As most of you know, I write a Christmas poem every year and this is the first Christmas since I started writing my blog.  I have posted a lot of old Christmas poems from previous years.  In those cases, I always felt the need to explain what was going on at that time.  As this poem is current, it isn’t necessary.  Below is my Christmas report for 2007.


                        A Christmas in Transition – 2007

It’s time to report on a year of transition,
Preparing for the future, the key to our mission.
Carole’s facing surgery and Jack’s to retire,
Trudging through ’07, dodging the mire.
We made it a good year, that was the trick,
We came out a lot better that OJ or Vick.

Carole’s a real trooper, but her knees cause her pain,
By continuing status quo, there is nothing to gain.
So it’s surgery in January, the answer to her pleas,
A partial replacement in both of her knees.
If all goes as planned, it will be a new dawn,
Before you know it, she’ll be mowing the lawn.

Jack’s truly retiring.  It’s really the bomb,
He’ll be spending his time on ricequips dot com.
He’s written 60 blogs before retiring,
There’s poems, critiques, nothing very inspiring.
But he thinks he’s funny, though you may scoff,
It keeps him off the streets, when he’s not playing golf.

We did RAJA in Phoenix, with Mary and Becky close by,
Shades of Green, Disney and a Leadbetter School, how sly,
Carole’s 50th Reunion, one of four trips home,
A cruise to Alaska, yes, we did roam.
She medicated her knees with shots and pills,
Stayed with the basics, avoided the frills.

Life comes with sorrow, reality has its sting,
Carole lost her brother, Bob passed in the spring.
Diagnosed around Christmas, the news was stunning,
Hardly time to say goodbye, where cancer takes to running.

The children are doing well, jobs, schooling and stuff,
But in the grandparents’ eyes, we don’t see them enough.
Mary’s ninety-two and Blanche two years shy,
Blanche celebrated ninety, with a tear in her eye.
For we surprised her at her party, it was a lot of fun,
Carole hugged and kissed her, I dialed 911.

As we’re about to retire, and travel?, you bet,
Our emotions trumped reason and we got a pet.
A Sheltie named Nikki, she seems very smart,
But puppies make mistakes, right from the start.
She’s been easy to train, but keeps us guessing,
She’s brought joy to the house, she’s such a blessing.

With a new shed and gazebo, the house is complete,
We’re ready for the future, we’re up on our feet.
We stand at the beginning of 2008,
Changes are coming, they should really be great.
We think of friends and loved ones, we wish you good cheer,
Have a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.