Jumble of News from Home

I just checked the on-line box score and my oldest daughter's college soccer team lost again today. Not a great season so far and it's almost over. I haven't talked to Lauren today, but she is a tough competitor, always fights to win, and won a lot of games from Junior High School through graduation. Defeat will give her a chance to learn the grace that only loss can teach, but I wish she were learning this grace another way.

My other two daughters were home last weekend, Iolanthe brought her boyfriend Devon to Lancaster and they went to the Renaissance Faire as did Lisa and her Mom. I am looking forward to going back next year. While they were home, Lisa and Iolanthe both tried to play a new drum riff that Nigel had learned. Neither could play it so Nigel demonstrated how to do it. He was happy to show them his new skill and they were very entertained by their brother and his increased ability.

My wife, Annalisa, is working with three different contractors to insulate the house and make it more energy efficient. It is a huge project and it should be completed by the holidays.

I am already making plans to go back to work. I am going to register soon for the AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science) annual meeting in February (President's Weekend) and will will travel to Orlando two weeks later for an instrumentation conference. I will go to Church in the morning with 75 people armed with automatic weapons so I am not home yet, but it is getting closer. New Years Day here, but most of the New Year in America.