Hello From Sunny Woodstock
Friday, December 7, 2001 -- 10:20:19
Posted by Bar


Just a quick message to let you know how Forrest is.  He's doing GREAT!  No
exaggeration.  No lie.  No pulling your leg!  I would go so far as to say he
has never been better.  He's full of energy and fun and life and love and
he's really a treat to be around.  He Fills my heart with hope and love and
fun and life and love.  He truly does reassure me about pretty much
everything.  And as a said to a friend this morning, we're in line for a
miracle just like everyone else and there's no reason we can't keep
experiencing the one we're in right now.  Have a wonderful holiday season.
It's warm here and I like it.

Much love, Bar

PS I feel as though I want to send each of you a picture of Forrest to put
on your fridge since it's Christmas and all.  If you would like one, send me
your address or send me an envelope addressed already and I'll send you a
pic.  Our address is:

   95 West Saugerties-Woodstock Road
   Woodstock, NY 12498

I think of you all as family in a way and yet I don't even know who many of
you are.  I wish I did........  b

I'm in Philadelphia. Where are you?
Tuesday, December 18, 2001 -- 11:41am
Posted by Bar


Hi Everybody,

Peter, Forrest and I are in Philadelphia again doing some Christmas stuff
with Peter's family.  It's cold and rainy and Christmas music is playing in
the background.  I'm sick.  I'm going to the doctor to check out what's
going on with my throat.  It's been sore for too many days, and of course I
MUST have cancer.  That's where my thoughts go when something's bothering my
body.  I wonder if I were to be diagnosed with cancer whether I could be as
courageous as Forrest has been; whether I could do treatments without
complaining or whether I would not do any and just give up.  I'm not the
strong type when I'm sick.  I'm the type who feels sorry for herself and
makes people around me miserable because of my misery.  It's not a trait
that I am proud of.  Anyway, I'm sure that I'm fine.  But it's time to find
out why my throat is burning.  I'll know soon, I hope.

We've been so busy with holiday stuff, and Forrest is doing so well that I
almost forget to let you know what's going on.  He was asked to be in a
photo shoot with Ronald McDonald for the annual fund raising campaign for
Ronald McDonald House last week . It was SOOOO cute.  He was dressed up as
the scarecrow while the rest of the kids were the tinman, lion and Dorothy.
They did really well and I think the posters will be finished within the
next couple of months.  Keep an eye out those of you in the northeast.
Better yet, make a donation to the Ronald McDonald House in your area.  It's
a wonderful and incredibly important thing for those of us who use them.


Click on photo to see photos of Forrest taken
 
for the Ronald McDonald House Charities annual
 
fund-raising campaign.

We also went to a retirement home with Forrest's school buddies and did a
holiday show for them.  Very sweet.  We met a woman named Mary who is 107.
WOW.  After the retirement home we spent an hour or so at a gymnastics
center and Forrest LOVED it.  He jumped all over the place with his pals and
they all squealed with delight and volume.

I could go on and on.  Mostly I wanted to let you know that life is full and
happy for us.  On the way to a friend's the other night, I had such a moment
of bliss and gratitude that I cried as I drove.  Something about how things
are with us is so miraculous and wonderful that I was completely
overwhelmed.  I was told later that day by another friend that she had never
seen me so calm, and I was grateful for her observation.

My in-laws just arrived.  I should go.  Have a wonderful holiday everybody.

Much love to you all,
Bar

Merry Christmas
Monday, 24, December, 2001 -- 11:21am
Posted by Bar


It's the night before Christmas Eve. Forrest is sound asleep.
Peter is putting the finishing touches on the baseball bat he
that he made for Forrest. I'm enjoying the quiet and the lack of
worry I feel about all of the things I haven't done in preparation
for Christmas. I should go wrap Peter's 'big' present, but it can
wait. I could send more cards, but they can go out after
Christmas. I might begin to worry that all I have for Peter's
stocking is a new toothbrush and a sort of neato set of nail
clippers........tomorrow I'll get razors, toothpaste, socks and blank
cassette tapes and that will be that.....boring, I know......

All of these Christmas details are so wonderfully
unimportant to me this year. Forrest is alive! He is healthy,
happy and so full of excitement and joy at the prospect of
Santa's arrival, that nothing in the world could dampen my
spirits. This morning in church I played the sheperd that
watched over the sheep. There were five sheep all under the age
of 5, maybe 6, and I loved my job. It was a treat to see the
congregation's delight as they watched the little ones perform
a highly-energized rendition of the Christmas story. Forrest
opted out of his sheep role. At dress rehearsal yesterday
morning he and I were at odds. I wanted him to be the perfect
little 3-year-old actor and he wanted to play in the playroom.
He was cranky and clingy and generally miserable. I responded
with irritation and mortification and it was an awful morning
for us both. Finally, I realized that he did not really want to be
in the play - it was me who wanted him to be in the play. Since I
don't want him to hate me, the Christmas story or church, I let
him off the hook. So, he and Peter had a delightful morning of
Candyland while I herded my little sheepies through their play.
We were all better off.

I told Forrest the Christmas story the other night. I told him
that we were all celebrating the birth of Jesus who was
described as the son of God. I told him that I thought it was
remarkable that after 2000 years people all around the world
were still celebrating His birthday. It's pretty incredible, don't
you think? I am a big fan of Christmas. I like all the celebrating
and the decorations and the gift giving and receiving. I even like
the hubbub and the extra weight I'm likely to put on, and the
music and the noise. It's all about celebrating life and enjoying
our families and friends and there's nothing but goodness in that.
But for me, it's also a time of great wonder and a time to
find peace and quiet. I like to sit and feel the energy that we
are all generating. It's palpable and I love it. Christmas day is a
wonderful day to take a long walk outside because it's so quiet.
There's no traffic and no deadlines. I feel very alone but not
lonely and I love that feeling.

We are staying home for Christmas. Tomorrow night we'll go
in town to the center of Woodstock along with 3000 or so other
people, and we'll welcome Santa in. He arrives in some
mysterious way each year and it's always a thrill. Once he came
in on an elephant (a real one!), another year it was a hang-glider,
and another year, a spaceship lifted up over the town square
by an enormous crane. Christmas Eve is one of the reasons we
live in Woodstock. Our community really comes to life and
everyone comes out to show how much they care. There's an
enormous meal made for those who need help on Christmas day,
stockings are given out to all of the children in town, families in
special need get a hand-delivered package from the town to
remind them that a lot of people are thinking of them and that
they care. We were one of those families this year and it has
meant a great deal to us to know that people are still thinking
of us. It's a great holiday and we are very thankful.

I hope that it is a wonderul and joyous holiday for you all too.
With love,
Bar, Peter and Forrest