Highlights of 2025

JANUARY: Even if the final game didn't end as hoped, January brought a most exciting month of Notre Dame football. Teddy celebrated his second birthday with an intense present unwrapping.

FEBRUARY: A promotional Companion Pass afforded a two-night winter reprieve in Mexico. Katie served as lovely assistant to the resort's definitely-not-creepy-at-all house magician. Closer to home, someone was unimpressed by the latest fashion trend for those still struggling with potty training.

MARCH: Last year's March update featured a collage of water damage remediation. This year a sudden windstorm brought a toppled tower and heavy equipment.

April: The maniac finally settled down enough to try his first airplane ride. Also generally refusing to settle down is Kyle, who is on an absurd quest to set a personal record in all four road distances after age 40. (This is only possible because he never worked very hard at training in his 20s!) A cold marathon in Milwaukee checked one distance off the list.

MAY: In northern Indiana, there is a narrow window of time to remove pool covers: after the risk of water lines freezing but before things start growing. Apparently someone notifies the frogs if you are out of town for said narrow window.

JUNE: Loyal readers of these pages may recall Kyle's still-too-fresh disappointment over his cake plate being prematurely cleared from our wedding reception table. Katie provided him a moment of healing as we celebrated our ten-year(!?!) anniversary.

JULY: After several years of thinking our garden soil might be getting depleted, we procured three large (and incredibly heavy) bags of cow manure. Anyone need shredded zucchini?

AUGUST: We beat the August heat with a weekend in the Berkshires, where we took in two BSO concerts and returned to New England's most unusual AirBNB.

SEPTEMBER: Perhaps attributable to his penchant for eschewing the popular, Kyle has developed a light obsession with everyone's least favorite bird: Branta canadensis maxima. Each season, he befriends a few injured geese on the riverwalk and keeps tabs on their comings and goings. This year he also helped SAVE a goose. With assistance from a kindly chap located on Facebook -- who showed shockingly little hesitation at just straight-up barehanding a goose -- the tangled fishing line immobilizing this little guy was removed and he was quickly on his way.

OCTOBER: Because Teddy goes insane in the membrane every time he sees or hears a horse on television, we had some apprehension about taking him to Mackinac Island. He proved surprisingly tolerant of the environs.

NOVEMBER: We gave thanks, ate like gluttons, and celebrated our many blessings with family and friends.

DECEMBER: After sixteen years of dedicated service, Katie celebrated her final day at Morris Animal Hospital last week. In January she will start a new professional adventure with a local family office.