Can't be good news all the time

Okay, I'm aware that family blogs are meant to be glorified Christmas newsletters, full of good news and happy, smiling people. 

Call me a rebel, I'm going to break the rules.

We got the news that Sarah's dad, Greg, had died just two weeks ago. It was a sudden heart attack and we were shocked, but not surprised. His health had been poor for a while and he refused to see a doctor. 

Greg Luth, 1958-2011

He had no wife or other children, so Sarah was it. Greg's only close relatives are a brother who lived to far away to help and a sister who was having health problems and couldn't make arrangements. So Sarah and I did it together, with generous help from Greg's friends in Seaside. 

It turned out to be a wonderful event, full of old friends who truly loved Greg and all his favorite things: the ocean, the river, a robin's egg blue day with mist on the mountains and a gentle breeze. 

Greg was a simple man, with simple joys and simple gestures. As a child Greg once had a school assignment to write his life goals.  He wrote:

1. I want a dog2. I want to marry a pretty girl. 3. I want to have a baby.4. I want to live in Seaside in a big house on the cliff.5. I want to go to Hawaii.

He often said he had done everything he wanted to do in life. 

The memorial on Little Beach in Gearhart. From left: Sarah, her Aunt Toni and cousin Kara. 

Sarah is heartbroken, angry and feeling lost but she seems a bit better everyday. For me, it has been harder than I thought. It was so long ago that we were married sometimes it seemed like it happened in a different lifetime. But we were married and we had a child and shared a life. And now his is gone and he will never see his daughter walk down the aisle or play with his grandkids. 

And that is a real shame. Greg was a good man, with a big heart and a silly smile. 

And he will be missed. 

I can't even count the number of photos of Greg (far left) holding a fish. Here he is with  his sister Toni and brother Bud.

"Beyond the low marsh-meadows and the beach,Seen through the hoary trunks of windy pines,The long blue level of the ocean shines.The distant surf, with hoarse, complaining speechOut from its sandy barrier seems to reach;And while the sun behind the woods declines,The moaning sea with sighing boughs combines,And waves and pines make answer, each to each.O melancholy soul, whom far and near,In life, faith, hope, the same sad undertonePursues from thought to thought! thou needs must hearAn old refrain, too much, too long thine own:'Tis thy mortality infects thine ear;The mournful strain was in thyself alone."

Keeping it on the downlow

So, yes, 50th birthdays are kind of a big deal but on the other hand -- do they have to be?
Since I'd already had an absurdly big shindig on my 40th (courtesy my main gal, Mary) I knew wasn't yearning for that but it seemed like I should do something significant.
So we ended up taking a short trip to a place we'd normally not go, for the Special Factor.
Vegas.
It was fun in the long run, just Brian and I for three days, cruising the Strip, gawking at the sights and trying to relax.
We toured a neon sign 'boneyard' kept by preservationists and history buffs (highly recommended), saw an over-the-top (what ISN'T over the top in Vegas?) version of "Phantom of the Opera, watched gamblers, street performers and drunks do their thing, and generally got all Vegas-y. Except we didn't gamble, go to a strip club or get wasted.
But other than that, we did Vegas.

Brian at Neon Museum's boneyard

I came, I saw, I conquered

Downhill all the way

Brian  -- you can see he hates the snow

A cloud of Holes

Most fun that didn't involve the sofa during Christmas break was trying out a new sledding hill with Jessica and Josh. As usual, the Unholy (or is that UnHoley?) Trio zoomed down the hill over and over again and I mostly watched. Sledded some but watched more.
At my age, bones don't heal so fast.

Pass the popcorn, I'm becoming one with the sofa

Amazing super cool socks made by Kristin for Mom

Kristin, Jess and Josh look at photos received as gifts

Very nice Christmas this year, so low-key. We didn't leave town at all. B's mother and sister/niece came down the week before, another aunt came from Bend and we had an early family gathering. Then Kristin came for several days and we had another mini-family celebration. It was great, we did lots of nothing (reading, watching movies, playing games) and learned to cook even more vegan and gluten-free dishes.

Christmastime fun house balls

King and Queen of the Snowhill

Joshua and Jessie with Aunt B and Mr. and Mrs. Withers-Smyth

Josh, Brian and Jessie (and Kodiak) get to work

Some really good snowfalls this year, for the first year in a while. During Christmas break we took advantage and spent several hours making two HUGE snow people. They were quite elegant and sophisticated, if I do say so myself. They didn't last long however, as snow people do. 

Bonnie Chronicles: The other side of the coin

Bonnie exploring, and not enjoying very much, a generous snowfall.