9 files changed, 86 insertions, 185 deletions
diff --git a/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/1813.jpg b/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/1813.jpg
new file mode 100644
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--- /dev/null
+++ b/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/1813.jpg
diff --git a/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/blaise.jpg b/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/blaise.jpg
new file mode 100644
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diff --git a/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/death-camp.jpg b/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/death-camp.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
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diff --git a/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/lake-superior.JPG b/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/lake-superior.JPG
deleted file mode 100644
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diff --git a/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/letter.pdf b/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/letter.pdf
index 8d7c882..16fd5d0 100644
--- a/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/letter.pdf
+++ b/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/letter.pdf
diff --git a/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/letter.tex b/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/letter.tex
index 0ebeabe..c8aaeb4 100644
--- a/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/letter.tex
+++ b/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/letter.tex
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 % text
 \usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
 \renewcommand{\familydefault}{\sfdefault}
+\usepackage{lipsum}
 
 % graphics
 \usepackage{graphicx}
@@ -23,74 +24,84 @@
 
 \pagenumbering{gobble}
 
-\large{\textbf{Winter Solstice Greetings \hfill 2021}}
+\large{\textbf{Winter Solstice Greetings \hfill 2022}}
 
 \begingroup
 \setlength{\intextsep}{0pt}%
 \setlength{\columnsep}{10pt}%
 
-Hello to all my friends and family.
-Unbelievably, this is the eighth time I'm writing to you all for the solstice season.
-It's become tradition to look back at old letters as I sit down to write.
-Today is the first large snow storm of the year, but I am warm and comfortable writing at my lovely desk.
-My Endlers Livebearer fish gave birth just a few days ago, so I am taking frequent breaks to enjoy watching the very cute fry.
+Greetings to all friends and family.
+It's been a busy year!
+The holiday season has snuck up on me this time.
+Nice to have this opportunity to sit down and review the year that was.
+Hope each of you are finding similar opportunities for quiet contemplation in this season.
+Snow has come to Madison, but it's above freezing at the moment.
+This tends to cause a thick white fog, very quiet and still.
+The sun rises late and sets early.
 
-\begin{wrapfigure}{l}{0.4\textwidth}
+\begin{wrapfigure}{r}{0.5\textwidth}
   \begin{center}
-    \includegraphics[width=0.4\textwidth]{"./death-camp.jpg"}
+    \includegraphics[width=0.5\textwidth]{"./1813.jpg"}
   \end{center}
 \end{wrapfigure}
 
-I was lucky enough to go on \emph{many} great vacations this year.
-I'd like to highlight three, starting with the trip to California I took with my good friend Tyler over the labor day holiday.
-We flew into San Fransisco where we were graciously hosted by Jim and Tracy in their beautiful home.
-We stopped by Claire's family in Napa and Tyler's home town of San Ramon.
-We then traveled down Big Sur to a beautiful ocean-side campground near Santa Barbara.
-We visited Tyler's uncle before heading inland to spend a night among giants in Sequoia National Forest.
-Finally, we camped for two nights in Death Valley.
-We had the entire campground to ourselves (see left)!
-Death Valley was definitely the highlight for me, especially the drive through Titus Canyon and the night sky.
-
-\begin{wrapfigure}{r}{0.4\textwidth}
+On March 25th of this year I bought my first house.
+Here it is (pictured, right) in May---the front yard just bursting with wild violets.
+I participated in ``no-mow May'', of course.
+What a crazy thing it is to buy a house.
+Losing most of my life savings to a down payment, taking on debt, committing to Madison long-term.
+Yard work, utilities, neighbors.
+Rhubarb in the back yard, a kitchen with enough room to chop and dry dishes simultaneously.
+Fisher Street has come to feel like home.
+What's the point of owning a home if not to take on overly-ambitious home improvement projects?
+My father has incredible construction skills, and he has been generous enough to spend many days helping me learn the basics.
+The first two big projects are a fence along the north border and wood floors in the bedrooms.
+
+\begin{wrapfigure}{l}{0.3\textwidth}
   \begin{center}
-    \includegraphics[width=0.4\textwidth]{"./porcupine.jpg"}
+    \includegraphics[width=0.3\textwidth]{"./ruffed-grouse.jpg"}
   \end{center}
 \end{wrapfigure}
 
-In July my good friends Claire and Ralph Till visited me for a hiking adventure in the Midwest.
-We drove from Madison to Michigan's upper peninsula, where we spent several days hiking through the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness.
-It's been years since I've been backpacking, and it was a new experience for Claire and Ralph.
-The Porcupine Mountains were amazing---very private campsites with long trails and very few people.
-For hours we hiked along the southern coast of Lake Superior, enjoying the dramatic geometric shapes of the rocky shoreline.
-Here (right) we three are---tired but happy near the end of our hike.
+This year's big vacation was a June trip to Maine with my boyfriend Kevin.
+We were able to see Kate \& Steve, and visit the Bates Campus (first time since graduation).
+We hiked Katahdin and explored the Maine coastline.
+Kevin helped me to enjoy the birds of Maine, which I did not properly appreciate as a student.
+In total I saw 76 bird species!
+My favorite bird was this elusive ruffed grouse (left), which we were able to observe ``booming''.
+A wild spirit of the wild forest, for sure.
+Also this year I was very lucky to be the best man in the wedding of Felix Radford and Kendal Musgrave.
+What a power couple!
+All the best to them in this new phase of life.
 
-\begin{wrapfigure}{l}{0.4\textwidth}
+
+\begin{wrapfigure}[9]{r}{0.3\textwidth}
   \begin{center}
-    \includegraphics[width=0.4\textwidth]{"./lake-superior.JPG"}
+    \includegraphics[width=0.3\textwidth]{"./blaise.jpg"}
   \end{center}
 \end{wrapfigure}
 
-Near the end of September Kevin and I spent a few days exploring Northern Wisconsin and Minnesota.
-It ended up being a tour of many waterfalls.
-We started by camping in Amnicon Falls State Park and visiting Big Manitou Falls (highest in Wisconsin).
-We then camped in Tettegouche State Park (below), where we had our own small private beach with signature Lake Superior pebbles.
-We spent several days exploring the northern coast of Lake Superior---full of picturesque waterfalls, dramatic coastlines, and cozy small towns.
-We'll have to go back soon.
-
-I'm feeling grateful for all the joy I have experienced this year.
-I continue to learn and grow in my professional life.
-Congratulations to Kate and Steve on their marriage.
-Thanks to all who have been great friends, especially Zach, Mark, Darien, Kyle, my Bates Buds, and the Wednesday night game crew.
+Professionally I am ``keeping on''.
+There are still mountains of things to learn about software and hardware development, instrumentation, and teaching.
+I now have two job titles: ``Instrumentation Engineer'' and ``Lecturer''.
+I continue to have enthusiasm for both of these domains.
+Here I am (right) in my shop, mostly renovated but always more to do.
 
-Wishing you and yours a happy new year. Stay in touch!
+Family and pets are doing well.
+I continue to dote on dear Ridgeback (my turtle), who turned 23 this year.
+I separated the endlers by sex to keep them from breeding so quickly.
+Home ownership and improvement projects have brought my parents to Madison often this year.
+Hope that all reading have a restful holiday season and a wonderful 2023.
+Keep in touch, visit!
+Remember, I have a guest bedroom now.
 
 \vfill
 \raggedleft
 
 Blaise Jonathan Thompson \\*
 \hspace{0pt} \\
-725 W Washington Ave. Apt 306 \\*
-Madison, Wisconsin 53715 \\*
+1813 Fisher St. \\*
+Madison, Wisconsin 53713 \\*
 \hspace{0pt} \\
 1-424-225-2493 \\*
 blaise@untzag.com \\*
diff --git a/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/porcupine.jpg b/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/porcupine.jpg
deleted file mode 100644
index d472948..0000000
--- a/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/porcupine.jpg
+++ /dev/null
diff --git a/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/recipients.org b/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/recipients.org
index b31ffe8..314d5f9 100644
--- a/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/recipients.org
+++ b/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/recipients.org
@@ -1,144 +1,34 @@
 #+TITLE: winter solstice letter recipients
-* DONE Alexander Moore
-2816 Messanie St
-St Joseph, MO 64501
-USA
-* DONE King Family (Cypress, Jaxson, two children Jonathan and Grace)
-723 Andy Nowling Rd
-Defuniak Springs, FL 32433
-USA
-* DONE Linda Thompson
-1 Hogtown Bayou Lane
-Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459
-USA
-* DONE Alisha Nielsen
-31140 Rhea Valley Rd.
-Meadowview, VA 24361
-USA
-* DONE Bill Goebel
-2413 Calypso Rd
-Apt 2
-Madison WI 53704
-USA
-* DONE Catherine Elliott
-4044 Park Ave
-Minneapolis, MN 55407
-USA
-* DONE Collin Engstrom
-2852 59th St NW
-Apt 218
-Rochester MN 55901
-USA
-* DONE Czech Family (Kyle, Emily, Danny)
-420 Fairway St
-Mt Horeb, WI 53572
-USA
-* DONE Darien Morrow and Kaitlyn Fischer
-16W505 Mockingbird Lane
-#102
-Willowbrook, IL 60527
-USA
-* DONE Elizabeth Breuer
-3402 Rutland-Dunn Townline Rd
-Stoughton WI 53589
-USA
-* DONE Felix Radford
-140 Cottage Street 3FR
-New Haven CT 06511
-* DONE Hannah Frame
-660 Maryland Ave
-Apt 12R
-Pittsburgh PA 15232
-USA
-* DONE Justin Earley
-1830 Denver West Dr.
-Apt 2432
-Golden, CO 80401
-USA
-* DONE Kate Webber & Steve Burger
-96 Bowdoinham Rd
-Sabattus ME 04280
-USA
-* DONE Katherine Taylor
-418 Admiral Cove
-Tarpon Springs FL 34689
-USA
-* DONE Kevin Michaels
-#302 523 W Wilson St
-Madison, WI 53703
-* DONE Kyle Sunden
-1009 N Sunnyvale Ln Unit D
-Madison, WI, 53713
-* DONE Margaret Pickoff
-166 Nassau St
-Apt 3, Princeton, NJ 08542
-USA
-* DONE Mark Jochem
-PO Box 162,
-Sun Prairie, WI 53590
-USA
-* DONE Nathaniel Nielsen
-1450 Marclair Dr.
-Apt. A
-Concord CA 94521
-USA
-* DONE Nathan Neff-Mallon
-1830 Northwestern Ave
-Madison WI 53704
-USA
-* DONE Nina Halperin
-Calle Italia 157
-Dpto. 602
-Cercado de Lima 15074
-Peru
-* DONE Parker/Eckert Family
-4482 Medowlark Court
-Napa CA 95668
-* DONE Sam Price
-1124 St Clement St
-Iowa City, IA 52245
-USA
-* DONE Sarah Charley
-Sarah Charley
-149 Route de Divonne
-01210 Versonnex, France
-* DONE The Truninger
-902 W.8th St.
-Davenport IA 52802
-USA
-* DONE The Boyers
-1338 San Miguel Ave
-Santa Barbara CA 93109
-* DONE The Kohler Family
-5713 Dorsett Dr.
-Madison WI 53711
-USA
-* DONE The Manlys
-17821 E Baintree Ave.
-Roland Heights, CA 91748
-USA
-* DONE The Nielsens
-746 Keeler Ave
-Berkeley CA 94708
-* DONE The Thompsons
-827 Brown St
-Iowa City IA 52245
-USA
-* DONE The Till Family (Claire & Ralph)
-656 Grotzman Rd,
-Arcata, CA 95521
-USA
-* DONE The Wright Family (John & Carol)
-1550 Trusler Circle,
-Oregon WI 53575
-USA
-* DONE Zach Ott
-915 Ellis Ave
-Apt 212
-Baraboo, WI 53913
-USA
-* DONE Paul Hudson
-1132 Morraine View Dr
-apt 101
-Madison WI 53719
-USA
+* TODO Alexander Moore
+* TODO King Family (Cypress, Jaxson, two children Jonathan and Grace)
+* TODO Linda Thompson
+* TODO Alisha Nielsen
+* TODO Bill Goebel
+* TODO Catherine Elliott
+* TODO Collin Engstrom
+* TODO Czech Family (Kyle, Emily, Danny)
+* TODO Darien Morrow and Kaitlyn Fischer
+* TODO Elizabeth Breuer
+* TODO Felix Radford
+* TODO Hannah Frame
+* TODO Justin Earley
+* TODO Kate Webber & Steve Burger
+* TODO Katherine Taylor
+* TODO Kevin Michaels
+* TODO Kyle Sunden
+* TODO Margaret Pickoff
+* TODO Mark Jochem
+* TODO Nathaniel Nielsen
+* TODO Nathan Neff-Mallon
+* TODO Nina Halperin
+* TODO Parker/Eckert Family
+* TODO Sam Price
+* TODO The Truninger
+* TODO The Boyers
+* TODO The Kohler Family
+* TODO The Manlys
+* TODO The Nielsens
+* TODO The Thompsons
+* TODO The Till Family (Claire & Ralph)
+* TODO The Wright Family (John & Carol)
+* TODO Zach Ott
diff --git a/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/ruffed-grouse.jpg b/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/ruffed-grouse.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8636562
--- /dev/null
+++ b/memories/blaise-thompson-letters/2022/ruffed-grouse.jpg