Season Greetings to all our friends and family.  I hope this note finds you preparing for the Holiday Season with gladness and thankfulness in your hearts for another year of enjoying life in this wonderful country we all call home.  

For us here in Waxahachie, 2012 was one of those years that will go down in the record book of our life as one of the most exciting in a long time.  As most of you know, I retired from public education after 27 years on January 31, 2012.  Less than 30 days later, on March 1, I was diagnosed with cancer in my stomach.  It was an aggressive strain and was growing rapidly.  The doctors said because of the fast-growing ability of this type of cancer we would treat it very aggressively with chemotherapy and radiation treatments.  I began treatments immediately as soon as a port was implanted in my upper chest.

After 3 months of chemotherapy, I began 23 radiation treatments over the next month.  I was then given a PET scan and another biopsy was taken of my stomach.  I was pronounced cancer-free and treatments stopped at the end of July.  

I went back in for my six-month biopsy this past Monday and had my six-month consultation with my oncologist this past Thursday.

I want to take this opportunity to thank many of you for your thoughts, prayers and communications with us during this time.  I know my recovery was nothing short of a miracle.  I was never sick for a moment because of the chemotherapy treatments and I was able to take care of myself throughout the treatment time frame. 

While I was in the middle of my chemotherapy, I published the two books I had been working on for several years.  The first, On the Backs of Our Children, is a historical fiction novel based on life on the Rio Grand border.  I am now writing the sequel to it.  The other book, Calling the Right Play for Life’s Fourth Quarter, was a collection of posts from a blog on the 1965 Monahans High School website on the subject of retirement.  Both books are available on ebooks from Amazon.

As soon as I received the “All Clear” from the doctors in July, we took a 5,000 mile road trip west to eight different states with stops in California to travel through wine country for several days with my cousin Larry Padgett and his sweet wife Myra, then on to San Francisco for an international porcelain convention, then to Livingston, MT where our great hostess,Peggy Riggs played Yellowstone guide for us for several days. Then it was on to  Aspen, CO to visit with old friends John and Betty Jones in their lovely home there.  

Upon our return to Waxahachie after three weeks on the road, we attended a wedding of a family member in Cancun, Mexico for four days.

Returning from Mexico, we packed our bags for a three week trip to Brazil where Charlotte took a porcelain painting class from an artist in Rio de Janeiro, Rigaberto,  and then we went on to Campinas, Sao Paulo to stay and visit with several families we have been friends with for many years.

Then in November, we spent five days in New Orleans for Thanksgiving with our kids and grandkids.  Thank heavens we are staying home for Christmas!  But, we will be getting back on the road soon for another road trip this time to the east coast.  We will be going through several states as we head to Tybe Island.  This is a small island off the coast of Savannah, GA.  Charlotte will be attending a two week art seminar and I will be trying to sample every item on Paula Dean’s menu there in Savannah!  (I smell butter!)  We will also be stopping in a couple locations for me to get some research in for my next book. 

As if this wasn’t enough, I finished the remodel of my 1950 Chevy Panel Delivery Wagon!  After four years of rebuilding, it is finally done!  I entered it into one small show already and won so I’m happy!  It gets the stares when we take it out!

We also had an addition to our family this year.  We now have Toffee, a 10 month old Maltipoo.  She is the life of the party and a sweet puppy.  She helps fill the void left by Sophie, our little rescued poodle who passed away last year.

As this year draws to a close, we count ourselves extremely blessed to be on the receiving end of so much love, and friendship of so many wonderful people.  May your holidays be wonderful and all of your needs met.

Ted and Charlotte