Periodical-Lee 2015

Clockwise from top left: Amy and Noah; Drew and Noah helping cousins Jasmine and Jason watch the Disney parade, with Amy photobombing in the middle; Koa on his last good walk to the park; Drew and Amy showcasing their culinary and pop culture skills; family at the MUNY to see "Into the Woods"; Noah facing the future with firm feline foundation.

Here’s our 2015 in a numeric nutshell, Twelve Days of Christmas style... 

12 - years of Denise being blessed as a Scout Leader, to witness the development of many fine young men.  With Noah’s tenure almost complete, will Denise continue? Hmm...

11.5 - years for Noah of public school.  On top of rigorous academics: soccer, French Club, tennis, debate, and of course, winter drum line team. Noah is applying to college, interested in majoring in engineering of the computer science and/or electrical variety.  

10 - a full decade of the best dog ever, Koa. In Hawaiian, it means “strong and brave” but anyone who met Koa knew him better as playful and friendly.  As a Whippet and Border Collie mix, he ran the fastest circles and was the best Frisbee dog we’ve ever known.  Rest in peace, Koa.

9 - days in southern California. It’s not the actual activities we’ll remember so much as visiting with relatives and friends.  Actually, we’ll remember the 14 hours at Disneyland because lots of relatives went, and of course, it’s Disneyland!

8 - guys in Noah’s Dungeons and Dragons group. A new hobby, Noah enjoys his role as Dungeon Master with his fertile imagination, and hosting most of the gatherings.  Our house may be just a tad quieter next year after he leaves for college.

7 - musical performances for Sherman in a fortnight to celebrate Advent and Christmas, with three different groups.  His resolution for next year?  Look at a monthly calendar view before confirming gigs.

6 - days for Noah and Sherman at the triennial national youth gathering with their church youth group in Detroit. It was Noah’s second trip, filled with community service, education, worship and fellowship. A new adventure this time around:  Sherman directed the teen praise band (for the Kansas-Missouri area), and Noah joined in on percussion.

5 - the number of person-hours logged in designing, baking and building the "Game of Thrones”-themed “Red Wedding” cake for Sherman’s birthday.  Cake created by Amy, sword rendered by Drew...

4 - … Drew, who on the Fourth of July, proposed to Amy!  We’re all ecstatic about this news, and marvelous pro-active people that they are, they’re planning on tying the knot the summer of 2017, after Amy completes a one-year internship program.  Amy and Drew will graduate in May 2016, and Drew will start working full-time at a mining company (where he’s interned for the past three summers) while Amy completes her studies.

3 - number of terms Denise just completed as the President of the St. Louis chapter of National Association of Professional Organizers. Similar to her Scout leadership role, Denise volunteers many hours to this organization (no pun intended), helping advance the vision of helping people overcome challenges, and gets as much in return as she gives.

2 - the number of "fine feline cats” (Patches and Cuddles) in our household, who fill the Koa void.  By the way, that’s Denise’s preferred wording, because their cat awesomeness is so great it requires the extra emphasis.  

1 - as in The One who we celebrate this time of year. The last of Sherman’s musical gigs was as accompanist for the Sunday School Christmas program. Normally Sherman runs the sound board, but with the passing of dear friend Mary (who played piano for these programs going back when Amy was little), there was cascading change of leadership for the program. We weren’t sure if it would come together for the big day, even though all the pieces were there. But the most important thing about the program comes during practice and absorbing the Word. And through all of that practice it was our faith in Christ that did gather our efforts to make everything click on the big day, with everyone reflecting the Christmas message embedded in their hearts and minds… 

Here’s to health, happiness and humor in 2016!

Sherman, Denise, Noah, Amy and Drew

Periodical-Lee 2014

Clockwise from top left: Noah, Amy and her boyfriend, Drew, on a video chat with Sherman's father, Al; Amy with dolphin in Cabo San Lucas; Noah being propelled by two dolphins; family shot on the Cabo vacation; Drew and Amy at Mt. Rushmore

Here’s our 2014 in a numeric nutshell, Twelve Days of Christmas style... 

12 – months per year we’re grateful for our family and friends. This wasn’t the easiest of years, but we get by with more than a little help from… well, all of you.

11 – number of players on Noah's soccer team.  He played “swing” meaning both Varsity and JV. He’s improved greatly and we’re hoping for even more playing time next year.

10 – percent of the year Sherman spent in New York. (See the entry for "5" below.)

9 – days in Cabo San Lucas on an extended family destination vacation. Beach life, playing with dolphins, oddly never seeing a peso and of course, family time highlighted this sojourn.  

8 – days Amy spent in Huancayo,Peru, focusing on health in underserved areas.  Peru made her realize that healthcare is a blessing and that she is profoundly grateful to have access to good healthcare in the States.

7 – days per week when Denise shares tips and insights on living a better life, on her business’s Facebook page (Clear Spaces, LLC).  Not sure where she finds the time to find such fascinating tidbits, but perhaps her secrets are to found in those tidbits.

6 – number of Denise’s Scout camping trips this year, which are definitely opportunities to confirm her organizational tidbits.

5  – weeks:  the length of time that Sherman spent in NY this year to help his dad, Al, recover from a minor stroke.  Al’s doing really well now but it was touch and go at first.  This year was a crash course for all of us on geriatric care, proper estate planning, the benefits of a good rehab program and the power of prayer.  On our 2014 card, what seems to be an odd picture of Noah, Amy and Drew staring at an iPad is actually a Thanksgiving video chat with Al.

4 – heads on Mt. Rushmore, one of the destinations on Amy’s vacation with her boyfriend Drew and his family. Next year Drew will join us on our family vacation in sunny southern California.

3 – for the bronze medal finish of the Brentwood HS Winter Drum Line. It was the best finish in many years for the young squad, and Noah is gunning for improvement next year!

2 – gigs at the St. Louis Art Museum for Na Mele Pumehana (the Hawaiian band Sherman plays in) as part of the Atua: Sacred Gods of Polynesia exhibit.  Hitting the big time…

1 – as played by our church’s worship band at the beginning of Advent, the song “Better Days”, by the Goo Goo Dolls:

        
And the one poor child who saved this world / and there’s ten million more who probably could / if we just stopped and said a prayer for them.

So take these words / and sing out loud / ‘cause everyone / is forgiven now / ‘Cause tonight’s the night the world begins again

Here’s to health, happiness and humor in 2015!

Sherman, Denise, Amy and Noah

Periodical-Lee 2013

Only one photo this year, of the entire family taken in August on Maui, where smiles are easy to come by...

Here’s our 2013 in a numeric nutshell, Twelve Days of Christmas style...

• 12 - Number of days on our summer vacation to Hawaii.  Denise, Sherman and Noah spent a few days on Oahu visiting Sherman’s relatives (not enough time!) and sightseeing (Pearl Harbor - always get choked up), and of course, local food!

• 11 - Number of players on the newly formed JV (Junior Varsity) soccer team (or any soccer team), and from that Noah got oodles more playing time than the previous year.

• 10 - Number of days Noah spent at the Philmont High Adventure Boy Scout Ranch.  Literally a mountaintop experience, and life-changing in ways that continue to pleasantly reveal themselves.

• 9 -  Combined total of bathrooms (four) and TVs (five) in Amy's college apartment of four suite mates. We’re all fairly certain that for the parents' generation that number was two, and for grandparents that would have been one.  

• 8 - Number of speaker presentations at the NAPO-St. Louis Organizing Expo in 2014.  (That’s National Association of Professional Organizers to the uninitiated.) At the 2014 event, Denise will be one of the two keynote speakers!

• 7 - Number of weeks Sherman spent doing part-time campaign work for Proposition K, a long overdue ballot to bolster the public school district’s finances. Although exhilarating, Sherman will probably retire from local politics to finish with a 1-0 record, following Tony La Russa’s lead of retiring while on top. 

• 6 - Number of performances of The Enchanted Island, a musical based on Shakespeare’s The Tempest for which Sherman was the accompanist. A great experience, Sherman got to work with folks of all ages and diverse backgrounds, and he got to use all his electronic/musical gadgets (including an electronic score with foot pedal for turning pages).

• 5 - Number of majors before Amy honed in on Dietetics. At one point she remarked “I should major in switching majors - I’m getting pretty good at it!”

• 4 - Number of radio shows Denise’s business had in 2013 on 1380 AM  in St. Louis. Look for episodes each month in 2014! (http://www.1380thewoman.com/Programming/LetsTalkShop.aspx)

• 3.14159… - the math/numbers geeks in us could never omit this from our list.  We celebrate Pi Day annually on March 14th, and look forward to 3.14.14 - the premiere of the Veronica Mars Movie!

• 3 - Number of generations, as of 2013, our family has in the Boy Scout’s Order of the Arrow, with Denise earning the honor as a Scout Leader.  This follows the lead of her father Phil when he was a boy and Noah in 2010.

• 2 - Number of Brentwood High School drum majors in our family as of 2013, with Noah stepping up to the role this autumn. We’re fairly confident that Amy and Noah are the first sister-brother combination to have done so, and almost certain they’re the first to have both ascended during their sophomore years.

• 1 - One big happy family gathering in Maui… after a few days on Oahu, Denise, Sherman and Noah headed to Maui, where Amy joined them and the rest of Sherman’s mother’s side of the family.  More relatives, surf, sun (maybe too much?!?), food and of course, shave ice!

Here’s to health and happiness in 2014!

Sherman, Denise, Amy and Noah

Periodical-Lee 2012

Pictures:  (top) At Amy's high school graduation; (bottom left) the first family portrait taken in 11 years; (bottom right) At Noah's middle school graduation, with Noah being sandwiched by Amy and her boyfriend Drew.

Go to the bottom of this post to see a couple of things I missed in the print edition...

There's an amazing calm this Boxing Day morning, with Amy off to her part-time job and Noah sleeping in (that's what teenage boys do so well), such that Denise and I have a quiet breather after the holiday rush. For the first time in several years we're not in southern California for the holidays and whereas we could use a bit of LA sunshine and warmth on this gray 30 degree day, it's nice to be in our own home for the holidays and attend Christmas services at our own church.  

Staying at home was a bid towards stability in a year of many changes.  Amy graduated from high school in May and went off to college in August to Missouri State University (formerly Southwest Missouri) in Springfield, about three hours southwest of St. Louis.  (Our family has become quite familiar with Springfield, the site of the statewide Winter Color Guard and Drum line competitions -- and Amy's team took first place this year!)  She has her own car now and comes home every month or so, or about as often as she's changed majors. To be fair, when the credits from her college-level classes taken during high school officially transferred to the university, she became a sophomore, and needed to declare a major sometime this year.  Given that her major is a moving target I won't list them all, but they are related to communications and health, and there's no doubt she'll do well whatever the major.

Noah also marked a milestone this year, finishing middle school within days of Amy's graduation, and then starting high school in the fall.  He's made a great transition into high school, really hitting the books a lot more than he did last year.  And the beginning of the year was tough for him as he juggled the increased studies, marching band, Boy Scouts and joining the varsity soccer team -- an organized sport he's never played before.  Perhaps all those activities forced him to manage his time better, but in any case, it's fun to watch him grow and develop. He's tackling bigger projects, like fundraising for next year's Boy Scout camping adventure in Philmont, New Mexico, but it's listening to his self-perceptions crystallize that are the most fun -- such as his recent Christmas tree-trimming comment "I'm 15.  Why am I having nostalgia?"

A lot of people have asked if the house is quieter with Amy gone, and actually it's not. For one thing, she's not around the house to remind Noah to turn down his video games. (It's still not clear if her reminders are actually quieter than the video game noise itself.) But the main thing is that Noah's life has changed so much in the last few months, just as Amy's has, that we can't really compare anything to a year ago.  The one thing that's evident (to us, if not to Noah), is that this is his time to be an only child.  Amy received full attention for her first four years, and now Noah gets full daily attention from us, for better or worse.  It is fun to attend all his soccer games and drive him around, savoring these moments as we know that an empty nest is just a few years away.

Not that Denise and I will have a lack of possible activities down the road, if this year is any indication.  In addition to building her business as a professional organizing consultant (www.clearspaces.org, http://www.facebook.com/ClearSpaces) and being a Boy Scout Troop leader, Denise just became president of the local chapter of her professional organization -- NAPO-St. Louis (National Association of Professional Organizers). She also just completed 18 months of coaching training, which is part of being certified as an ADD (attention deficit disorder) coach.  Somehow everything in our busy schedules manages to get to done, and that's all a tribute to her and her skills.

As for me, I stepped down from the library board in May after 10 years of service due to term limits, and then channeled that energy into our church's communications board. It's really a fun blend of writing and being creative, along with improving our application of technology in order to get the message out.  In a way it foreshadowed me changing jobs (in the same company - Wells Fargo Advisors), moving to a business unit that leverages my technical background but empowers me to more fully use my soft skills.  Although my new teammates made this an easy transition, I miss my old teammates and am still realizing that this is the first time in my professional career that I'm not in IT (Information Technology).

And I continue nurturing my musical creativity - with my Hawaiian band, our church's worship band, and the office chorus.  The office chorus had been in "merger-survival" mode (because of so much people turnover) for the last few years, but this year saw the beginnings of the transformation into a year-round group focused on extending the company's spirit of giving. In the mad dash of the holiday season, we almost didn't do our annual concert at a retirement community next door to the office because they had suffered a fire over the summer.  Their only common room was unavailable, and because of my focus on strategic development I didn't have the energy to brainstorm for other options.  But with new energy from our successful recruiting drive this year, new leadership stepped up and found a way to deliver a brief concert.  Right after the concert, we mingled with the crowd - of mostly retired educators -  and I heard how much they deeply appreciated it because the fire really had crimped their spirit this year and they really wanted something to brighten their season.  But the kicker came as we walked back to the office.  One of our new singers was weeping joys of happiness -- she had been talking to the retirement community's choir director, and realized that the director was her choral teacher in sixth grade!  The easy path would have been to cancel that appearance and yet through tenacity and optimism, a not-so-small reconnection was sparked...

And so wraps up a milestone-filled year, probably the biggest one since 1997/1998 (which held a six-month period of new baby and house and job).  Wishing you peace and joy in 2013!

Sherman, Denise, Amy and Noah

8772 Pine Ave - Brentwood MO - 63144

sherman.lee@usa.net

deniseblee@aol.com

For copies of previous family letters, go to http://marsifan.blogspot.com/, where I hope to build an online index of personal writing. 

You can find more frequent and sillier updates at http://facebook.com/sherman42

Addendum to the print edition (12/30/2012):

• I neglected to mention that Amy got a full scholarship at Missouri State University.  Because she can be so modest I didn't include it, but she earned that distinction and would like it included in the holiday letter -- thank goodness for being able to post corrections online.
• I completely forgot to mention that I celebrated my 50th birthday this year, with Denise providing the...  Best. Surprise Birthday Gift. Ever.  (Yes, that should be done in the Simpsons Comic Book Guy voice).  She flew out a college buddy, Bob Coker, for the weekend and we had a fabulous time with Bob at the City Museum - where imagination runs wild, and Amy and her boyfriend Drew returned home for the weekend as well. Whether we ran up all the playground slides I can't say, because the signage clearly states not to do so.  So I won't say...
• That I forgot to mention my 50th birthday is the result of either repressing the milestone, or a natural side-effect of the milestone.  Reader's choice here...