I have to tell you about the perfect mountain acreage. It’s way out at the end of the road, and, the pine trees sparkle in the sun. To get there you have to turn off the main highway, and get over the James Ridge on a road that is gravel for a few miles; then there’s another six or so along the 16 Springs Canyon, until you get to where we are. On the ridge it’s steep, and has drop-offs on the side, which makes the ice a little dangerous at certain times of the year. Because we are between seven and nine thousand feet, we get more snow than most of the southwest, but we still get a lot of sun. As long as the sun can touch the ice, it usually doesn’t last all winter.

            We moved out here in June, and that is our biggest news, besides having a new grandson. We set a tiny house on land that already had a hunting cabin and a shed, dug a well, and then we had to move in an RV so we could fit all of the teens (and tween) we still have at home. We feel like we’ve arrived at the place we want to be.

            We’re not sure how many people really appreciate the letter way of staying in touch, but to me one of the big values is accounting for the ten children and eight grandchildren (in bold) who I leave off of Facebook just as a matter of principle. They are beginning to have their  own lives now and not need their parents bragging on them, but tough. Here you go:

            Josie, Derek, Layla, and Landon live in Lawrence, Kansas and Josie went up for tenure under pressure from her department, and she won’t know for a bit, but we think she is a slam dunk..

            Natalie, Ethan, Kenna, Maya, and Nori live in Brimfield, Illinois, a town so small you can walk out your front door and not worry about it.

            Eric and Jenn live on Jack London’s old homestead in Sonoma County, where fires are a constant concern, but there’s lots to do fixing it up.

            Kylie, Bayleigh and Madi live near Lake of Egypt and Kylie has a new job with Southern Illinois University.

            Justin and Marion have the big news, which is Tobias Lane Leverett, born 11-11, smiling and healthy; they are adjusting to parenthood in Portland, OR.

            Noah has some measure of independence, working and living in Chicago, not far from downtown.

            On the home front, Elias (18) is about to graduate from Cloudcroft High School (as valedictorian, he has worked really hard) and go to New Mexico State Univ. in Las Cruces with a fistful of scholarships. Corey (14) is finishing another year of basketball, and having a great season. We are proud of him for making all the 6 am practices! He is in eighth grade and will go on to high school next year. Sierra (14) is also finishing a year of basketball, and also was on the volleyball team. She is in seventh grade. She is also an avid ice skater. Ava (11) loves anything to do with cheering or dance and is having her best school year ever. She also took well to the new country environment as she likes being outdoors.

            Beyond our house there are a number of canyons that go up into the national forest. Our hope was that we could make a place for the horses, which are now at a neighbor’s, and go up in there every once in a while. This has taken a while. We love the place itself, though, and the weather, which is different in every different valley and mountain in the area, depending on the sun and the altitude, is just about right for us. I have become a volunteer firefighter and am still happy writing and fixing up the shed. We are hoping that our good luck will continue, and we wish all our friends and family a joyous holiday and a Happy New Year!