2024 Annual Report:

Ben & Marj Shomshor Family

Advent – Christmastide 2024

Dear Family and Friends,

(And for those of you who lack a suitably enabled cell phone, the QR code reveals the scene in the movie version of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Askaban in which Hermione Granger punches Draco Malfoy. Explanation to follow.)

I’ve always done my very best to avoid, when possible, “living in interesting times.” I’ve strived to be a supporting character in my life’s novel, and so many of you have lent a hand (arm, leg, ear) in helping me achieve this. But despite our best efforts “interesting times” come as a slap to the head by a twenty pound chum salmon. Or 43 slaps to the head by 4 lb. shads.

As of today, I’ve remained out of hospitals for one continuous year. This allowed me to celebrate, rather unexpectedly, my 70^th birthday by feeding friends and family. Marj will celebrate her 70^th in 2025, and let me tell you that age isn’t slowing her down. What a year she’s had!

Marj has decided that any international wedding invitations she receives she is going to accept. Earlier this year she packed her bags and headed for another solo trip to Europe to visit former students in Belgium, Switzerland, and attend a legendary wedding in Slovakia. She also kindly ventured to Krakow and Prague: places which I’ve always wanted to show her before my health limited travel options. My deepest appreciation to the families Dubus, Senti, and Besler for hosting her and returning her safely to me.

Together we were able to visit friends and family in Nebraska, Florida, New Orleans, and Vancouver B.C. while later hosting guests from Canada and Mississippi. For Christmas we have the pleasure of Anton’s family and friends from Korea. While we’re renting out two bedrooms for the winter legislative session there will (almost always) be room for YOU to visit. I feed our guests well! BTW, while we no longer routinely host students, if you are a former student who now has teenagers, Olympia, as you remember, is a great place to experience America. Your kids are welcome to our home.

Marj and I hooked up the camper to take a long imagined run down to the Columbia River Gorge for the summer shad run. I’ve wanted to do so as long as we’ve lived in the Pacific NW but the timing was never quite right. This year, I closely watched the dam counts, kept our calendars open, and went down to the Bonneville dam at the right time. I had hoped to come back with three or even four fish! Fortunately, the Yakama Nations fisherman we met was willing to sell me some, but only if I agreed to purchase all 43 from yesterday’s catch! Had to buy his cooler in which they were kept to boot. Please, stop by and pick up some frozen shad roe.

The fall salmon purchase on the Skokomish River turned out a little better; only bought three including a large chum. For Christmas eve we’ll be serving the best salmon caviar I’ve ever made together with Coho Coulibiac.

Marj answered the call to serve as a juror on a civil case in Thurston County Superior Court. Although news about the federal judiciary has not been… encouraging…she was pleased to enjoy an excellent experience thanks to thoughtful and collaborative fellow jurors and especially a presiding judge who truly appreciated the service of the jurors and actively shared with them insights into civil procedure and local judicial practices.

Our children and grandchildren continue to do well. I hope that they are also continuing to do good. At the end of last school year Sasha, her husband Sean and children Emma Jo (age 3) and Rex (age 2) left Iowa to return to Lincoln NE where they can be close to Sean’s family. Sasha gave birth to a second daughter, Elliot Jeanne Mae Murphy, 6 lbs. 4 oz. earlier this week. Marj will visit them in January to lend support. With three children at home Sasha will not return to teaching this year.

Anton, now a major in the USMC, is training new helicopter pilots. Together with his wife Melanie and four year old Fitz he is remodeling property in Pace FL as time allows. Our daughter-in-law has the apparent patience of a saint. For context, this is the kid who, in fourth grade, scored sufficient spare change to pick up a garage sale TV and then, armed with a drill, re-routed coaxial cable to his room. He has also picked up the chili-production gauntlet which I laid down in ’23 after a half century. We were together to celebrate his 1^st chili party.

After spending five years assuming my imminent demise the surprising rally in my health has forced me to consider the future in terms of months, perhaps a couple of years, instead of weeks. Can’t begin to keep up with Marj who in addition to caring for me, international travel, and long distance grandparenting is also the co-chair of the maintenance committee at Good Shepherd Lutheran, a 48,000 sq. foot obligation. I still actively micro-blog about food and agriculture, am active in the local Slow Food organization, and volunteer with our alternative high school’s urban agriculture and food science program. I’m trying to work my way back up to 2 dinner parties a month, and hope that 2025 will find us hosting a monthly Salon des Soupes to encourage the art of civil discourse. We’ll continue to return to Nebraska several weeks a year to spend time at the chicken coop and with grandchildren, and try to make 1 or 2 trips to Florida.

Now to explain the opening teaser before closing. I first learned of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s / Sorcerer’s Stone in a Wall Street Journal piece in ’97. When the American edition was released the following year I scored a copy in Seattle almost missing a red-eye flight to Omaha. Not half way into the book I was crushing on one Hermione Granger. (Note: I’m referring to the fictional literary character, not to the young Emma Watson who so ably portrayed her in the movies. Note also that I am not a pedophile; when reading middle grade and young adult fiction I am again that young lad playing a supporting role in my own novel.)

As our kids grew the movies were typically released for the holiday season. The family would watch them while home in Nebraska. For the past few years Marj and I have re-watched the DVDs remembering those years. And yes, I’m still crushing on Hermione Granger. Then, when re-watching the aforereferenced scene this year I suddenly realized why. DUH! I’m married to her!

Fearless, hyper-competent, intensely loyal, and perfectly capable of performing magic with lumber, masonry, databases, and project plans – yes. For over a half century Marj has been my Hermione. And this Christmastide she joins me in wishing you the very best of the season and the coming year.

Pray for Peace! Seek humility. And have a safe and happy Christmas!

Yours,

Ben and Marj Shomshor

Notes from Table 8

Friday, December 20, 2024