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Dear Diary, Friends, and Families,
Started December 21, 2016
For almost twenty years, we have tried to keep a record of our life
happenings, both to share with friends and family as we go along, and
to allow Marianne and me to remember and reminisce. With this page,
I have tried to draw together a "topical" story: Christmas and New
Year's Holidays. The winter holiday season seems right for a look
over time, although I also appreciate difficulty memories might
bring.
Here's the annual story, for better or worse.
1997
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Gabby,
Marianne, and I splurged on a one-week trip to Shanghai. This
predates our "diaries", but it is certainly a memory worth
keeping. For this "new" diary, I scanned Marianne's (paper) album. It's a great and well-organized
memory-maker.
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1998
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In Kiev, we started with early December
seasonal celebrations before we headed back to California for a family
visit. We had no diary of the Christmas trip, so I built one
from photos. Sadly, this also includes the last pictures I have
of my own mom. She would pass away between this Christmas trip
and any chance to return.
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1999
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Our
first full Christmas in Kiev, complete with work and school and other
Christmas parties, a visit by Gabby, and a Y2K New Year's celebration in
the snowy streets. This too is a new (2016) diary, constructed
from our photo records.
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2000
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While
the original diaries had brief descriptions of work and school
Christmas parties, there was no diary record of the following trip to
the US. This new (2016) version has more pictures from Kiev and
lots of pictures and memories from the American part of the holiday
celebrations, from Maryland to California (Fresno, Monterey, Los Gatos,
San Francisco, and Santa Cruz).
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2001
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A diary rewritten
in 2016, based mostly on what was original text. Pictures are
better and more plentiful. This was the last time all three of
our kids were in the same place as we all tried to help my sister
through a particularly difficult cancer surgery. Definitely a
holiday season with highs and lows.
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2002
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Two parts, first a short note from Christmas Markets in Heidelberg and Frankfurt and then the story of our Christmas in Virginia and Maryland.
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2003
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There were lots of picturres from the German Christmas season, but no diary webpage. Consequently, in 2016, I created one from good pictures and foggy memories.
Meanwhile, I updated the US diary with better pictures.
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2004
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Our family Christmas in Garmisch-Partenkirche.
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2005
| A German holiday season.
First, to the big market at Nuremberg and a very small one in Pommersfelden.
Then a Christmas Eve overnight in Rotherburg ob der Tauber. A magic place.
Before 2006 hit, we also stopped at Pommersfelden, Regensburg, Passau, and Bamburg. Not Christmas really, but seasonal.
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2006
| Assorted original diaries of German Christmas stops, some with Gabby.
-- Wernigorode
-- Wuerzburg
-- Rothenburg ob der Tauber
-- Pommersfelden
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2007
| One of the multi-stop family Christmasses. I get tired just remembering these trips.
-- Maryland
-- Monterery
-- Colorado (diary never really finished. Oops.)
-- Fresno
Plus, back in Pommersfelden for New Year's
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2008
| A record number of German Christmas Markets. (Click on the cups to jump to each market.)
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2009
| A standard three-stop home leave trip: California, Colorado, and Maryland. (All as origianlly written)
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2010
| A complex Christmas.
Two general parts, the first white and very traditional (in four parts):
-- Forchheim, Bamberg, and Frensdorf
-- Erlangen
-- Sommershausen
-- Rothenburg ob der Tauber (with Negins)
Then, a warmer break in Lisbon (four more parts):
-- Part 1 -- Part 2 -- Part 3 -- Part 4
(all as originally written)
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2011
| A Three-Part Christmas in America:
-- Maryland
-- Colorado
-- California
(all as originally written)
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2012
| Christmas in Pommersfelden and Nuremberg
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2013
| Another three-part Christmas in America,our new home:
-- Maryland
-- Fresno
-- Monte Sereno and Monterey
(all as originally written)
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2014
| Christmas in Fresno, as originally written.
Also, as a bonus, a Christmas Letter
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2015
| Christmas in Fresno, as originally written
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2016
| Christmas in Fresno, as originally written
Also, another bonus Christmas Letter
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| 2017 |
Another Christmas in Fresno
And a Christmas Letter
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| 2018 | An Early Christmas and
One on Regular Schedule
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| 2019 |
It's Complicated, Chemo through Christmas
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| 2020 |
Strange Christmas (Pandemic Times)
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| 2021 |
Christmas, Just Christmas
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| 2022 |
Quiet Christmas
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| 2023 |
Our End-of-the-year Christmas Letter
California Christmases |
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