December 2025

 HOLIDAY GREETINGS!                                                                                                 January 3, 2026

It’s hard to believe that the holidays of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years have already come and gone for another full year.  It leads me to wonder what each will be like next year?  But in this letter I’ll focus on what happened this year.  Actually Thanksgiving and my birthday on December 1st were dealt with in last month’s letter so we’ll start this one after that.

You may not remember, but just before I left Grants Pass I had a biopsy taken of a sore place on my right cheek close to my ear.  After arriving in Sebring Florida it took a while to get an appointment with a dermatologist here.  He was not able to do much for it right then but since the result from the original biopsy indicated it was precancerous it was determined that a further investigation should be scheduled.  So on Dec.18th Dr. Stefan did a biopsy and probed around to find all of the cancer cells that might be lurking in the corners.  A further examination, however, sent him back in for a more thorough look at it.  

Then came the stitches.  Since the original biopsy was small and round I was amazed at the number of stitches he seemed to be taking.  I even commented to him, “My, you certainly are being thorough.”  I was given a large bandage that covered half my face and told to leave it untouched for at least 24 hours.  So it was not until the second day that I removed the bandage and saw why he took so long.  There were stitches that covered a three inch area from just below my eye to my chin!   Wow!  In another six days the stitches were taken out and the wound was left to heal with Vaseline applied daily.  It has amazed and pleased me how kind people have been not to mention or even notice the long scar that was on my face.  Now it’s just a waiting game for the final results and treatment to be determined.

At church we had a ‘Progressive Christmas Party’ moving from room to room, eating something at each and creating charity gifts for others. Then I shared my Christmas puzzles with the seniors at NuHope, where we received gifts from various organizations, including the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Imagine that!  Yes, we received some of the same gifts our church members had made earlier.  Personally, I received several other nice gifts from NuHope as well as from family members which I put under my cute little tree that continued to sparkle and change colors continuously.  Dan and Cathy decorated their house a little and gave me a few things for mine and we enjoyed seeing the colored lights and decorations of homes scattered all around town, and waited patiently for the city center circle to get its full array of lights.

Just like Dan had two of his sons here for Thanksgiving, Cathy had her daughter Keilah here for Christmas.  She had lost her husband at Christmastime last year and wanted to be with family this year.  She came from Las Vegas and brought her little 14 month old son Chase with her.  He is a cute little fella and was getting around pretty well on his active little legs, more like a two year old than a one. He kept mama and grandma on their toes all the time they were here, from arriving in Orlando Tuesday evening until went back there again on Saturday.  Traveling with a baby always means lots of extra baggage, car seat, stroller, etc. so all of us didn't fit into just one car, so we took two cars to go see Santa and all the beautiful lights at the ‘circle’ on Christmas Eve.

Cathy left early with Keilah and baby Chase, knowing that there would be a line to see Santa.  Dan and I came later after moving slowly through the streets to admirie individual displays.  We found them still standing far back in the line so we moseyed around the colorfully lighted circle.  Dan took my picture and I watched children trying their luck at a fishing pond and others playing on sturdy play equipment.  It was pleasant evening temperature and a vendor was selling snow cones but the prices were outlandish.  Finally the night’s mission was accomplished and mother and baby got their picture taken with Santa.

Christmas Day came and I was finally able to open the wrapped packages I'd been staring at under my tree for several days.  I was aware of the contents of a beautiful display arrangement from Hickory Farms Terry sent me, and I called to thank him for it as soon as it arrived.  A small, soft, lovely wrapped package from True was the one I'd been tempted to open early because I was pretty sure it contained something I was in desperately in need when it arrived, but I resisted until Christmas morning.  When I talked with True I discovered that the contents were a dual gift from her and Linda together, which made it even more meaningful.

Cathy and Dan provided me and others with a scrumptious Christmas Dinner of both turkey and ham and all the favorite trimmings.  Even with extra people there was plenty enough for me to receive leftovers for additional meals. The dinner table included Dan & Cathy, me, Keilah & Chase, two missionaries, a recently baptized couple and an investigator - for a total of ten people.  Dan and Cathy seem to work well as a team and rather enjoy having the missionaries and others for dinner and conversations often.  Dan has even begun a scripture study class on Wednesday nights followed by a potluck to eat that is intended to allow people more of an opportunity to talk and ask questions and get answers more easily in a smaller more intimate setting.  It seems to be working well.

The day after Christmas Keilah wanted to take Chase to the beach, but weather conditions were not too favorable, so we decided to take a narrated tour of the State Park on a tram.  Dan and I had traversed part of that huge park on a golf cart without seeing any creatures other than a few squirrels, but this tram tour goes much deeper into the swampier areas of the 9,000 acre nature reserve.  I was a little concerned about getting up into that tram but my worries were gone when a ramp was provided for my wheelchair to bring me where I could just slide onto the bench seat like I do in getting into a car.

The narrator informed us how the area became a state park, that over time more and more areas were added, and care has been taken to preserve its naturalness.  We were told about the many types of wildlife and birds that occupy this refuge.  He pointed out the lurking alligators lying in the swamps along with some turtles, also a blue heron and snowy egrets that stood peacefully by.  The baby was very active and kept Keilah so occupied that I’m not sure how much she gained from the tour and I missed a few things of it myself by not being sure if what I saw was an alligator or just an old log. We ended up not seeing any of the larger animals that are known to live there.  Dog gone it!  But it was interesting anyway.

Earlier in the month my niece Sandy and her husband Steve called to let me know they were coming from Utah to Florida and planned to visit with me from Dec. 29 to Jan. 2.  That was great news!  I offered them my extra bedroom but they said they had already made reservations at a local motel.  Sandy is the oldest of my brother’s three children who are close in age to my own.  I didn’t know their flight schedule and became a little worried when it began getting dark, but they had to deal with delays, construction and heavy traffic on the highway which caused them to arrive about 7:00pm.  It was a wonderful reunion and I was glad to hear about and see pictures of their new home in West Point, Utah. It's a new development near the Great Salt Lake in a 55 and older community like ours. Their old home was larger with many sets of stairs that that Sandy was sick of climbing, so she is delighted to be in a one level home now.  During the next few days we had much fun and laughter.  We played the tile rummy game and a few others, and they showed me more pictures and shared stories about places they've been.  I really enjoyed them.

  

We rang in the new year by eating a nice dinner at a fine restaurant and taking a group picture.  Soon  it was time for them to leave but they said would stay a couple of days in Orlando to take in the ‘wonders’ it has to offer.  Good thinking!

Now that the fun and excitement of the holidays is over it’s time for me to put this letter (and me) to bed but not until I wish the Lord’s love and special blessings to be with you as you begin this new year so that you may find much joy and happiness as well as good health and prosperity in your life.  And I leave you always with my love for you added to the great love that your Heavenly Father has for each of you.

Love,   

Marie