Merry Christmas 2012 Greetings Cummins friends!

We apologize for missing the annual letter for the last 2 years.  We were in prison. Having secured early release, we’ve rejoined suburbia and the delights that it has to offer, namely Frappucinos, Costco, and overscheduled children.

Patrick is 10 ½. He’s about 6 feet tall based on appetite.  He might be shorter, but it’s difficult to get an accurate measurement because he is constantly moving.  He likes anything that involves a team and competition – soccer, baseball, basketball, etc.   Thankfully we don’t have a gladiatorial league in town. We’ve recently learned that he has a serious allergy about which we must be diligent.  Apparently, brushing his teeth and making his bed could cause him great harm.  Luckily he rarely does either so thus far we’ve been spared a reaction.  He is an accomplished violinist with sophisticated musical taste and his rendition of ‘Moves Like Jagger’ could rival Yo Yo Ma.  I think Yo Yo Ma is actually a cellist, in which case Patrick can play Moves Like Jagger on the violin even BETTER than Yo Yo Ma, and hey, that’s saying something.

Maggie is 12 ½.  She has mastered a second language. It’s called ‘Tween.’  This means she speaks, like, very quickly?  And ends every sentence as if it were a question? And, like, is totally freaking out? JK!  She has also become a virtuoso on the cell phone and on a regular basis introduces me to useful apps that boost productivity, like Fruit Ninja.  When not doing homework or playing field hockey and basketball you will find Maggie at a local farm that hosts goats, sheep, rabbits, chickens, vegetables and mud. She is an apprentice there, weeding, feeding, working as a Buddy for special needs children, and dragging yards of dirt home to our living room.  There is utility to her trail of squalor.  We can easily find her and isn’t that the key to good parenting?  It’s 9 PM – do you know where you children are? Yes! I simply follow the breadcrumbs of sloth to find Maggie crafting on the couch in front of HGTV.

Tim’s collection of super manly tools grew last year with the addition of the Jesus Christ There’s 8 Inches of Water in the Basement Generator, inspired by Hurricane Irene and the sump pump failure.   It did us proud this year during Sandy.   Most of the woodland critters in Wilton are now deaf but I am pleased to say that the basement remains bone dry.  He continues his quest to reshape the world of outdoor advertising and remains a Mets fan despite continual signs from God to give up that ghost.   Currently his primary role is shepherding Patrick through his formative sports years.  Together he and P are the dynamic duo of statistics- Rain Men of the turf, if you will.

Dewey remains a faithful and noble hound. He eats squirrel poop.

As you can probably tell, I’ve completely lost my sense of humor.  This is what comes of working in insurance. In my dreams I am tirelessly championing the poor and disenfranchised but my waking hours are spent hocking umbrella liability protection.  Surely this will make a great epitaph.

Our weekends are spent mostly on the sidelines. T here we have discovered a wide range of species, anywhere from the screaming she-banshee to the Great Santini.  I began myself classified somewhere near the she-banshee but now I sit and knit quietly in order to avoid arrest.

With 2012 nearly in the books we yet again count our blessings, with you among them. I t has been a tragic year for so many. W e are reminded that what matters most is health and peace and friends.   It’s in the little things that we continue to find the greatest joy – the excitement of a lost tooth, the warmth of a hug, the delight of witty repartee.  Miracles can and will continue to occur even in the darkest of times, and we can prove it.  The male hamster we’re babysitting just had a litter of six.

We hope that laughter, joy and peace will be yours in 2013.

 Hugs from all the Cummins.

New Year's Ease

Happy New Year!

It is time for the time-honored tradition of New Year's Resolutions.  

What I like about New Year's Resolutions is that they are rooted in optimism. Generally speaking no one ever resolves to gain weight, spend less time with their children, or  spend more than they earn (unless they are the government.)

Last year, I gave up red meat. This was not based on ethical grounds and was frankly a bit of a lark.  But having eschewed burgers for an entire year, I miss my perch at the top of the food chain.  It's an easy way to feel superior to something, and as my other accolades are minimal, I have to take what I can get.

So, I find myself in need of a new resolution. 

I like the thought of taking it easer, but that's a bit vague in terms of action items and measurable metrics.  It occurs to me that if I'm using the words "action items" and "measurable metrics" I should probably resolve to get out more.

Taking it easier implies a messier house.  I suppose I could learn to live with that.  The dust bunnies will give me hives but I will be able to finally appreciate who these Kardashians are and just what makes them tic. Perhaps I could look to them for marital advice.

I'm not sure just how "taking it easier" would work at the office:

Me:  "I'm trying to 'take it easy' and just simplify.  My 40's are proving more complicated than I anticipated.  I'm aching for work-life balance so I won't be able to get you those first quarter numbers until mid-June."

Bossman:  "You're fired." 

So much for easing down the road.  On second thought, It could be amusing is to be a pescatarian for a year.  It sounds exotic, but not threatening, and I bet there are about 50 interesting things you can do with a can of tuna.


tlc