Merry Christmas, 2003, dear ones!

Our headline event of the year was the addition of another Reiheld to the roster. Bert married his long-time sweetheart, Alison Crane, on Labor Day weekend. We’ve rarely seen him happier. It was a joy for us to have dear friends and relatives join us for the celebration in Lansing. Alison continues with her teaching, editorial, and PhD dissertation duties at Michigan State, and Bert’s pursuing studies in Photography, a subject he’s shown some talent for, as he continues to search for the Meaning of Life.

Farhang completed his PhD requirements in September, successfully defending his dissertation before an SRO crowd of fellow philosophers at Villanova. He’s now awaiting the stampede of colleges and universities that will compete for his favor later this month. (His in-laws are certain that he’s needlessly concerned, despite a tough job market for philosophy profs.) Currently he’s serving as adjunct professor at Villanova, Bryn Mawr, and St. Joseph’s College, as well as continuing the scholarly schedule of publishing and speaking at conferences.

Unfazed by the weak dollar and uncertain political climate, Emily continues to offer luxury rentals for discriminating tourists in the heart of Paris. Shameless plug here: If you’ve got some $$$$ burning a hole in your pocket, and a hankering to live for a week or two in the City of Lights as if you’re a wealthy Parisian, Em’s your girl. (www.justfrance.com)

Several other gorgeous family weddings offered opportunities for travel and catching up with family. We gathered for our usual week-long his’n’hers reunions- this year in the hills of Tennessee and the sugary sands of Pensacola Beach, respectively. It’s great to be related to such a varied and fascinating crowd. Anybody in need of a few opinions, feel free to let us know… we stocked up this summer, and have lots to spare.

Another family get-together found us on a large boat (SS Volendam) headed up the Inside Passage to Alaska with mothers(one each), sister, brother, significant others, niece, and some friends of family. Fine scenery and great food. We learned that if you’re going to be confined to a cruise ship, it’s a good idea to bring your own party along. There was rarely a dull or lonely moment, and yet lots of quiet time to reconnect with dear folk we don’t get to see often enough. Alaska’s wild and awesome scenery is most deserving of another look someday—maybe by small airplane.

We gratefully returned to our glorious swampy side of paradise in late August, got our dock almost finished, the gardens whipped into shape, put in a good lick on finishing the new attic and shop, and began to talk about getting started on that long-anticipated boat. Then we had a whirlwind visit from Isabel.

Bye-bye dock, furnace, air conditioning, propane tank, shingles, pine trees, flowerbeds. Waves crashed against our livingroom windows, and sloshed alarmingly throughout the crawl space under the house, as the average water level drew even with our back deck. Trees whipped back and forth and the house shuddered in 125+mph winds. The electricity went off fairly promptly, and stayed off for nearly 3 weeks. We hauled out the tiny backpacker’s stove for the first time in years to cook the contents of a packed freezer by candlelight. Camping’s more fun in the wilderness.Wonder why that is?

We were lucky. Our house sustained little major damage, at least compared to our waterfront neighbors, many of whom lost everything. Despite our backdoor being only 10 feet above mean water level, and less than 50 feet from the seawall, we had no real water inside the house, while neighbors on both sides had waves going through second-story windows. We spent weeks carting tons of flotsam and debris out to the street, and got the HVAC replaced just before the first real cold snap of the season, and. The dock builder promises to return as soon as the water’s warm enough to try again, and maybe by NEXT Christmas we’ll be able to report some progress toward becoming shantyboaters.

After 6 months of no-fun ER work, Rob retired completely. That lasted a couple of months, and then he agreed to cover for a local Pediatrician from time to time. Then he agreed to a week here and weekends there of clinic coverage out on the Outer Banks. So now it’s just enough to keep his hand in, but not so much that Medicine owns his every minute. It’s a lovely arrangement, at least from his bride’s point of view. She rather fancies having a live-in carpenter/gardener/companion.

Life is good here, watching the water and the wildlife cavort in what seems an endless extension of our back garden. We miss having a big bookstore down the street and being able to buy peculiar produce on a grocery-store whim, but real civilization is still just a short Mooney hop away. The converse is also true. Anytime you want to get far from the madding crowd, we’d be delighted to share the porch swing with you.

We trust all is well with you and yours, and are eager to hear the details. Keep in touch!

reiheld@mchsi.com 207 Queen Anne Drive, Edenton NC 27932 252/482-0624