It’s time for the poem, ready or not,

The year was a shambles, not even a pot.

Christmas letters are bright, happy things to report,

They paint so rosy, me thinks they distort.

No bright shiny picture will come from us,

Most things that happened just made us cuss.

Carole’s high school reunion, RAJA in Fort Worth,

Cancel the good times, cancel the mirth.

But still we traveled, that’s for sure,

We made numerous trips to Baltimore.

Trips to Johns Hopkins were running us ragged,

Facing serious surgery had our nerves jagged.

A pancreatic tumor had riveted our attention,

Carole was brave, fighting through the tension.

The Whipple surgery was hard, the recovery was slow,

The reports were great, leaving Carole aglow.

Both Becky and Missy took turns as caring nurse,

Giving Jack some relief from the care-giving curse.

Jack stumbled and fumbled with meals and the sink,

Washing whites and reds together, turns everything pink.

We lost both our Moms; they both went to Heaven,

Blanche was 95, Mary was 97.

They were such a delight, so much to remember,

Both here in October and gone in November.

We’re thankful for the memories, to those we still clutch,

But not hearing their voices, we miss that so much.

One thing did go right, which led to big smiles,

Nine and a half weeks after surgery, we cruised the British Isles.

Carole got great help at every step of the way,

We still struggled with patches, but what the hay.

It was a golf theme cruise that was for Jack

Playing Ireland and Scotland, yakety yak.

Playing in the wind and the rain could make it a gasper,

But the guest pro on the cruise was Billy Casper.

Losing the election made us want to scream,

But at least it was consistent with this year’s theme.

Our garage ceiling collapsed, when a storm was in the air,

But at least that’s the kind of damage we can repair!

Of the children and grandchildren, I’m here to report,

It’s been an OK year, nothing much to exhort.

I’ll go out on a limb; I’ll even get bolder,

In the best of ways, we’re all a year older.

The year just rolled by, it was somewhat a sleeper,

But I suspect it’s a prelude, for next year, a keeper.

Thanksgiving in Roanoke, with Paul and Sandy,

The turkey was great, everything was dandy.

But on Friday, with little Jack, Jack was kicking a ball,

The skills are long gone, he took quite a fall.

Skinned both hands, knee and elbow, shoulder and head,

The asphalt had won, and Jack, he just bled.

Jack says he’s alright, but just the same,

If he were a pro, he’d have to sit for a game.

So we’ll say goodbye to the year that brought us pain,

We survived the worst, and were still reasonably sane.

It was a tough year and it kept us guessing,

But the successful operation was truly a blessing.

So our spirits will rise and with time all will cleanse,

Most important to us is family and friends.

So have a wonderful Christmas and be of good cheer,

We love you all, have a Happy New Year.

Merry Christmas and a
Happy New Year!

Jack & Carole

Written by PJ Rice at www.ricequips.com