The LONG Christmas Letter

A Christmas letter - an abreviated version was emailed to friends and family and here is the full novel

December 2008

The big year for the Monsons (Murdock/Johnson)

Almost every year I try to write you a pleasant short summary of the past year and some times it works and other times it doesn’t. This year there have been so many important events that I can actually remember all of them.

This was the year we had been working toward and all the pieces seemed to fall in place like we had planned them (which of course we were hoping for)
Let me list them in order by month.

April – We bought and set up a 5th wheel trailer on our property as an apartment to live in occasionally once we rented the house. There are also two sheds call “Closet” and “Garage” for the overflow from the trailer. So we have our very own campsite with a washer and dryer!

May I retired from the Authority and was given a wonderful send off from all the great people there. As a parting gift I was given “the shirt of our backs” and now am the proud owner of 25 Hawaiian shirts.
The going away plague with the greatest significance came from all the staff of the Authority and included all the ten business cards from my career (at the least the ones that had cards) along with a quote
And will you succeed?
Yes, you will indeed
(98 and ¾% guaranteed).
- Dr Suess


And, and, Linda sold Happy Dogs for a tidy profit and received the funds on the very same day of the Stephen’s retirement party. Good timing eh?
Then we started to “thin out” our stuff

June – We moved my mother, Lois, from Arkansas to an adult living place in Austin Texas. She is very happy there and does not have to drive a car any more. At 93 that is a good thing.
Mom is in a facility for about 120 people. She is busier than I have seen her in years and close to Brother Michael and Mary. And Michael and wife May have taken on the duties of watching over mom in addition to doing all the things connected to running an art store and a life coaching businesses. Thanks Michael and Mary!

July- I worked a little for the Authority and started doing some volunteer time with the Clinton Climate Initiative.
We got serious on getting rid of stuff and planning to get to Panama by fall.

August
We saw Tyler and his girlfriend Amber once this year and are happy to see both of them moving in a lot of good new directions in Portland last year. I've asked Tyler to write his own blurb and here it is:

I'm still living in Portland (Oregon, not Maine), though now with my girlfriend Amber. In case the dish hasn't made it to your inbox before now, she's a special ed teacher, currently going back to school for her master's degree, so that she can win all our arguments on the basis of her higher education. We also have a new dog, an old house we rent, and a real love for the city where we live.
Merry Christmas, all.

September – I took a last trip to the Sierras (for a while) as well as fishing trip with Leo and Rich on the Rogue River in Oregon. And Linda stayed home and packed.

October – We scurried around to move out of our home in Aromas, give away or sell most of our stuff and move into the trailer. By this time we were saying “We are actually going to do this!” No turning back now! Holy cow we are really changing our lives!

October – We rented the house, packed our two big suitcases each along with five boxes and a dog and a cat and moved to San Carlos Panama. On the way we visited with lots of people important in our lives; Michelle in Templeton, Jack & Susan, Jules & Neal, Mike & Amy in Solvang, Wilbur & Alby in Woodland Hills and Pam at the airport.

November – having forgotten a few things and given the opportunity to fly back for free (to speak at conference) I went back to 11 days and left Linda to keep on nest building.

There were some sad things as well this year as well.
We went from three dogs to one and three cats to one of each. Our two old dogs, Sarah and Thunder (both 15) were not up for the trip or life in Panama so we had them relieved of their troubles in October. It was really hard but best for both them and us. It’s just not fair that dogs don’t live as long as us.

The two cats we did not take with us faired much better. Gracie, the youngest, went to live with Wendy Welkom and her two girls and has more playmates than ever. Ranger, our old semi feral cat stayed in Aromas under the care of our tenants. Hope that works out.

So now, here we are in our little house in Panama, learning a new culture and a language I should have learned 50 years ago (read embarrassed). Our days are filled with little things that seem to take a way long time by North American standards but that is the way it is in the tropics. I started a little blog if you want follow our adventure.
http://panamamove.blogspot.com/
I try to add something once a week, when the Internet is working.

Linda the SurferDawg alternates between the heaven of “surfing in champagne” to depression of not even getting in the water. This is not the best time of the year for surf in Panama and she has a lot of other things to get done as well. I know those other things will drop away when the surf gets better.

And as we end of this eighth year of the millennium, with the world spinning out of control, our new president will face daunting foreign-policy tasks as well as a mother-in-law of a recession, we hope you all take time to listen to the trees and hug your loved ones. And to be very very nice to everyone you meet. And stay in touch.

Happy Holidays
Linda & Stephen


Murdock/Johnson
PTY 14079
10000 NW 25th Street Unit 1
Miami, FL 33172-2204
Home phone 011 507 240 9984