"Tradition is meant to help us enjoy an important part of life without having to make it up all over again every time we do it."
--Joan Chittister from The Monastic Way--
Christmas Eve 2014
Dear Family and Friends,
Greetings from rainy Seattle. No white Christmas this year like 2008 when a glorious snowstorm hit several days before Santa's big adventure. That year I hauled in the newly-purchased tree with help from my neighbor and friend Val. The next day I hosted a caroling gathering at my home as the white stuff fell non-stop the entire afternoon and into the evening transforming my courtyard into a Winter Wonderland. Meggie, my beloved black and tan cock-a-poo, was still alive, adorned in a red plaid bow. Six dear friends--Tom, Jer, Ray, Val, and Lynelle--gathered round the piano to sing, and we cut out paper snowflakes to hang on the tree. One of my favorite Christmas memories--now six years past.
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| With good friend Kevin off the coast of Roatan, a snorkeling paradise, January 2014. |
2014 brought more blessings than I could have ever imagined. Last Christmas Day I flew to Florida with my friend Kevin to meet cousins on my father's side for a New Years' cruise in the Eastern Caribbean. We snorkeled in the famous emerald waters off the coast of Roatan, the largest of Honduras' Bay Islands. We sailed on to Belize for a zipline adventure followed by adventures with the dolphins in Costa del Maya, Mexico. Plenty of sunshine and family time, a wonderful way to usher in a New Year.
On the heels of that trip I resolved to return to one of my life loves: the theatre. I struck gold twice, first in January when I was cast in Checkoff in the Sun, an ensemble production in the 47-seat Eclectic, a black box theatre, on Capitol Hill where I live. I learned a lot about the playground of performance from my nine fellow co-stars while playing the dying heroine Victoria's husband Harvey, a middle-aged hippie computer geek.
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| The Spamalot Family Tree. I'm gracing the top with horns! |
In late July I auditioned again at Bainbridge Performing Arts, a community theatre a one half-hour ferry ride from downtown Seattle. This time I was cast in the light-hearted, ferociously-funny musical, Spamalot, based on the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
I've never experienced such physical demands on my body as I learned 5 different production numbers and spent the entire fall rehearsing for the show. One of a cast of 18, I held my own singing, dancing, and even parading around on stilts playing the Knight Who Says Ni. It was a grand time, and when it ended on Dec 21, I was grateful to have done the show and to be finished. I made some fine friendships in both productions and am looking forward to taking a rest during the first part of 2015.
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| Scaling the heights of The Enchantments July 5, 2014 |
While theatre dominated my attention this year, I also took time to venture into the great outdoors. Over the 4th of July holiday I joined a half dozen friends from my Outventures Seattle outdooring group to hike and camp for five days in the pristine wilderness area called The Enchantments. We encountered snow-capped mountains, billy goats, ice-crusted streams, and serenity par-excellance.
My physical endurance was tested while hiking up stone ridges and cliffs with a 33 pound pack on my back carrying only the essentials--food, water, tent, sleeping bag, and minimal clothes. We cooked our meals over a roaring campfire, bathed and swam in cold, crisp mountain waters, and by the end of the adventure I discovered a sense of self-reliance and confidence in the outdoors I hadn't possessed before the trip began. It was a sublime experience.
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| With family (Andy, Rebecca, Lindsay, and Lin Misencik) after Lake Erie Open Water Swim at GG9 in Cleveland, August 2014 |
In early August another adventure beckoned, this time to my hometown of Cleveland where I registered to participate in the international sports competition Gay Games IX. Nine other swimmers from my Masters swim group the Seattle Orcas joined me for a week of sporting and cultural events as Cleveland rolled out the red carpet for over 8,000 athletes from far (Russia, Australia, France, and England) and near (Cleveland-Akron).
During the Games I stayed in my beloved Lakewood with my mother's tennis friend Fay who lives on Clifton, 3 blocks from Lakewood Park, where I lifeguarded as a teenager. I made new friends from South Dakota, California, and other places, in addition to reuniting with old friends from my college and high school days. My family and friends came to watch me compete in an open-water swim in Lake Erie along the beautiful coast of Edgewater Park as the sun rose over Downtown Cleveland and at Busby Natatorium at Cleveland State University. I coined my homecoming visit back to Cleveland my Trip to Bountiful, a rich time full of discoveries and unexpected pleasures. I'd truly come full circle.
Other travels included a trip to San Diego over Labor Day weekend to visit my friend Bret and reconnect with my Seattle swim friend Kathleen. And to Portland to visit dear friend and India travel companion Jenny and reunite with friends Ed and Michelle from our India travels. Jenny and I hope to join them in Portugal in later 2015.
I also spent lots of time swimming and exploring life in Seattle with new friend Larry, whom I first
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| Summer reverie, Lar and Jack on my back deck, Aug 2014 |
Wishing you and yours the best holiday ever.
With Love,
Jack
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