Our Christmas Letter

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!                                            2023

 

Our newest family member, Theodore Grant Basham, was born November 11th to Molly and Spaulding. All are well. We will get to meet Teddy in person when we visit right after Christmas. We are excited see Salt Lake in winter, however a little anxious about the cold and ice.

In February, we birded with old and new friends in Belize, led by Glen, a native of the area. With his guidance, we saw 183 bird species, watched howler monkeys fight over territory, and learned about prehistoric and modern Belize culture. In December, our birding was local, with Orange Audubon’s North Shore Birding Festival at Lake Apopka. Patten joined me slogging through a saltwater marsh to hear black rails; Grant and I opted for dry-land trips to see raptors and Florida scrub jays.

Early June, we flew to Calgary, Alberta to join my sisters on a bus tour to Banff and Jasper, then a 3-day train trip through the Canadian Rockies. Gorgeous country. We ended in Vancouver, then headed home for Grant’s 80th birthday party. He was thrilled that all of our children and other family plus some longtime friends could join him for barbeque and cake.

We are grateful that we remain in good health. I participated in the Windermere Run Among the Lakes 5K in October which inspired me to add brisk walking/almost jogging to my morning routine. Grant has begun walking a 2 mile loop around the neighborhood   several times a week. In September, we attended my EarlyBird Toastmaster’s 60th Anniversary in period dress.


I expanded my native plant gardens to the plot beside our boat house after the new decking and seawall were finished. I did leave the non-native pink rose and added a yellow “Doris Day” variety from Nelson Roses since the leaf-cutter bees cut circles from them to line their nests. Plus I love the roses’ scents.


I have started taking watercolor painting classes at the local Art Room and occasionally at Leu Gardens in Winter Park. Perhaps not the next Grandma Moses, but I’m amused. Grant keeps pecking away at his computer game and searching for exotic recipes to cook for dinner, taking breaks to dig or cut whenever and wherever I need help in the yard.

We visited with Mary several times this year, including going out for Bella’s 6th birthday party. Ryan is enjoying his anesthesiology residency and that he can spend time with his family. Remi has become social, telling me all about the birds he sees at their bird feeders.

Patten continues at Headhunters, even while recovering from extensive shoulder surgery. His partner Ryann works long hours as a risk management engineer for the local electrical company. During the flooding in Fort Lauderdale this spring, their house was fine, but   Patten’s pickup was submerged, a total loss.

Stephanie has joined Universal in Orlando as an admin assistant, no longer having to make the hours long drive to Lakeland every day. Her boyfriend Kyle has been a great help when I get into a project over my head. Clara is in her last year of middle school, still playing softball with some really good hits and catches this year.

We hope 2024 will find you and the world at peace.

 With love, Pam and Grant

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