1997

The Schlaver Christmas Chimes – 1997

The days after Thanksgiving make me realize it is time for the Schlaver Christmas Chimes to ring out our wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 1998.

I still enjoy my retirement but do confess to missing people and not keeping all my promises to start cleaning out all the things I — rather WE — have collected over the years.

I’ve had my annual visit with the Coplans in Richmond, Virginia and the Rays in Davenport, Iowa, and they have all visited here too. My brother and his wife also visited from Champaign, Illinois. And we keep all the phone numbers handy to check up on one another regularly.

Paul flew in twice from Boston and I receive occasional letters from Ben working in Los Angeles and Julian, a junior at New York University which I appreciate very much.

Marcia calls regularly from South Bend and gets to Mount Prospect whenever she can get away from her various jobs and sewing projects. Matt is back in South Bend working at Notre Dame and planning marriage to Kristen sometime in the future. Clay is in Arlington Heights doing his electrical and heating job and also contemplating marriage to Carrie. Shane is a senior at Notre Dame and Michelle a junior at St. Joseph High in South Bend. Shane spent the spring in Rome and Michelle made a trip to Australia this summer.

David has been in St. Louis since September, working on the staff of the renewal program for priests and brothers which he took part in last year. In August he gave himself and all of us a scare when the retina in his good eye began to detach. But the doctor’s skill and Mother Teresa’s intercession — and our fervent prayers — combined to save it. He was with me off and on for much of the summer and I really missed him when he left. He enjoys his work and at least he is closer to Mount Prospect now than when he was in Bangladesh or California. He tries to get home monthly and joined Marcia and some of her family for Thanksgiving here.

I still keep up this old house, after 42 years! I had a small garden again this year — tomatoes, peppers, herbs, and flowers. But every year I say it will be the last! A fall on the sidewalk in September seems to have aggravated my creaky knees, but I keep moving and busy, hoping to spend a few more years here — and get to those undone projects.

Merry Christmas to all, and a healthy New Year!

Elizabeth C. Schlaver