2024

Microsoft Word just asked me if I wanted some AI help with this Christmas letter. I think I’ll just wing it like I normally do. Get ready, it was a busy, extremely fun year!

January

All that fun I just mentioned didn’t get started until the last weekend of the month. Jane and I met my brother Bob and his wife Jean at McCormick’s Creek State Park, about an hour south of Indy. They like to spend cold winter days hiking through the wilderness. Not sure why they invited us. They hike, whereas we walk leisurely through the woods. On a good day we might kick it up to a stroll, but we never ever reach hike status. We enjoyed the conversation as we walked and continued it through dinner. It was a fun time. After we left, they hiked back to Cincinnati.

February

Nothing happened this month. Enjoy some photos of Evan & Addie. They are now 4 & 2. To all of you that did the grandparent thing before I did, that always had a story to tell and a photo to show, now, I understand. There is a fundamental need to spread the joy these kids bring into your life. Especially because my grandchildren are perfect!

March

And now it starts! It starts because we leave the cold of Indiana to take advantage of our friends with homes in Florida. Hey, if they didn’t want us to come, they shouldn’t have bought a place with guest rooms! We started the fun in Nashville when we stopped for lunch and a visit with Kim Maphis Early and her husband Robert. We talked about our time together growing up and all the people that were a part of our lives as early teenagers. I guess we turned out ok, so it must have been a pretty good group. We could have talked for hours, but we had to keep driving south, eventually ending up at Alan & Jenny’s house. This was just a nice, relaxing few days. We do things, but it is not like we need to sight-see and be entertained. We did grab Barb and head to the Ringling Art Museum one day, but other days consisted of a car show in the mall parking lot and wandering through thrift stores and consignment shops. And just laying around watching old movies in the evening. And at least one meal at Walt’s! We left Sarasota and headed east to Titusville to visit the Coopers. On the drive over we stopped in Orlando and had lunch with my old Louisville friend Donna and her husband Pete. We had the same kind of conversation we had with Kim, but we ran together in our late teens, so the stories weren’t quite as innocent. But they sure were fun! At least, the one’s we remembered. We made it to the Cooper’s late that afternoon, in plenty of time for the rocket launch that evening. Their condo overlooks the launch pads for the Space Center, so they have a great view for every launch. This would be a first for Jane & me, so we were pretty excited. Two minutes before liftoff they stopped the count down. A two-hour delay. OK, dinner before launch. After dinner, it happened again. Postponed till the next day. The next day we played golf. My first round of 2024. Birdied the first hole. Jane was riding with me, so I explained to her that that’s the way I always shoot. It’s refreshing that after 48 years of marriage, I can still make my wife laugh. That evening, issues popped up with the launch again. Finally, after about four tries, we got to see a launch. It was nighttime, and then it was daytime! The rocket lit up the sky. A minute later, we hear the roar. It was magnificent! We’ve seen it on TV, so we thought we knew what to expect. We were wrong. We’re coming back Scott. This was a quick Florida trip. We had to get home so I could have back surgery. I had a couple of bulging discs and a bone spur. Not a big deal, I’m fine. While I was recovering, Sarabeth & Zach were on their honeymoon in Aruba. Not necessarily Christmas letter newsworthy, but it gives me a chance to post this beautiful photo. And just so the daughter photo count stays even, here is an Easter photo of Emily and family.

April

This was a pretty neat month. I mean, how often do you end up in the path of totality during a lunar eclipse? It was a big deal and a good excuse to celebrate. My sister Teresa and her wife Laura came up from Louisville with a couple of friends. We provided the lake house. The friends brought the party. There were shirts and hats, Moon Pies and planetary decorations and really cool glasses. This is the first time that I remember seeing totality. It got dark, with a kind of sunset glow all around us. The nearby roosters started crowing! Dogs were barking because they don’t know science. It was a neat, weird experience.

The next week Jane drove to Warsaw, IN for another watercolor class. She came home with another beautiful piece of art. And sometime after you have read this letter, I will build a frame for it and stick it on the wall. Later that month Dave Emery and I met Bob and Jean in Cincinnati for a Reds game. Nothing better than a little early season baseball to get your spring started off on the right foot. We had a great time, but Dave got a little rowdy, so we made him sit with that stranger behind us. He settled down by dinnertime though.

May

My grandson Evan is a fisherman. Adam takes care of the hooks and the bait, but Evan reels them in with his trusty Disney “Frozen” rod. He really enjoys it. I plan on spending a lot of time with him down at the lake in the future! Scott Cooper, Mark Becker and I play golf together regularly. We decided that we needed to see the game played the way it should be played. We went to a practice day for the PGA Championship at Valhalla in Louisville. Teresa & Laura gave us their house for a few days. Thanks ladies! The weather was iffy, but it worked out perfectly for us. It was great to see the players up close, and really amazing to watch how they prepare for the tournament. I guess that might be why they were on the other side of the ropes. We enjoyed the day and spent the next playing golf across the street at Dave’s club. We enjoyed our round, but it was obvious that we didn’t learn anything from the day before. We finished the trip on my side of town. I had a chance to show the guys where I grew up as we hit all the hot spots in Valley Station. Dave and Kim joined us for dinner at Mike Linnig’s. We all had a fun evening joking and telling stories. As I’ve said many times, I love it when my friends get to meet my friends. A couple of weeks later I headed to Myrtle Beach for what is now officially an annual golf outing. But this year was going to be different, because this year, and for all the rest, I am hitting from the senior tees. I just figured that as much time as I spend on the golf course, it might as well be fun. And it was more fun. I was actually almost competitive! What a concept!

June

We started the month with Jerry & Monica Urick at the James Taylor concert. What a great show! As the night went on, song after song brought back memories from a long-ago time. It was a fun night with good music and great friends. A few days later we were downtown with Sarabeth & Zach in Lucas Oil Stadium for the Olympic Swimming Trials. Indy and the swimmers put on quite a show. They built a pool inside a football stadium and over 285,000 people came to watch over nine days. It was one of the events that make me proud of our city. But enough of city life, it’s time to head to the country for this year’s version of the Janitor Jamboree. This year the event was co-hosted by the Chaffins and McKenzie-Veals in northern Michigan. Jane & I drove up to Doug & Diane’s place, while Jerry & Lisa went to Mike & Mercedes’ new summer home about an hour further north. We missed Bob & Sue, who were camping with grandkids in a different wilderness. A day later, the four of us drove up to see the new place and have dinner. We did what we always do at these gatherings, which is to sit around and talk and tell stories and maybe solve a few of the world’s problems. The next day Mike, Mercedes, Jerry & Lisa came south to Doug’s for more of the same. The next couple of days Jane & I were in the care of Doug & Diane. Doug & I played golf a couple of times. Had breakfast at the bowling alley. We hit the local thrift shops where I bought a beautiful purple Baldwin Trout-A-Rama souvenir T-shirt. And we took a little road trip, which is the source of a story that will go down in Janitor Jamboree folklore. We were going to Shelby, MI. Doug had a new vehicle with a GPS he had never used. He decided to give it a try, to see if it knew a shortcut that Doug didn’t. Next thing you know we are on a gravel road. That is not unusual up there. They are well maintained and pretty smooth. All is well as we drive through the wilderness. And then we get to a point where there is a tree blocking the road. But right before the tree, the little blue line on the GPS screen turns to the right. There was a road there. It seemed narrow, but it was a road. And the GPS said we were only on that section for 1.1 miles. So off we go. At 2 miles, nothing changes except that the road is even narrower. At this point, tree branches and bushes are brushing both sides of the car. And the road is full of ruts and puddles. At that point, we realize that this is not a road, it is a snowmobile trail! We can barely drive forward; we can’t back up for 2 miles. Might as well keep going. As Doug said, “That is probably what the Donner party said”. We went through a puddle that was deep enough to trigger the automatic windshield wipers. We keep going, slowly but surely, until Doug slows to a stop and stares at the tree that has fallen across the trail. As he gets out to inspect the tree, the rest of us realize that we have no cell service, are 3 to 4 miles deep in the Michigan wilderness with one tin of Altoids and a granola bar that has been in Jane’s purse for a year. I was trying to decide which person would be the tenderest. Since we had no choice, Doug throws the car into reverse. We eventually find a small clearing where Doug executes a textbook 57-point turn, and we start the slow drive back to civilization. We make it back to a real road, drive to Shelby only to find out that our destination went out of business 4 years earlier. A fitting end to our adventure. We drove back, without the aid of the GPS. The next day the guys met at Crystal Mountain Resort for golf. The girls did what girls do and we all met for dinner later that evening. Jane & I spent another day just hanging out with Doug & Diane. We made plans to get together later in the year and we left the next morning.

July

We start this month with the Coopers & Beckers at a Lake Street Dive concert. They are one of our favorite groups and we try to see them whenever they hit town. I am mostly giving you all this info so I have an excuse to use this nice photo I found. The big highlight of the month was that my niece Megan, and Alvin were here from Singapore. In last years letter, Alvin was described as “her boyfriend, permanent plus-one, significant other, not her husband but close enough”. Well, they were married in May and were now in Cincinnati so their friends and family on this side of the world could celebrate the event. And we did. Congratulations you two, and welcome to the family Alvin! And I guess this would also be a good time to welcome Simon to the family. In last years letter, he was a mere “boyfriend”. He has since earned the title of husband to my niece Lauren. Welcome Simon, you are now officially a member of the Willis clan!

August

We begin this month at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Once again Jane & I are working for the Uricks checking IDs at the Taproom. Sarabeth is working the weekends tending bar and this year Emily joined in the fun, specializing in margaritas. It was a lot of work. but it was also a lot of fun. People are starting to recognize us now. “You were here last year, weren’t you?” I think our plan is to do it as long as Jerry & Monica let us. The day after the fair I headed to Louisville to meet up with some old friends. Some I see regularly, one rarely and one I haven’t seen since about 1977. Remember Donna, from March on the first page? Well, one fateful summer day she and Peggy met Dave. And then they met me and Ron Tomes and a few more of our old high school gang. And we got to know their friends. And that group had a lot of fun together. And then we grew up and went our separate ways. The last time I saw Peggy was probably at my wedding. We changed all that on August 20th. We met in this cute little dive bar in Shively, had lunch, a few beers and talked for a couple of hours. It was wonderful! It was great telling old stories and then hearing someone else’s version of the same tale. We will do this again sometime and hopefully round up a few more of the crew. In the photo, that is Dave, Donna and me standing, with Peggy and her husband Danny. Ron is wearing the yellow shirt.

September

Labor Day is always the King family reunion in Salem, IN. This is my mom’s side of the family. We fill the fairgrounds with about a million cousins and even more barbecued chicken. We eat very well and bring everyone up to speed on the changes since last year. I stick close to my sister Nancy so she can whisper names and lineages to me as people approach. This year after the food, a few of us hit the golf course. And we hit it hard. And often. It was a fun time, and I vote that JK arranges it every year. After golf, Jane and I rushed home so we could finish packing for our trip to Italy and Greece. Remember Jenny & Alan & Barb from March? Well, the ladies were all college friends and roommates. Barb eventually married Stefano, who happens to be Italian. And those two have a house in Italy. We were all talking one night and Wayne, Jane, Jenny and Alan invited themselves to Barb and Stefano’s place in Italy. And Jane & I had a cruise vacation credit from last year’s Alaska debacle, so we thought a Greek isle cruise while we were in the neighborhood sounded like a good idea too. The Willis’ started their trip with 4 days in Rome. We began with a visit to the Borghese Gallery. The first piece of art in Italy that I came face to face with was my favorite from our whole trip. The Rape of Proserpine by Bernini. The little photo I attached does not do it justice. Look it up, read about it and call me to discuss why I fell in love with it. We toured the Vatican, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica. Sometime during each of tours we took while in Italy, I would see a painting, sculpture or building that I had studied in art history 50 years earlier. And I would freeze for a second, like unexpectantly seeing an old friend. It was a great feeling. We had a private guide for 3 different tours throughout the city. It was just us two and Cristina, the former college art and architecture professor. She showed us Rome at night. And the next day we walked from one side of Rome to the other. And she took us to places others didn’t have access to. We visited a small chapel, designed by Bernini, that was inside the courtyard of an old church that was now an art school. We had the whole place to ourselves. I took advantage of the situation and carved my initials into one of the columns! She answered every question we had, no matter how silly. History was hard to wrap your head around. Any building built after 1500 was considered “modern”. And the buildings were impressive in size, beauty and functionality. The water in those beautiful fountains still comes from the original aqueducts! We loved everything about Rome! But now it was time for a boat ride. We had an 8-day Greek Isle cruise to start. We spent the first full day at sea, just hanging around relaxing with our feet up. Our first port was Santorini. Nothing terribly historic happened here that we needed to learn. Just a pretty place. Once again, we had a private tour guide that showed us the island. Our favorite part of the day was when we asked the driver to take us somewhere for lunch. And to take us somewhere he and his friends would go for lunch. We had a nice meal in as non-touristy kind of place you could find on the island. Just us and the neighborhood cats at this outdoor café next to the beach. We really didn’t want to leave. The tour ended at sunset at a monastery on the highest point on the island. Magnificent! Santorini is a beautiful place that looks just like all the pictures you’ve ever seen. The next day we were at Kusadasi, Turkey to visit Ephesus. A lot of biblical history here and a fascinating place. Once again, we had a private guide the was quite helpful as we toured the ruins, but a bit too interested in taking us to a carpet and pottery shop afterwards. One would almost think he received some sort of kickback from our purchases! But Ephesus was worth all of that. It was neat to think we were walking on the same cobblestones that the Apostle Paul walked across. Mykonos was next. Nice place to live, but I wouldn’t want to visit there. Our next port was Naples, where we visited Pompeii. An amazing place and an amazing story. It was a place that was frozen in time. The brick and stonework were preserved just as they were the day before the volcano erupted. The next day we leave the ship. Taxi to train to high-speed train to Trento in northern Italy. And there to meet us at the station is Alan & Jenny and Stefano & Barb. We have dinner in Trento and then drive to Torra, the extremely quaint little town where S&B live. After a day there we head to the campground in the mountains in Cevedale where S&B have a place. We spent the next 2 days in that area visiting the local sites, which include the castle that overlooks the campground. We drove through the mountains for beautiful vistas and warm mountain top drinks. Small lakes and lunch at the vineyard. And seafood overlooking Lake Garda. And a special waterfall. Next it was on to Venice! Venice, what a weird place to build a city. But I’m glad they did because it’s a fun place to visit. Jane & I were in heaven as we spent most of our souvenir money on the island of Murano. Our glass collection is a bit larger now. I need to talk a little about the food in Italy. It was amazingly delicious! Every meal elicited a smiling, eye-closing sigh of satisfaction. And the service was always fun and friendly. Jane took pictures of our waiters. The best meal was by a certain chef in Torra. We rested a day, and all went to Sienna. A beautiful little city in the middle of Tuscany.  A very loose and relaxing time. We booked no tours, just did the city on our own. Strolled through the streets and sat around in the piazza. Went to a neat opera program in the evening at a small church. The next morning A&J left to go visit a car factory and start working their way north to Germany and their flight home. Jane & I and S&B spent another day sightseeing. The next morning, they dropped us off at the train station as they headed out to visit some relatives and then back home. We still had 2 days in Florence. That evening we visited the Accademia Gallery to view the statue of David. You know the one. A magnificent piece of art that is a whole lot larger than you ever thought. Nice, but no Bernini. The next day was spent viewing masterpieces at the Uffizi Gallery. We finished the day with a tour of the Florence Duomo that included a visit to the rooftop terrace. It was a bunch of stairs, but worth it once we made it to the top. Of course, there were a bunch of stairs going down too. We headed to the airport the next morning. 27 days of vacation was fun, but I sure wanted to go home.

October

Once we made it back from Europe, we had a couple of weeks to relax and get organized for our trip with Doug & Diane, along the Bourbon Trail through Kentucky. They spent the first night at our place here in Indy, where we did nothing. The next day we drove out to the lake house where we met up with Bob & Sue for dinner and reminiscing. Now Jane was still excited about the instant party we had at the lake for the eclipse, so she decided we needed a theme. What could be better than Octoberfest? We had German food & beer, listened to German music, and, thanks to Amazon, wore German attire. After looking at the photo, I’m sure you realize that no self-respecting German would dress like that! The next day we checked into the Galt House in Louisville, which was going to be our base of operations. An hour later we were doing our first bourbon tasting at the Frazier Museum. The rest of the afternoon was spent wandering around Main St. The next day we headed to Bardstown for a tour, tasting and lunch at Bardstown Bourbon Co. A modern facility with great bourbon and excellent food. I bought a bottle or two for my collection. From there we went to Willett. A classy, old-time distillery. The only thing the two places had in common was the great bourbon. I bought a bottle or two for my collection. We were up early the next morning. We had to get to Wild Turkey. I think this was my favorite. It just exuded history. The home of Jimmy Russell, a Master Distiller for over 60 years that still comes into work nearly every day. The tour was great, and the bourbon was excellent. I bought a bottle or two for my collection. We just did a bourbon tasting for breakfast. The ladies were over it. Time for a diversion. We drove to Lexington for a horse farm tour. At the first farm, we had a full run of the place. We were in the barns petting the horses and feeding them treats. All the while our guide, who seemed to know each animal personally, was telling us stories that kept us interested and usually laughing. The next farm was a little more look but don’t touch. It is a nice little place with 2 full-size tracks for training. Our last stop was at a horse auction. Imagine Mecam,or Barrett-Jackson….for horses. High powered racing machines, albeit only one horsepower. The horses were selling for anywhere from $5K to $250K. I didn’t buy one or two for my collection. When the tour was over, we just had enough time to stop by Buffalo Trace on the way back to Louisville. Undoubtably, the most famous distillery in the world. We could not do a tour, but did manage a tasting. And of course, I bought a bottle or two for my collection. We stayed in Louisville the next day. We started with a tour of the Louisville Slugger bat factory, which included a nice gift shop and the opportunity to watch Jane in the batting cage. Next stop was Churchill Downs for lunch, the museum and a tour. As we walked in, I was interviewed by a TV news crew. They wanted my opinion on the new construction that was being done at the track. I didn’t really have an opinion, so I made one up. I’m all for it! So I was on the news that evening. We had a nice lunch with a very fine Mint Julep. The museum was cool, and the tour was interesting but nothing to write home about, so I won’t. Next stop was our final “distillery”, Stitzel-Weller. Not an active distiller, but a location with a lot of history and famous names attached to it. It was interesting, but I wouldn’t put it high on any list. That didn’t stop me from buying a bottle or two for my collection though. The next morning, we headed back to Indy and had a great dinner with Mike & Mercedes at my new favorite place. Doug and Diane left the next morning and Jane & I took a nap.

November

As it is supposed to be, this month is slow and easy. The big event for us was that the medical office where Jane’s brother Jon used to practice decided to honor three of their former doctors. A small ceremony was held where they spoke of the impact these people had on the practice and to their patients. We had a chance to hear a few stories and see a few photos for the first time. They attached a plaque near his old office and christened the hallway “Finley Lane”. Jane’s sister Marybeth and her husband were there, along with 3 of Jon’s 4 sons. Afterward we all went to dinner and did a lot of catching up. It was a fitting tribute to a good guy. Jane & I went to a gathering of former Excel Graphics employees at Doris Toney’s house. It was nice to see a bunch of friends. I spent 26 years at Excel and those people I worked with every day had a lot to do with the way I turned out. So, blame them. We had a chance to catch up and tell old stories and sort out who is where and how old their kids are now and what ever happened to …  that guy. It was a fun time and thank you Doris for setting it up. We had a nice Thanksgiving the day after Thanksgiving with the family. It is a lot easier than last year.

December

We jumped right into the Christmas season by taking the family to see the lights at the art museum. The grandkids, and the regular kids seemed to really enjoy looking at all the lights and decorations. It was fun, but it was cold and wintery, so Jane & I decided we needed to take a vacation. Three days later we met the Coopers in Ft. Lauderdale and jumped on a cruise ship. It was the perfect cruise for relaxing. We visited Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire. We enjoyed a nice meal at our favorite Italian restaurant in Aruba. And I admit, it is kind of cool to say you have a favorite restaurant in Aruba. We wandered around the port in Curacao and did a simple beach excursion in Bonaire. But mostly we just relaxed as we read, sat by the pool, took advantage of the drink package, went to shows and ate very well. It was a perfectly relaxing way to gain a pound a day. We got back home, and it was almost time for Christmas. We continued our tradition of going to the Indianapolis Symphony’s Yuletide Celebration with the Coopers & the Beckers. The show was great, as usual, and because Mark & Karen knew[i] one of the performers, we got a backstage tour, followed by an onstage tour. It was interesting to see the sets and costumes up close and learn about the logistics of presenting such a grand show. We enjoyed a nice Christmas with the family on the 26th. It was calm and simple. The year ended on the 31st, but we are going to push this Christmas letter a bit into January. That is when the big Christmas gathering took place. Ralph & Irene’s kids must all come together during the Christmas season. And we must bring our kids and their kids. The old five have been doing it together since 1960 and we aren’t planning on stopping the tradition anytime soon. It was at my house this year. Due to weather, health and other issues the crowd was down in numbers this year. But not in spirit. We had a fun time eating, drinking, laughing, and singing. We still managed to conquer a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle and exchange gifts that will be treasured for a lifetime. Or donated to Goodwill. It was fun.

Well, that’s it. I hope you enjoyed reading about our year. Happy 2025!  Wayne & Jane

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