With due deference to Clement Clarke Moore.
‘Twas the night before Christmas, in West Lafayette
Too old to be stirring, we’re the Boomer set
Stockings mailed out to the ones we care
This year the post office got them all there
Our gang should be sleeping, snug in their beds
While visions of scrapple dance in their heads
Lise in her PJs and I with a nightcap
Settled our brains for a long winter’s nap
Inside my head arose such a clatter
Another year gone by, what did it matter?
When it finally hit me, it came in a flash
Looking at changes, this year ‘twas a smash
Molly’s Doctoral defense was quite a show
She’s now a doctor we both love to crow
She’s doing a Postdoc at the Doorly Zoo
For her it’s a life-long dream come true
Genetics on lemurs, and a tortoise for fun
Whenever we visit, to the zoo we must run
She knows the animals, loves them all the same
She laughs and points and calls them by name
Now aye-aye, now cheetah, now straw-colored fruit bat
Oh! coati, oh! fossa, oh! naked mole rat
Siamang on a perch, gecko on the wall
The gators got lose; now dash away, dash away all
Doing genetics on aye-ayes, animals so shy
To see them at home, half the world she must fly
Needing new samples, to Madagascar she flew
Saw lemurs and aye-ayes, a golden mantella too
It came in a twinkling, as I thought the year through
Big changes have come for the others too
Starting with Mitchell, Molly’s wingman for life
To Omaha from Philly, a huge sacrifice
While traveling in Europe, an extended vacation
He asked the big question, with high expectation
Will you marry me?, and pulled out a ring
She wisely said yes, now she’s wearing bling
And then there’s Lindsay, a hero for sure
Elementary school teacher, a combat tour
Working in Stockbridge, where they love Trump
Teaching government there, a pain in the rump
They still think he won, they don’t have a clue
So what’s an intelligent teacher to do?
She made a big move to enhance her career
To Mason she went with nothing to fear
She wanted to teach, a long time yearning
Now she’s in a place that does value learning
For Lise and I the year seems so lame
But we made some changes all the same
Lise took up the bodhran, she’s done lots of work
She plays Irish sessions, gets free drinks as a perk
And I took up Gaelic, just why, God knows
A challenging language, this one that I chose
Been a year of big changes for those we hold dear
But they’re up to the challenges, this is so clear
So we can rest easy as I turn out the light
Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night
Ed's and Lise's Biggish Years 