Dear William,

July 28, 2009 Vacation day #2 On my to do list for this week to begin and maintain a journal that I am committed to regardless of the peaks and troughs that time allows. In preparation I have been especially interested in reading entries deposited in varies places, notebooks, napkins, etc. earlier that communicate the mundane daily events and hope to stick to that recipe. The actual accounting of time provides for memory maintenance and proper placing of things. Otherwise, I have always thought or debated what the goal of an exercise like this should be and having not too many important things to say I will stick to the mundane time keeping with respect to personal matters. Furthermore, I don't have a particular audience that I am shooting for so I will pick one and who better to write to or about than the particular growth and development of William Van Namen-chief cat annoyance officer. This is perhaps too harsh a title, although Marian wouldn't disagree, the better qu...

Ho Ho Hello, Wishing you and yours a Happy Christmas and healthy new year. We’re spending the day at home in Lewes with our most splendid tree, carefully prepared menu of culinary delights, and special guests. As the calendar comes to the end of a year marked by important national races with uncertain, destabilising outcomes here’s a roundup to bend your ear and provide some cheer. While prospects for 2017 aren’t exactly an empty canvas we can still paint what we like to make it beautiful so let’s do it. The year in a few words : Will, now 12, is back on the bottom of the pile in his first year of jacket, tie and carefully manicured hair secondary school. Highlights include a Distinction on his Grade 4 Cello exam, day out at Goodwood Festival of Speed and Mercedes driving experience for his birthday reaching a top speed of 35 mph and third gear. A Segway entered his life this summer and forever changed how he interacts with the outdoors. These days he prefers commun...

Hello and Happy Christmas, Writing to indulge you in our yearly happenings and sending our love to you and yours at this most celebratory time of year.  We're in Perth, Western Australia where the cloudless skies and cool refreshing water provide a welcome reprieve and beautifully relaxing end to a pretty good year.   On to the year in a few words: William, now 11, is in his last year of primary school! As such he wears many hats: car aficionado, conscientious school council member, music, table tennis and drama club participant and still reigning chief of the contagious laugh. He and Marian continue to make beautiful music with their cello’s passing grade 2 after just one year. We had a proud parental moment when he finished first in a solo competition and is now on to prep for grade 4 exam. Apparently my parental input consists of reminding him of Ned Flanders-an opening I have willingly exploited for maximum embarrassment with great pleasure. hahaha! This lette...

Ho HO Hello It’s that time of year again wishing you and your people a merry Christmas and all the best for a happy and healthy new year.  Here with some of our whereabouts and what not for the year.  Writing to you from Shipston on Stour, deep in the horsey heart of the Cotswolds, where the yellow Jurassic Limestone houses and classic country living make for a nice change from our busy Lewes lives. We’ve already taken in our pantomime, Beauty and the Beast, at the Oxford Playhouse, and Christmas Eve movie, The Hobbit, with the pleasure of being with some good people(+food) we're feeling pretty blessed. The Year in as few words as possible: Following on Marian and Rosie’s inspiration William, now 10, has picked up the cello.  With a great deal of support from his mom is now making some beautiful music that we’re always glad to hear. He’s pretty good and this activity looks to be sticking so we’re pleased for that and with group session, lessons and pending Gr...

Ho Ho Ho, Happy Christmas and so long 2013! Well, its that time of year again when its cold, days are short, the year is coming to a close and we seek the shelter, warmth and love of family and friends.  If you’re reading this we send big love, hugs, kisses and wishes that you find loads of Lindt balls in your stockings.  Writing this year from Lewes, for the first time, where we are spending our first Christmas at home with special guest, Oma, visiting enroute to Paris to celebrate a special birthday with Tante Willy and seeking respite from the deep midwestern chill-for 6 weeks anyway.   Before we start on the updates and other nonsense know this, apparently if you’re reading this before dinner on Christmas Day you’ve already eaten your daily calorie intake and will start the New Year some 6 lbs heavier, you pig!   Who cares? Not me, feast and watch football all day anyway but maybe take a walk as well, a nap if you can manage and your favourite C...

Greetings, Well, it’s that time of year again to travel near and far, give and receive thoughtfully planned & anticipated gifts, eat too much, watch Elf, take pause on what the year has wrought, possibly write it down and bother everyone you know with having to read it. This year we’ve traveled from Lewes to Mutley Farm outside Bridgnorth, Shropshire where the ground is saturated, the roads flooded, the smell of cows and their activities as close as they've ever been outdoors, the wifi nonexistent, 3G only available close to my corner of the bed(relief), the board games in ready supply and the isolation, beauty of the barren oak trees and rolling countryside terrific.   Our thoughts as always, go out to everyone we love but could not be near and hope that you ate half as good as I’ve done in the last week-in which case you’ve made out alright. I’m feeling marginally less like a stranger in a strange land these days, as much as that is possible...