Marcia and Don want to wish each of you a very merry Christmas, happy Chanukah or blessed Kwanzaa and hope for a wonderful 2022 for us all. Our little dog, Lieutenant Beauregard (Beau), continues to worm his way deeper and deeper into our hearts. Don refers to Beau as being “A 10-pound maneater – he’ll kiss you to death.”

To the extent we can, we have remained connected although neither of us are enthralled with “Zooming.” We have remained active users of our Blue Zones community programs – mostly cooking classes, which Don has been fascinated attending.

Don’s daughter Leslie, our daughter-in-law Jill and grandson Jackson (almost 16 years old) are doing extremely well in Portland, OR. Careers aside, Leslie is a gourmet chef and Jill is an expert griller. Together, the meals they serve are superb. All three have been at home since the pandemic – working and/or schooling. We were unable to be with them again this year.

Marcia’s daughter, Amy, has taken the opportunity of completing a few repairs and upgrades in her lovely house in Old Town Alexandria, VA. Don’s son, Chris (and Marcy) with children Elliot (19) and Ian (almost 16), are undergoing some changes, as well. After HS, Elliot is taking a year off from academics before attending William & Mary as did his Mom & Dad

A significant event in our lives this year was the diagnosis of a squamous cell carcinoma in Don’s neck below his right ear lobe. We discovered this in mid-November about the time of his 79th birthday. His primary care physician has been remarkable in setting him up with very good oncologists – both chemo and radiation. One worked for over 20 years at Duke Medical and the other came to NC after working a decade in UT’s Medical Center in Knoxville. He will undergo 7 weeks (35 sessions) of radiation along with 7 weekly chemotherapy infusions. It will not be pleasant, but the outcome of this protocol has been very successful. We are still getting our ducks in a row. The official treatments are scheduled to begin around January 10th. Our cadre of friends from AA, ACA, the condo and our UU congregation has already been remarkable. Stay tuned.

With all our love we wish you and yours a Merry Christmas/Chanukah/Kwanzaa and Happy New Year, and pray for the very best for each of you in the coming year. We hope you are able to continue to walk your spiritual path with Patience, Compassion, Tolerance, Light, and the knowledge of our acceptance by the Christ, whose spirit has transformed each of us and whose birth we celebrate. Hopefully, 2022 will bring less divisiveness and conflict to our nation and the world.

With our warmest blessings, Don & Marcia O’Dell, Brevard, NC

Don, Marcia, and Beau

*How the Bible Became the Bible - Exploring how the Bible came to be and why a literal interpretation of it may be dangerous. This exploration may open a door to your continued spiritual growth.