It grieves me to report on the national level,

Everything seems to have gone straight to the Devil.

The wars in the Middle East have lasted too long,

Incompetence of our leaders is like a country song.

Solyndra and Fast and Furious, these things are criminal,

The corruption in Washington is truly seminal.

Fifteen trillion, I say, that’s quite large.

Fifteen trillion, I say, who’s in charge.

I think there’s a solution, but we have to be stout,

Do what’s best for our country and throw the bums out.

Christmas came early in 2011,

It happened in St. Louis, it seemed like Heaven.

Tony was so jolly, all dressed in red,

Yaddie, Albert and Carp all pulling the sled.

The miracle in St. Louis, it was hard to believe,

They pulled the win out of their sleeve.

To the top of the fence, then over the wall,

Freeze dashed away, dashed away, dashed away all.

Mary and Blanche are 96 and 94,

Their bodies aren’t that willing, but their spirits still soar.

Mary lives with daughter Karen, who supports every night,

Blanche has son Will close, who keeps everything right.

We overdosed on travel, but February was great,

Disney World, Ledbetter Golf and Missy at a pleasant rate.

But June thru August took its toll, our suitcases were never stored,

Myrtle Beach golf to RAJA in C’Ville, there was no time to get bored.

Then the family reunion in Branson, Missouri,

        turned out to be a cool fit,

We ate and played, we laughed and shared,

        and Silver Dollar City was a great hit.

So we made it to August, but no time to snooze,

We joined the Holdaways on an Alaskan cruise.

This was the best, mucho glaciers and whales,

Each time more exciting as we retell the tales.

A 55^th high school reunion finished the trek,

Three months of exhaustion, but what the heck.

We saw great friends and family, it was like a spell,

Too bad Jack’s golf game simply went to Hell.

Most grandchildren entered the college years,

We remember the fears, or was it the beers?

It’s Central Florida for Tyler and Kristin and Josh at Virginia Tech,

Brandon’s at Northern Arizona, the teachers must be a wreck.

Grant is working a computer gig, that’s tedious but provides a need,

Jack’s our only middle school child and he’s growing like a weed.

Thanksgiving in Roanoke with Paul and Sandy,

The feast was fantastic, the warm feelings just dandy.

Another Crystal Cruise before the end of the year,

The Mexican Riviera, I know that sounds queer.

But we’ll be home for Christmas, the tree’s already up,

We’ll be toasting our dear friends with an overflowing cup.

So to all our loved ones at this special time of year,

Have a blessed Merry Christmas and Happy New Year cheer.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Jack and Carole