December 2007
Seasons Greetings from Holly and Matt!

2007 was a year of stability for us. While we might wish for a little more excitement, we understand that that can just as easily present itself as a brain tumor as winning the lottery so we're very grateful for the stability we, and good fortune, have carved out.  So here, a little late, is the little that’s a little new with us.

We're both still very happy to have our research positions at UT, and our house and neighborhood still suit us really well.  We're still getting some fun exercise: Holly with belly dancing and Matt with squash twice a week.

We still live like hermits but are enriched by occasional visits with other humans, such as visits from Matt’s old friend Jim (games and tennis), our annual weekend visit from friends Rosie and Stan, visiting some of Matt's family in Carmel, the wedding of Holly's brother Paul, and, sadly, a memorial service for our friend Cynthia.

As for other notable events, we had a really relaxing slug vacation trip to Las Cruces, with lots of lying around, eating green chile, and visiting with friends Martha and Shaun.  There were two unrelated consulting gigs for Matt, both fun.  We’re both reading more for pleasure.  Holly took a yoga class this fall.  She also had two in-town spa days with friends Freida and Marion.  This year we saw our favorite musician, Richard Thompson, three times including a “perfect moment” in a mountain winery.  Holly's work involved new, fun collaborations with students as well as giving some new trainings, including incorporating comedy into stress management.  We also went to some conferences this year: Holly in New Orleans and San Antonio, Matt in Austin.  

After living here for nine years, our house could use some sprucing up, so we invested in a bit of landscaping and did some investigation into kitchen remodeling.  We’re still not sure if that’s the kind of excitement we want, so Holly continues to procrastinate on that one.  Oh, and as if that weren’t enough fun, we just completed our estate planning.  Should it come up in regular conversation, please unplug us when it's time – better yet, don't plug us in!  (Otherwise we’ll return as zombies and eat your brains.  Uh, I guess it shows that we just saw the movie “I Am Legend.”  (Matt got a kick out of seeing this remake of “The Last Man on Earth”, which made a big impression on him as a kid.))

On that cheery note, we wish you all the best in 2008!