… I had thought about putting a neat composite together for Christmas, but as I went through family and other photos my mind wandered to other times and previous years and blessings that were lived and so here we go … the top photo is a shot of Corky in September of 2013 a little less than two months before she passed … we started dating in May of 1958 and married in August of 1959 when we were both 21 … first Christmas together in 1958 thanks to my taking unauthorized time off from my duties as an instructor in the USAF Nuclear Weapons School at Lowry AFB in Denver … the real gift was the decision by my Squadron Commander not to Court Martial me or give me an Article 15 if I agreed to clean the Squadron Headquarters for two months! Given the disposition of the First Shirt it was a Christmas gift beyond anything I could imagine. … very long story. We spent every Christmas together from then until her passing in 2013 and we were blessed with incredible family and friends to share the holidays with! Today I am blessed with family and wonderful friends to celebrate with plus a lifetime of great memories!
In 1990, Corky had a severe exacerbation of her MS (diagnosed in 1965) … and it ended her ability to work in the law office … she was the number one priority in my life and we had done pretty good, so we worked at closing the law office and two years later we moved to Sedona and built our dream home pictured below and I became her full time care giver and we had a great time … a couple of limited law practices here after taking the Arizona Bar in 1994 … love the law!
Beginning in 2000 we have continuously shared our lives with a succession of black cats which we adopted from the Sedona Humane Society … Nimbus, Q, One and now Katie who is pictured first below … Katie is strictly an indoor cat and is a joy to come home to.
The last photo is an aerial shot from the SE end of the wilderness area between the Village and Sedona and looking to the NE … the left horizon of the photo has Mormon Mountain showing as a loaf shape mountain that is located in the Mormon Volcanic Field which has been dormant for about three million years.
It is special to look back over the celebration of Christmas over the years … home as a kid, the initial years of marriage, the child rearing years and then the years beyond as your role changes and your children marry and bring new life into the world … all of them wonderful and as with everything, we choose how we perceive each day and event.
Not the usual Christmas letter, but it reflects where I am … I love the Christmas Season and the good it brings out in so many people … for a brief period we are back to recognizing the good in each of us and the love of God which has shaped our lives.
So Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah … choose joy and may every blessing fill your lives …
With joy,
Ted
You are a child of the universe no less
than the trees and the stars, you have a right to be
here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no
doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God, whatever
you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors
and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep
peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery
and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.
excerpt from Desiderata by Max Ehrmann
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The easiest way to reach Mr. Grussing is by email: ted@tedgrussing.com
In addition to sales of photographs already taken Ted does special shoots for patrons on request and also does air-to-air photography for those who want photographs of their airplanes in flight. All special photographic sessions are billed on an hourly basis.
Ted also does one-on-one workshops for those interested in learning the techniques he uses. By special arrangement Ted will do one-on-one aerial photography workshops which will include actual photo sessions in the air.
More about Ted Grussing …