The Serf's Christmas 2006 Letter
The Year, Such As It Were


It’s been a year of change. The kids continue to grow, I age.

We got a dog, specifically, a mini-Schnauzer. Schnauzers are a breed created in Germany to kill rats. And still the Nazis took power. You know, you try… Anyway, Rachel researched dogs to decide which would be best, saved up her allowance, and when she had enough, declared she wanted a Schnauzer. So that’s what we have. Gimlet, the pup, does her job admirably; there isn’t a rat in the place.

However, in her exuberance to keep the house free of rodents she occasionally tries to police the Guinea Pigs. The Pigs object. With their squeaks, they protest they are not, never have been, and never will be rats, they don’t even know any rats. The pup is suspicious and inspects them regularly. There will be no Pig coup on Gimlet’s watch.

Joshua is going through his Star Wars phase. He has a couple different toy light sabers. He and a friend regularly indulge in third-grade Jedi light-saber training. The fun seems to be wearing off though. More and more they run around shooting each other with lazer-tag guns. I don’t mind, it’s a boy thing.

He also continues the family tradition of reading a lot. Not that he has a choice. Patricia orders, “You vill read, undt you vill like it.” The kids read, and Gimlet whines.

Rachel is now an Uber-High Schooler. She takes guitar lessons, art classes, and is the devoted Chief-of-Staff for Gimlet. She exerted her developing need for teen-freedom by dumping high school band. You can’t create that kind of memory with a credit card. Thank God.

Patricia has changed jobs and now works for the school system as a nurse for special ed. kids. She also teaches Sunday School, and has assumed other responsibilities too numerous to list. Apparently, she thrives under pressure.

Me? Nothing to report. I’m the circus ringmaster. I do nothing but announce the acts, marvel at how wonderful they are, and listen to the applause.
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