During this holiday season, our thoughts turn to those who are near and dear to us, and make our lives so meaningful.  We are so thankful for you!  Our hope is that you have a joyful Christmas and a New Year full of good health, prosperity and happiness.

Well, it’s that time of the year again to tell our tale for 2004.  As I (Barry) compose this epistle,  Denise has just finished packing for our next vacation.  It is our fourth for this year.  We have been very fortunate, as we started the year out in the Western Caribbean and will end up the year in the Benelux Countries.  Quite a lot has happened.  Denise took a  leave of absence from Poway Unified to move to Malibu to cohabitate again with Barry.  Buddy (the dog) also made the move.

 Barry continues to work at Moorpark as their Community Development Director.  It will be three years in May, not a record yet, but it looks like he has found his place at last.  His involvement in Rotary continues to fill a lot the time left over after the night meetings for Moorpark.  The rest of the time is devoted to Denise, travel, and finishing the re-make of the mobile home.  The early part of the year was spent putting in closet organizers and moving things around in the mobile home in anticipation of Denise’s move in August.  A storage unit was also bought and assembled and now resides under the carport.  Moving, or having your mate move in is an organizing experience.  Barry spent a good deal of the first part of the year going through everything that he used in both Malibu and Poway sorting, categorizing and purging.

Denise is doing a little work for Cal State San Marcos and is networking for jobs in various areas of Southern California, as she is preparing to go back to school... again !  She will be doing teacher observations on Friday, December 10 in Temecula, only to drive back to Malibu so that she and Barry can leave from LAX to Amsterdam the following day.  Denise also sees the book club ladies and her folks in San Diego and has just joined the American Association of University Women up here.  She goes to Curves and edits vacation videos.

 Jon continues to work for his Uncle’s law firm as a computer technician, a job that he seems to enjoy. He still lives in LA but makes frequent trips to San Diego to visit with his friends. He and his friends had a premiere on Friday, August 13th at the San Diego Museum of Photographic Arts.  Over 150 friends and fans showed up to see a collection of Syndicate skits. It was quite successful and may eventually turn into something more than just good fun. The Syndicate Movies website was also launched in January of this year, and has been gaining momentum in terms of visitors. Syndicatemovies.com has an average of 770 unique visitors per month! Jon is attending Santa Monica's Academy of Art and Entertainment Technology, working toward a Multi-media certificate. He is in his “searching” stage and has not yet found a specific direction for a career, but he knows it will involve art. He is still living in LA, and not loving it, too much traffic and congestion.  

 Heather and Justin have a nice, but small apartment in and old Victorian in lively Midtown Sacramento.  Heather had planned to go into teaching, but was recruited by a previous employer into a marketing/web design/conference coordinator position for a environmental consultant firm.  She lives close enough to walk to work and loves it.  Justin is in school preparing for a career in radiology and sonography.  He is a fountain of anatomy and physiology facts and terms.  Somewhere between work and school he continues to sketch ceramic sculptures and dream of his own studio.  They continue to enjoy the great outdoors, eat healthy, and enjoy life with each other and their new kitten, Jackimo.  Ahhh, to be young again.

Bookmark and check back later to see Uncle Charlie's web page under development, ThunderHead Arts.

The feeling of friendship is like that of being comfortably filled with roast beef, love, like being enlivened with champagne.
~Samuel Johnson

Here's to wishing you a full and satisfying 2005!