New Orleans by train in June and a quick trip to Nebraska in July for Sally's aunt's memorial service. We are promising ourselves we will stay in beautiful Vermont next summer. We missed too much time in our new home state in 2017.

Our plan is to get to continue to get to places while we are still able to, both physically and financially.

India was such a surprise and because it is such a big country we barely scratched the surface so we might have to go back at some point.  The people are amazing, the noises are amazing and the food was delightful.  We travelled with Overseas Adventure Travel for the 4th time and were once again incredibly pleased with the guide, Sujay, the small number of travelers and the fact that we got to have tea and ask questions of people in their day to day lives.  In Varanasi we asked if we could join a pilgrimage group in their celebratory dance at the Ganges and they heartily invited us in.  We talked to a young woman who had become engaged the day before in her arranged marriage and looked through her saris with her.  We visited and took pictures with students at a school, and Rod took an image of a Bengal Tiger.

We are still processing Antarctica with all of it's history of expeditions, it's flora (limited) and fauna and amazing vistas.  One night at sunset at 10:30pm we watched 300 whales blowing and some of the photographers on board got a couple of good images of them breaching.  Every day while there, we toured on zodiacs to a penguin colony or a volcano AND we polar plunged in 38 F water temperature with 32 F air temperature and lived to tell about it.  There were incredible naturalists on board the ship who were accessible to talk to and who lectured on their area of expertise. We loved the Silver Cloud which is one of their expedition ships and we were glad to be on this newly refitted ship as we crossed the Drake Passage (or Drake Lake and Drake Pleasant as the staff called it, we missed Drake Shake).

We took the opportunity to visit NYC a few times to visit friends using various routes and methods of getting there. Being retired with no deadlines the slow Vermont and upstate NY trains are great ways to travel. We decided to splurge for our 30 wedding anniversary and got tickets for Hamilton on Broadway and it deserved all the great reviews. We are also trying to visit all the major league ballparks and knocked off Yankee stadium and Citifield on one of the trips. Our habit is to support the local team while we are there, which was especially tough with our Yankee supporting friends who gave us Yankee baseball caps to wear (at least they were in memory of Jeter's last game at Fenway).

One year into living in Burlington VT we are both thrilled to have made the decision to move north closer to family AND a lifestyle of friendliness, outdoor activities and kinder drivers. We really miss our community of many years in Lexington MA, which can never be replaced.  "Make new friends but keep the old"!  We both sing in the UU choir, are youth advisors and help out when needed at the UU Society  (don't call it a church that ruffles a few feathers).  Rodney is a worship associate, and half of the congregation love his accent (which he is still proud to have a little of) the other half don't understand him (of which he is just as proud), The Society is incredibly socially active and we walk out our front steps after many services to join in a protest or a vigil at the head of Church Street.

This next year finds our children making some big changes.  Chris Meg and Zuzu sold and bought a house just prior to the Holidays and move mid January. We love our overnights with Zuzu and seeing them in the pews and RE rooms at the UU.  They both continue in very busy jobs and somehow balance that with being terrific parents to an opinionated, independent and loveable 4 year old. We take our role of spoiling grandchildren very seriously.

Bethany and Bryan are both in their last 6 months of internships and schooling in Syracuse and will find out late spring where they will move to during the summer. Bethany graduated with her MDiv in May and Bryan will be graduating from Syracuse U next May.  Bethany's ordination is March 18th at her Syracuse church and she is already researching neighborhoods and coffee shops of the possible cities where she may be called to serve.  Apparently this research calms her planning gene which skipped a generation over her parents. Lots of uncertainty which is calmed by three furry animals whose house they are allowed to occupy.  We just spent Christmas with them. Shakes is the king, Isbell is the princess and I guess Theo is the acrobat since he gets to the highest point in the room with great agility.

We try to not be too scared and paralyzed at the political climate and instead turn anxiety into action. Sally attends a weekly silent vigil at the UU, is on the racial justice task force and is educating herself about being an ally to marginalized groups.  Our Senior Minister often hits this anxiety head on in her sermons so that hour in the week feeds and heals our souls.

Rodney spends most days in his art studio which is a ten minute walk away in the artists section of town. He was chuffed to sell four pieces of his work during the September's annual Art Hop. He's going to be more deliberate about getting into shows and selling his stuff in 2018. If you want a portrait done of a loved one give him a call. Check out some of his things on his website. His old Men's group from Lexington came up with their spouses in October to belatedly celebrate his 60th birthday with a great weekend party and hike of Camel's Hump.

rodneylowe.wixsite.com/rmlart

Sally speaking - I do sometimes like or post too many memes or articles on Facebook in an effort to acknowledge to myself I am not alone.  I also try to listen to others who have a different view but this is definitely a growing edge.  IMHO if one-on-one conversations could happen between those holding different views and they really listened to each other, the world would be a better place AND I also believe world peace is possible so am proud to be labeled Pollyanna.  I HATE/AM AFRAID TO MAKE PHONE CALLS, and this year I got over that fear and called people in power to express my opinion and outrage.  I plan to step up to more challenges in 2018 and travel to some swing areas and knock on some doors and have "that conversation" to make a difference.

Rodney speaking - As we flip from year to year it's a good time to reflect on what has passed and what the future holds. It's all too easy for me to reflect on the ills of the world and the country but I always return to the blessings in my own life, and at the end of the day I am grateful for family, friends and good I see in strangers everyday. May 2018 dash all your worst fears and feed and sustain your highest hopes and aspirations. Happy New year everyone.