This was certainly a big quarter for family news. Not only did Arthur and Alixandra get married (above), Kendal and Brandon had our first grandson (right)!

The wedding was presidded over by Arthur's brother Dan and was blessed by excellent weather – in spite of the early October outdoor ceremony. Both events were overshadowed by COVID, but care was taken to limit exposure and no problems have surfaced. We headed south to PB in our little RV shortly after the wedding, and used the little RV to head up to see our new grandson after Thanksgiving.

The new grandson is Arthur Vernon IV, named after ancestors on both sides of his family. He will be known as Ari to differentiate him from his predecessors on his Sager side: Art, Vernon, and AV. His familiar name is also a reflection of his Jewish ancestry.

We were able to get some restoration work started on the eastern part of the property. Work on the western part will be constrained by difficulties getting heavy machinery to the affected areas. We may limit that work to reseeding grasses and felling trees killed by the fire.

Oddly, interest in buying the house increased after the fire and we got an offer that is in process. Following acceptance of the offer we had several parties interested in making an offer if the closing does not go through.

We had a small Christmas with our COVID pod – Paul, Xue and Jade. The day was augmented by a socially distanced visit from Marcus, Samantha, Lauren and Allison as well as virtual visits with others.

Pauline's Christmas Letter