In 69 years, I have never once written a “Christmas Letter.”  Decades ago, I dutifully sent out Holiday Cards and did my best to include a personal message.  But as Thom and I eventually gave up the ritual of giving gifts, I abandoned the chore of writing and mailing those cards.  When friends and family realized that I had stopped sending them out—most of them stopped too—or dropped us from their lists. Then several days ago, while waiting in line at the post office, I saw a woman proudly hand over 20+ cards to be stamped with special holiday stamps.  Without warning, that quaint act reminded me of more connected times.  It also reminded me of holiday letters.  And while oftentimes corny or boastful, in some ways they still offered a peak into lives separated by miles and busy schedules.  That prompted me to sit down and write a blog post updating anyone (who might be interested) in what we’ve been up to in the last couple of months, mainly our trip to Japan.  So please forgive me—in some ways this post is my version of a Christmas letter.
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