2024 Hogswatch Letter

 Happy Hogswatch to all family and friends!

First and foremost, I'm glad you're all still with us.  We lost two good friends this year - Brian Callaghan in the spring, and Jerry Abels in the fall.  Both left behind loving families who rightfully feel that they were taken too soon.  Celebrate your loved ones.

It's been a busy year, and there's a lot to catch up on.

Kyrie sold the Seward St. house, and we are officially done with it.  Now I just have a shipping/storage unit parked in my driveway, waiting to be emptied.  Why isn't that done yet?  Well...

This year, Cindi and I celebrated our first anniversary - both of them!  In September we finally took our honeymoon.  We booked a week-long cruise to Alaska.  Arthur, Anita, and the grandkids (A2+2) joined us, as well as
Cindi's best friend Romany.  Unfortunately Kyrie and Rick could not go.  I won an axe-throwing contest.  We didn't get to see the Northern Lights, so that's still on the bucket list.

In June we ordered some additional cabinets to be installed in the kitchen. When they called to say that the cabinets were ready for delivery, the date was -- are you ahead of me? -- September, during the cruise.  That had to be delayed, and they were finally delivered early in November.  The boxes sat in our living room until late November, and the installers found that 1) one of the units was broken (this was missed by the project manager), and 2) the house studs are 24 inches apart, requiring a brace -- and an additional charge. And they never ordered drawer pulls, so I had to take care of that.  As of this letter, the upper cabinets are still not done. At least we did not get any more pets in the walls (see below).

I narrated two audiobooks this year, and am working on another.  If interested, hit me up for a free coupon code.  Speaking of books, we've settled upon two regular book clubs - one for Mystery and one for Science Fiction/Fantasy.  

And of course we continue to game.  Arthur runs a weekly online game for family, and the two of us attend one weekly D&D game, one monthly, and we meet for tabletop games with the SF/F club once a month.

Now for pet news.  In May, we changed out the bathtub for a walk-in shower.  Unfortunately, the contractors left one section of drywall open overnight, and I forgot to shut the bathroom door.  As a result, three of the cats found the hole too tempting to not explore.  This wall opened into the garage ceiling, which also had a section open for this project.  Two cats, Fog and Eveson, apparently wandered all the way into the garage, and ran out when I returned from work and opened the door.  They have not returned.  The third cat, Peaches, remained in the ceiling for four days before I gave up on waiting and tore out an entire section of ceiling to retrieve her.  Earlier that same month, I lost another cat to kidney failure, so the loss of two more was rather difficult.  

The lone dog, Monroe, had several teeth extracted by the vet, leaving her nearly toothless.  She is still quite active despite her age.  Just a couple of weeks ago, we brought home another chihuaha - much younger and much quieter.  We call him Dean and have decided that it's worth the trouble to house-train him.  He leaves the cats alone, and they return the favor for the most part.  He doesn't even bark at the neighbor's dogs through the fence.

I forgot to prepare May baskets this year (given the above, I think I'll forgive myself), but we did distribute some candy-filled holiday mugs this month.  We set up for Halloween, but no younglings ventured out this way to take our bountiful candy and books.  Next year I'm putting us on the NextDoor Halloween map.

Now, off to mail these cards and prepare for the annual Hogswatch celebration.  Whatever holiday you celebrate, have a great one!

John & Cindi

2023 Hogswatch letter

 Season’s greetings, y’all!

2023:  Honestly never saw this year coming.

Cindi and John had planned to date a while, take some time off work to occasionally visit each other, and ultimately she would move to Omaha just before we married in October. Well, that didn’t happen. She was not allowed to take time off work – even unpaid – for even one extended weekend a month, so she gave notice and moved here in January. We found a house we like, and made our union official several months early, so that she had no gap in health insurance. We are mailing from the new address, so we hope you didn’t throw away the envelope. 

We still had our wedding on Halloween, with John’s son Arthur officiating, in our own backyard. A small gathering, but still quite a bit to get ready for. Halloween seems to be a “thing” for our family. Robin & John, Arthur & Anita, and Cindy & Randy were all married on Halloween.

And (a new) life goes on. We’ve joined a couple of book clubs – one for science fiction/fantasy, and one for mysteries. We’ve found a couple of local D&D games. And, of course, we’re “playing house” (as John calls it), learning how to be partners. It’s amazing to be friends for so long – since college. We were friends because we were so alike. To advance the relationship has been healing for us, following the loss of our spouses.

John participated in three separate shows at the Lofte theater – Doublewide, Texas, the Lofte Variety
Show, and A Doublewide, Texas Christmas. This is the first, and possibly only, Christmas show John will ever do.

John was also contracted to narrate an audiobook: Kingshire Falls, by Steve McElhenny. Soon after finishing that, he received another narration offer, with promises of sequels from both writers. Retirement (in 3 years!) may not involve door-greeting at Wal-Mart after all.

On that subject, Cindi is not officially retired, but has been taking the time to allow her knee and heel to heal. The gel and steroid shots seem promising, and we’ve found a fabulous orthopedic insole that completely alleviates the pain from her heel spur. Hey, we’re senior citizens now, so we’re allowed to talk about medical stuff. 

We attended Cindi’s hometown all class grade school reunion in Navarre KS, thrown because the building has been converted to a community center. Alumni from several decades attended. Cindi knew almost everyone; John knew no one, but everyone seemed nice and the food was good.

Cindi has enjoyed moving back to the midwest – after 40 years – and she is, shall we say, over-exuberant about snow (John hopes that wears off sooner than later). It’s strange living with someone that spent so much time in Phoenix. She wanted to turn the thermostat to 80 in the summer. She had to take light sweaters with her because AC was too low for her in most public places.

We placed a Little Free Library in front of our house, in honor of Robin. So far more people have left
books than taken them. 

We feel blessed this year, and wish all the blessings of the season to you, throughout the year to come. 

John & Cindi

2022 Hogswatch Letter

Dear friends and family,

I did not see this year coming.

Early in January I decided that it was time to get back into  theatre.  After a few auditions, I was cast in a minor role for “Harvey,” at the Lofte, and enjoyed it so much that I was back soon after, for the show “Remembering Carol Burnett.”   Re-discovering my place in this community was the best thing I could have done.  

I’ve also continued with my weekly Bedtime Reading livestream, picking up a few viewers.  I also have a number of new Librivox projects underway.  I’m hoping to eventually produce voice projects for pay.  To that end cleared out my “hobbit room” upstairs and converted it into a studio.  It’s amazing how quiet it is up there.

Still working at the railroad.  Less said about that, the better.  Four years to retirement; can’t come quickly enough.

Went on an Alaskan cruise with Arthur & Anita & grandkids.  Lucian performed at karaoke night for the first time, and he was great!  The kid’s coming out of his shell.  The cruise was not quite as healing as our previous one – we all caught Covid on the last day, delaying our trip home by at least an extra travel day.  A minor strain, fortunately, but it did ruin a 3-year record.  

One of my cats scared me this week by slipping outside & running off (R-U-N-N-O-F-T).  She was only gone a day before realizing that the cold wasn’t going to get any better out there, even with the home-made shelters that I’ve placed  under the porch.  It’s a good thing she came back on her own.  Apparently she’s sly enough to get food from a live trap without setting it off.

In October, I started seeing an old college friend, Cinthia Pitcher.  We quickly bonded over our shared experiences (including, sadly, the loss of a spouse).  Within the month, we were engaged, and we are now getting a new house together for when she moves to Omaha in 2023.  We are planning a wedding for next October.

So, by this time next year, I’ll be sending these from a new address.

Stay safe, everybody.

2021 Hogswatch Letter

 Greetings, friends and family.

This year was much like the last - not a lot got done, not a lot changed.

I auditioned for a few plays, but did not land any parts.  I did more recording for librivox.org, and have enjoyed it enough that I'm considering making voicework a side-hustle after retirement.  To that end, I'm clearing out the "hobbit room" upstairs and turning it into a studio.

If anyone is interested in looking up my work on librivox, the finished works that I've contributed to so far are "Black'erchief Dick," "T. Tembarom," and "Mary Ware's Promised Land."  I'll also keep a copy of any of my work on my media server, for those who have or want access to that.

I continue to livestream an hour of "bedtime reading" every week on Facebook.  I pick one of our family favorites and read from that.  At an hour a week, it will be a long while before I run out of things to read.  I save those files, too.

Arthur wrapped up the third "season" of his online game.  Kyrie has started up one of her own, giving him an extra-long break to set up the next twist in his campaign.  And I recently learned that my granddaughter wants to run a murder mystery game during the holiday visit.  I'll be playing the butler, so I think I'm in trouble.

This year, plants decided to grow in my yard.  Along the front walk, three mullien stalks sprang up, making it look as if I had planned it that way (I didn't).  And in the back, a pumpkin vine crawled out of one of the ash stumps, producing four pumpkins before frost took it.  One of these rotted away because I didn't know you were supposed to harvest them as soon as they turned orange, and two of them never did turn orange.  But one - the smallest - became the main flavor in a pumpkin cheesecake.  If it springs up again next year, I'll be ready.

Kyrie had quite a fright this year.  While taking a break from decorating her yard for Halloween, she heard a terrible crash outside: a drunk driver hitting first a power pole, then the fence in front of her house!  No one was hurt, not even the driver, but only minutes before several people were out in her yard, hanging decorations.  Insurance only recently paid on the damages; as of this letter the fence is still scrap in the yard.

We have started a monthly newsletter.  If this is something that interests you (and you're not already getting it), drop me a note.

Every week, I pick a box from storage and clear it out.  That means that, theoretically, I should have cleared out about fifty boxes from the basement last year.  It does not look as if I have done that.  I have a long way to go.

Plans for next year include joining Arthur as he picks up his RenFaire circuit again, provided the Omicron variant doesn't send us all back into lockdown.

Stay safe out there, folks.

John

2020 Hogswatch Letter

December, 2020

Greetings, friends and family.

For all that we have collectively faced this year, my own life has been comparatively uneventful.  My house is quiet, apart from the antics of too many cats, and I have done little to change it, or myself.  

Early in 2020, the BookMobile stopped running.  I took a long hard look at the value of the van, versus the cost of repairs, and sadly let it go, replacing it with a much smaller vehicle.  Kept the license plate, though. 

Last month, I had to remove another tree from the back yard, as it was beginning to drop branches so large that I could not move them by myself.  I felt that it was only a matter of time before one of those branches hit the house, the car, or a power line.

I'm still with the railroad, although I'm changing shifts again -- from second back to third.  This is partly to accommodate my need for a social life, and partly to escape from a horribly inept manager, about whom the less said, the better.  

My health remains good, which is about the best news anyone can report these days.  Being stuck at home has done nothing at all for my emotional recovery.  Often I feel as if I am simply going through the motions.  

For a while I was making regular visits with a good friend (Hi, Jerry).  The pandemic put that on indefinite haitus, seeing that both of us fall into "at risk" categories, and I'd much rather bank on more future visits.  I look forward to becoming more social, with an expanded group of people, once such things are possible again.  For now, I only see my daughter once a week, and my son's family on very rare occasions.  The kids and grandkids are my lifeline; they keep me sane.

Speaking of which, Arthur restarted his online game.  The family games have always been a core part of our togetherness, and it has been a great comfort to gather together in the spirit of adventure again, even if it does have to be in a virtual setting because of the distance involved.  

My original plans for the year were to re-integrate myself with the theatre community.  Those plans have been postponed to next year.  For now, I've been livestreaming a weekly book reading, from a list of family favorites, over FaceBook.  I've also started volunteering at LibriVox.org, honing my narrative and editing skills.  

I am working on a writing contract, and the other party has been very patient with me.  I hope to finish that obligation in the coming year.

My complete contact information was printed on the obverse.  It is available to those who answer me my questions three without falling into the pit of despair or the bog of stench.  

There it is, my Year of Maintenance.  I wish you all a warm and happy holiday season, and a year full of joy to follow.

 John L. Payton

(PS - I'll also post last year's letter, to keep them easily available)

2019 Hogswatch Letter

December, 2019

Dear friends and family,

2019 has been a rough year for the Payton clan.  After struggling with a recurring infection, Robin succumbed to congestive heart failure on July 5th.  For some reading, this is the first you're hearing of it, and I apologize for that.  Kyrie did the best she could to notify people, with very little help from me.  None of us are completely recovered.  

In a frantic burst of obsessive energy, I gathered what I could find of Robin's creative writing and had it published.  If you don't yet have a copy, please inform me of my oversight.  It was a promise I'd made, and I couldn't rest until it was fulfilled.

We hosted a dinner in October in her memory.  It reminded me of the dinner we held for our 30th anniversary, and I wish we could have repeated for our 40th.  I tried to speak with everyone, but know that I failed – I hope we get more chances.  Some people even brought owl-themed gifts, which made me cry.  Some of them are on my Christmas tree.  

In an eerie stroke of serendipity, the manager of the venue (the Starlight Chateau) wants to retire, and there is a possibility that Arthur will take over the business.  We've spent a few hours in meetings, and it's all very tentative.  Still, one can almost feel a bit of spiritual intervention in how this has come about.

I put the books out again this Halloween, as I will do every year.  There were more visitors this year than I can recall ever having before, and I was ill-prepared for them.  Later I learned that a nearby neighbor, who runs a daycare and a community garden, had sent them over.  Robin has made small donations to that garden.  I may never know how many lives she's influenced.  

Arthur and Anita took me along with them on their Disney cruise.  They'd planned it a year beforehand, and by the time we lost Robin, nothing was refundable, so instead they expanded the package.  We wanted Kyrie and Rick to come too, but they couldn't take the time off.  Overall, it was a healing experience, though I did think a lot about those not present.  I appreciated the time spent surrounded by family.  We visited three countries, and I left a Bookcrossing book in each one.  Ellie petted a sea turtle.  We nearly got eaten by mosquitoes at a Mayan ruin.  I bought some Jamaican rum, and some touristy junk.  I also spent quite a bit of time watching the ocean.  It reminded me of the time spent fishing off the docks at Rockaway.

As it turns out Kyrie might have had time to go, if she had known.  She changed jobs this year, and now works at Nebraska Medicine.  It was a good move, professionally speaking, and puts her in a position for advancement.  She and Rick are happy together, and would be happier still if they had similar schedules.  

Kyrie had some trouble with a neighbor who built a fence right up against her house.  We finally got them to move it, but they sure weren't happy about it.  The expensive lawyer we retained didn't do any of that; all it took was a land surveyor and a complaint to the zoning dept.

Arthur is still substitute teaching and working front desk at a local motel in Missouri, accumulating just enough hours that he can't be classified as full-time.  He couldn't perform the Renaissance Faire circuit as usual this year, due to helping out so much here, but I did get to see him in October.  Performed with him, actually.  I hope to do more of that.  

As for my own career, I'm one of the UP survivors.  Or perhaps the term “hostage” might fit better.  The company's version of “precision scheduled railroading” seems to mostly consist of doing the same work with a third of the workforce.  I'm working second shift, and will do so for one more year – just to minimize change.  There has been too much change in my life lately, and I need it to settle down.  After that year, though, I will move to another shift.  The reason is simple:  I can't let myself turn into a hermit.  If I have not become more social after a year, then I will have to force myself out of the house.

Early this year, I entered a writing contract to adapt a webcomic to novel form.  I finished four chapters before July.  Hopefully I can get back into a regular writing schedule before he gives up on me completely.

I have two more cats now, thanks to Kyrie.  She rescued a kitten this year, who turned out to be a mama.  Too young for the role, but she performed flawlessly.  The kittens I agreed to adopt are already bigger than the original.  Orange troublemakers.  I spoil them shamelessly.  

I opened this letter with the worst news, and I'm sorry if I rained on your holiday.  The fact is, I wish everyone unbounded joy, this and every year.  Hug your loved ones.  Take all the time off work that you can.  Make happy memories.

I love you all,

John