Christmas Day 2021

 Christmas Day was a low key affair.  We didn't buy much of anything (as usual).  Ben had brought some gifts back from Spain

Maggie was unimpressed with the magnetic Spanish word game until I pointed out that she could just do English words (that did NOT impress Ben!!!)

Ben brought us all ducks from the Madrid Duck Store

I made tamales for Christmas dinner.  We had dinner at Ben's since we have no family room furniture right now

It was a pretty good Christmas Day

Christmas Eve 2021

Ben got back from Madrid yesterday.  He got stuck in London for 24 hours as he missed his connection, due (mostly) to Covid precautions at the airport.  He came over first thing in the morning, It's like he's never been away

  

Ben had his phone stolen while he was in Madrid, so he got a replacement for Christmas

It was a nice afternoon, so we went for a walk in Forest Park

Great picture of Ben and Maggie

Sam and Maggie

Portrait mode on Ben's new phone!!!!

My phone takes pretty good photos too!!!!

Christmas decorating

I had to decorate two abodes this year.  We have been looking after Ben's condo as well as our house for the past few months.  I got some of the Jim Shore decorations out and did the mantel, plus added the stockings.  I don't think I even did this last year.

Sam and Maggie found a great tree at Lowe's this year.  I'm so close to getting an artificial one as I'm getting tired of real trees that shed needles everywhere and aren't that great for hanging ornaments

Cleo decided she was going to sleep under the tree!!!!

Just an excuse for another fern.....

I got a little tree topper tree for Ben

I got a centerpiece for Ben's table

Thanksgiving trip to Little Rock

Sam, Maggie and I drove down to Little Rock for Thanksgiving.  I hadn't seen Milly and Rich for 2 years-Covid again.  We had a nice relaxing time, didn't go anywhere just in case.  I made all of the Thanksgiving dinner (including turkey) and took it all with us.  It really did make it an easy trip

Sam's Thanksgiving dinner plate

We went for a walk down by the river, it was a beautiful day

Maggie posing on the hay bale

I love these trees

Ben goes to Lithuania

Ben and Greta had been planning on seeing each other ever since he decided to go to Spain.  He went to see her for 4 days.  I think he was a bit shocked at the cold after being in Madrid!!!!!

He says he's a fan of the "pink soup"!!!!

Ben got to meet Greta's mum

Ben and Greta

Halloween trip to MBG

Arline and I went to MBG to see if we could find any Fall color.  It has been distinctly absent this year and we really didn't find much, even in the Japanese Garden.  We did go in the Climatron for a change as it wasn't that warm.  We can always find something flowering in there

I really love ferns and seem to be accumulating quite a few at home these days, these are lovely and I'm sure loving the humidity

They moved the Chihuly into the Climatron while they are working on the new entrance-I don't know if this is its new home permanently or whether it'll get moved again once construction is complete

We found Groot asleep in the Children's Garden!!!

This was the best I could do with Fall color!!!

My first trip out of St Louis

Sam and I went to a winery with some of my colleagues from SLU.  Chris had bid on a package to benefit the Health Resource Center and she invited us to go.  I told Sam this was the first time I had been outside St Louis in almost 2 years.  Covid has made my life very small......
 

Moving on to another Dean

 

Since I have been in Faculty Affairs, I have been through 3 Deans.  It can be exhausting trying to work with yet another leader, but I seem to be getting the hang of it!  Since I have been at SLU, I have had 5 deans (4 of them pictured here without the "dean who must not be named")

Our current Dean stepped down due to illness and we had a portrait unveiling ceremony last week.  Details were in our SLU newsletter today.

Colleagues and friends from the School of Medicine, SLUCare, SSM Health and across the University joined together Friday, Oct. 22, to celebrate the medical and administrative career of Robert Wilmott, M.D. Wilmott is the former dean of the School of Medicine and Vice President for Medical Affairs. He also served as the chair of the Pediatrics department for 17 years.

Wilmott was appointed dean and vice president for medical affairs in January 2019, during what several speakers noted was a trying time for the school and SLUCare. He was lauded for the positive changes that happened under his leadership.  “Bob’s mark on the University, on this School of Medicine, on our leadership team, will be long lasting,” said University President Fred P. Pestello, Ph.D. “He shifted the trajectory of the school.”

In his remarks, Wilmott gave special thanks to his wife of 40 years, Cathy, and his four daughters, who along with his colleagues have made his time at SLU special. “I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to lead the School of Medicine for the last three years. I could never have been successful without the strong support of all of you,” Wilmott said.

Ben goes to Barcelona

Ben went to Barcelona for 4 days with a bunch of girls from the SLU campus.  He sent me a bunch of Glamour Shots!!!!!

Plus a couple of touristy pics of them all together!!!!

 

I moved offices (again)

I have been trying to get a new carpet in my office since October 2020 as it has been flooded several times and now has a permanent water margin!!!  I have also started having a lot of throat and breathing problems and I'm convinced it's mold in the carpet.  After a year, they are finally coming to replace the carpet.  However, I am now going to move my office into the room next door because we need more space (so Andy has an office that is a little more private and we can accommodate our new helper Aaron who will be starting soon).  So, once again, I have packed up all my stuff and am on the move.

All my files are now dumped in the lab until my furniture gets moved

I've been moving furniture around to try to find the best configuration for my left handedness

My running medals are up, so I guess I'm home!!!!