THE END OF A DECADE

December 2019

Dear Family and Friends,

As I get ready to step into this new year, fueled by the gratitude reminder of Thanksgiving, and full of anticipation for holiday festivities yet to come,  I am reflecting and readying for the renewal that comes not only with the ending of this year, but with the ending of this decade.

Time is a powerful thing.

I’ve always found value in marking the chapters within it, giving me something tangible to revisit when I am seeking to remember...the good stuff, and the not-so-good stuff.

Ten years ago, at this very time, our family was weeks away from losing my brother, James, to cancer; a few months later we celebrated Austin as he graduated from UW LaCrosse ( and we became official ‘empty nesters’); seven years ago in September, we rejoiced at Molly and Lukas’ big, beautiful wedding in Chicago; five years ago in August, we partied on a pontoon boat in the middle of Presque Isle Lake as Kristin and Michael said, ‘I do’; also five years ago in October, after a long illness, we lost my Step-Mother, Janet; four years ago in July, we welcomed Tasso Thomas Yant into the world and our lives were forever changed as Tom and I became grandparents for the first time; two years ago, we welcomed our second grandson, little Leo James Yant into our family; twenty months ago we cheered when sweet Tommy Boyd Gannon-2, our third grandson, joined the crew; a little over one year ago on Thanksgiving, we cried (tears of joy) when Britt and Chad told us they went to the Dane County Courthouse and secretly became Mr. and Mrs. Peak; and just a couple months ago, we mourned when Phoebe lost her lovely Mom so unexpectedly.

Looking back over the memories of this past decade, I could never have predicted all the blessings that have unfolded for me. And, looking ahead, I have no idea what the next ten years will bring. But, what I have learned is that my job is to just show up. Fully. Completely. With my whole heart.

I wish you all the very best in 2020 and beyond.
Love, Linda 

HELLO 2019

“The New Year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written...”

2018 was a very good year for my family.

We are ending this year with everyone in good health-although my Mom had some AFib issues this fall. But, she will be eighty-seven in a few months and Dad will turn eighty-six, so I guess a few  issues now and then are to be expected.  I feel very blessed to still have them both in my life.

All my kids are gainfully employed! Brittany is working for Strand Engineering, and Chad at FastSigns; Kristin is teaching Art to middle schoolers in Milton, and Michael started a new job managing the restaurants/food services on the Madison campus of the University of Wisconsin; Molly remains at Plan B Advertising in downtown Chicago, and Lukas recently began a new job with AbbVie; Austin continues to build his Real Estate business, and is beginning the process of also taking over Gannon Construction, while Phoebe works for Sedgwick CMS.

Tom is easing into retirement. Although he still goes into the office most everyday, he is there mostly because it is routine. (Don’t tell him I said that). He usually manages to head north to the cabin about mid week, however.

I am still creating funky fiber art Spirit Dolls, (with Kristin's help), although at a much more relaxed pace. I am selling them in our Etsy store, rhinestonegypsy.etsy.com 

Tom and I managed to take a lovely little winter trip to Venice Beach, Florida, last February. On February 14th, we fortuitously wandered onto the beach at sunset, and happened upon the annual Valentine's 'Wedding Vow Renewal' Ceremony! There were over 100 people participating, dressed in all kinds of wild attire-hippies galore! So, we joined them and renewed our vows as the sun was setting and 70's music played in the background! Big fun!  We also took a cross country road trip to Colorado in September for Austin’s best friend’s wedding in Breckinridge. (I've always referred to Nick as my second son). I love the mountains and adored absolutely everything about Breckinridge! And, we survived the long car ride still liking each other (mostly) too!

Tom and I spent a lot of time at the cabin this year, often with family and friends, showing off our north woods paradise. It never gets old.

At our Thanksgiving gathering, Britt and Chad surprised (and shocked) us all with the announcement that they went and got married! Everyone is thrilled, of course!

And, last but not least, we welcomed two new babies into our family this year! Leonides James Yant was born in January, and Thomas Boyd Gannon II arrived early in May!

Oh, how we love our three little grand boys!

We certainly had a big year. A year to celebrate.
And, today, we embrace a new year. With it comes new challenges, new opportunities, new blessings, new adventures, and new memories to be made. 

In the words of Neil Gaiman, "May the coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness.  I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art...write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And, I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself."

Happy New Year!

GANNON FAMILY BLESSINGS 2014

Recently I ran into a friend who was lamenting that she missed the old days when Christmas was celebrated simply with family, food, and a Christmas candle in the window. The current commercialism clutters her Christmas experience. I had to admit that I love the holiday glitz. I love the lights, the trees, the decorations, the cards, the parties….and even the presents. For me, the dazzling lights and decadent decorations create an atmosphere of something special to come. They form a backdrop for an experience of remembering—remembering our blessings, remembering that there is value in this crazy life as long as we cling to love, remembering that there is always hope no matter how bad things seem, remembering the little boy who was born in a stable so far from home—the same little boy who grew into a man who taught the world to welcome strangers, include the marginalized, liberate the oppressed, feed the hungry, comfort those who mourn.

Christmas is the road we follow back home every year. It is the place we stop to remember the good things when time circles around us….

Tom and I know we have many good things to be grateful for this Christmas.

Our children are all happy and healthy. Brittany began a new marketing job at Strand Engineering, and Chad continues to hone his creative skills at FastSigns. They are avid bikers and are enjoying exploring Wisconsin’s many trails.

Kristin and Michael had a year full of beginnings. Kristin took a new teaching job at Milton Middle School, and Michael as a manager at the new Doolittle’s Woodfire Grill.  This spring they moved  into a new home in Mc Farland, and, shortly after, got a puppy!  And, on an exquisite afternoon in August, in a magical little ceremony on Presque Isle Lake, they got married!

Molly and Lukas continue to work in advertising/marketing in downtown Chicago. They undertook quite an extensive kitchen/bathroom remodeling project this past year, and just a few days ago, announced that this coming year they will undertake another big project: they are pregnant! Baby Yant is due in July!

Austin is still working with Tom, focusing on real estate, but, also getting his feet wet in the construction business.  This summer Austin built his first Gannon home. (It’s beautiful). And, as Tom begins to close out his career, this fall he built his last Gannon home.

I am also happy to report that both my Mom and Dad, who are in their 80’s, are well and active. But, I am sad to say that after a long illness, my Step-Mom lost her battle.  She passed on in October.

This year brought Tom and I a bit more leisure time as we contemplate retirement…and with it more opportunities to travel . In February we took a break from winter in beautiful Naples, Florida. In October we traveled to sunny Tucson for our nephew Jamison’s wedding. We also celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary that weekend—what fun it was to celebrate with our large extended Gannon family. We plan to continue the celebration into the new year with a few more get-a-ways to warmer climes.

Good health, a home, family, meaningful work, finding joy in everyday life…these are the real gifts of Christmas, and I do agree with my girlfriend that they need no wrapping or ribbons.

So, dear family and friends, my Christmas wish for you is that your new year be filled with these simple blessings. And…maybe just a little glitter, too!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

"Begin, be bold, and venture to be wise".
-Horace

We are starting the new year with frigid cold temps, a foot of fresh snowfall, a fire in the hearth, books to read piled high, and so many dreams.  Looking at 2014 is like looking at the pristine field of snow outside my window...perfect and unblemished and filled with potential. Tomorrow I start across it.

I am always so full of excitement on January 1st. I never know what a new year will bring, what blessings, triumphs, or losses. But, I do know how very fortunate I am, and I know that each blessing or loss brings growth to my life.

Let the adventures begin!

IT WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR

December 25, 2013

‘Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but, the fire is so delightful,

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow…”

It is a blustery cold day in Wisconsin, but I am cozy and warm tucked in next to a roaring fire, sipping spiced cider while the heady scents of balsam and the soothing sounds of ‘A Celtic Christmas’ fill the house. What’s not to like about winter?!

Life has given The Gannon Family many joyous moments this year, and I am grateful.  In early fall, both Brittany and Chad found new jobs in Madison. Chad is putting his artistic skills to use at Fast Signs, and Brittany took a Marketing job downtown. And, although they originally moved into their McFarland condo as a temporary situation, and often talk of moving to Madison, I will enjoy having them close as long as possible.

Kristin began her eleventh year of teaching Art this year when she returned to Beaver Dam Middle School. She truly ‘gets’ those 6th, 7^th, and 8^th graders (and I’ll bet the feeling is mutual!) Michael is the Bar Manager at one of our favorite restaurants, ‘1855’ in Cottage Grove. The real fireworks in Kristin and Michael’s year of course, happened over the July 4^th weekend. Romanced by beautiful Presque Isle Lake in northern Wisconsin, Michael proposed! They plan to have their wedding ceremony on the lake this coming summer.

Our Chi Town contingent also had a momentous year. In September Molly and Lukas bought their first home and moved from bustling downtown Chicago to the quiet suburbs of La Grange Park. Although it has been quite a change, they are already adapting to suburbia! Molly continues to work as an Account Manager at Plan B Advertising, and Lukas is a Program Manager at HIMSS.

Austin has had another lucrative year selling Real Estate for The Gannon Company. Multi-family housing continues to be popular here in McFarland, and condo/duplex construction, sales, and rentals have kept both Austin and Tom quite busy. Austin also bought some land and is looking forward to building his own home next spring.

After many years of creating and selling my artwork, I decided I needed a change and closed my little business, Rhinestone Gypsy. I am not sure what I will do next, but I know it will include fun and whimsy!

Tom and I took a short trip to Charleston, South Carolina in February. We loved the quaint cobblestone streets, the gorgeous old architecture, the many art galleries and museums, and of course, the decadent culinary delights of the south!

In September we enjoyed a little getaway to sunny San Diego for our niece, Kendall’s wedding. She and Chris were married in a charming outdoor setting nestled in the mountains of lovely Rancho Santa Fe. Tom’s seven sisters and spouses were all able to make the trip to California as well, so besides wedding fun; we enjoyed a special Gannon Sibling Reunion.

In early October Tom went on a ten-day moose/bear hunt in the rugged, remote backwoods of British Columbia. He didn’t bring any moose or bear home, but he did bring back some breathtaking photos! What a gorgeous area of the country.

And so, as the year circles around again and we approach this season of giving, my heartfelt wish for you is, as always, for a new year abundant with rich and rare moments spent with those you love.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

HAPPY EARTH DAY

Let us bless
The imagination of the Earth,
That knew early the patience
To harness the mind of time,
Waited for the seas to warm,
Ready to welcome the emergence
Of things dreaming of voyaging
Among the stillness of land.

And how light knew to nurse
The growth until the face of the Earth
Brightened beneath a vision of color.

When the ages of ice came
And sealed the Earth inside
An endless coma of cold,
The heart of the Earth held hope,
Storing fragments of memory,
Ready for the return of the sun.

Let us thank the Earth
That offers ground for home
And holds our feet firm
To walk in space open
To infinite galaxies.

Let us salute the silence
And certainty of mountains:
Their sublime stillness,
Their dream-filled hearts.

The wonder of a garden
Trusting the first warmth of spring
Until its black infinity of cells
Becomes charged with dream;
Then the silent, slow nurture
Of the seed's self, coaxing it
To trust the act of death.

The humility of the Earth
That transfigures all
That has fallen
Of outlived growth.

The kindness of the Earth,
Opening to receive
Our worn forms
Into the final stillness.

Let us ask forgiveness of the Earth
For all our sins against her:
For our violence and poisonings
Of her beauty.

Let us remember within us
The ancient clay,
Holding the memory of seasons,
The passion of the wind,
The fluency of water,
The warmth of fire,
The quiver-touch of the sun
And shadowed sureness of the moon.

That we may awaken,
To live to the full
The dream of the Earth
Who chose us to emerge
And incarnate its hidden night
In mind, spirit, and light.


-- from To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings, by John O'Donohue

DOLLS of SPIRIT EMPOWERING WOMEN of EARTH

Kristin and I are making something new: enchanted Gypsy/Spirit Art Dolls! Each is a one-of-a-kind, collectible, made from our stash of scavenged textile scraps, furs, jewels, charms, buttons, beads, feathers, twigs and stones. Kristin sculpts their faces from polymer clay, then paints them with acrylic paints.

Our affinity for the ancient Celts, Faeries, and Gypsies-all who practiced living in harmony with nature- inspired the creation of our fanciful new dolls. They are a glamorously eccentric mesh of colorful Gypsy, eco-Hippie, and mythical Faerie/Goddess.

I am giving our dolls a test run this weekend at the fabulous Holiday WEARABLE ART SHOW in Wisconsin Rapids. The show this year will be held on Friday (9am-6pm) and Saturday (9am-2pm) at The Golden Eagle Log Home Model, 4421 Plover Road (Hwy. 54 East), Wisconsin Rapids.  

TURKEY SERVED WITH A HEAP OF LOVE

I was young when I cooked my first turkey dinner-newly married and just a few months into my first teaching job. I had a class of seven severely mentally and physically handicapped, non-ambulatory, teenaged boys who had lived their entire lives at the residential treatment facility where I was working. I loved those boys. In a very short time, they had become more then my students. They had become my family.

I knew that they had never had a home cooked Thanksgiving dinner, so I decided I would cook my first turkey, complete with all the trimmings, for my boys.

I spent the entire day before Thanksgiving in the center’s kitchen cooking and baking. I had hauled in all my own pots, pans, utensils, foods, and spices with me that morning. Since I was on the clock and couldn’t leave, I had to carry on when I discovered I had forgotten several important ingredients (like eggs for the pumpkin pie, marshmallows for the baked yams, and sage for the stuffing). And, when I went to wash the turkey, I found the neck in its cavity and I had no idea what it was, and I did NOT want to touch it! (Like I said, I was young). SO, I wrapped my hand in a towel and shoved that disgusting body part back into the bird!  I found out later that I had also cooked the bag of giblets inside the turkey!

To make a long story short, the dinner was not very good and I was feeling a bit embarrassed as I served it. I had invited my husband, my sister, several aides and the center’s Director to join us with promises of a gourmet meal.  It is an understatement to say 'gourmet' it was not. But, my boys loved it! They gobbled it down with gusto, grinning all the while. They clapped and they cheered. They ate every last bite.  My boys thought it was the finest meal that they'd ever eaten and that I was the world's greatest chef.

Since that Thanksgiving dinner 38 years ago, I have learned to cook, and, Thanksgiving dinner has become my favorite and finest meal to prepare. My children all come home and we share a royal feast.

And, every year, the day before Thanksgiving as I begin the cooking and baking...I think about my first Thanksgiving at CWC and the lesson I learned that day: When you prepare food with joy for the people you love, LOVE permeates the food. And, in the end.....isn't love really all you need?