Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Dear Friends and Family, December 2023

  Warm greeting from the Argetsingers in northwest Arkansas. After several years of uncertainty and change, it is nice to look back upon a relatively tranquil year. We stayed healthy, fit, and welcomed the minor challenges we had. We hope the past year has been good for you and that you're filled with anticipation for the year ahead. In addition to our best 2024 wishes for you and your families, we also hope for political and cultural healing across our great nation. We have too many good people with the same hopes and ideals to be forced to take sides over minor issues.

  We had several great trips during the year, but it was the consistency of our daily routines that truly anchored us. For sure, the local medical practitioners love both us and our insurers. Even when we had no symptoms, they called us in to make sure that we were still billable. But we're grateful for the excellent healthcare we receive here in northwest Arkansas. Jerry has been cancer-free for nine months, and his ticker is much better than it has been for years. Sylvia's overall health is good, though her back is starting to give her some trouble again. Thankfully, she's had several years of relief since her last surgery. Phantom is a different story, but he seems to be healthy today. When it’s not his allergies, it’s his eyes or his neck. He’s still awfully cute and lovable.

  The most important of the routines were those of Phantom and Sylvia. As a therapy dog team, they visited the local hospice, our national airport, and a church-sponsored bereavement class at least once each week. In between, they visited a number of home-bound hospice patients. They made the evening news several times. Jerry had few routines, except for helping out in the information booth at the local airport once a week and “BURGERS” on Thursdays

  We traveled a bit more last year than the past couple of years. In May, we visited the northern part of Italy for a couple of weeks. Quite a change from the hustle and bustle of the central, more well-known cities. The Dolomite mountains were particularly beautiful. As always, Joyce and Kenn were gracious companions. In July, we made our annual pilgrimage to England. In addition to catching up with family and friends, we had a long, leisurely weekend with Paul in Cornwall. Although the weather wasn’t great, the cooler temperatures provided a refreshing contrast to the sweltering summer we endured back home. We were lucky in that Paul was able to make two trips to the States. In September, he came to see some mountains. So we took him to Yellowstone and the Tetons. He is also coming for Christmas, but we will probably keep a little closer to home. Our trip to South America we mentioned in the last letter didn’t pan out, but we’ve made the down payment to go in July 2024. Despite the drought, we’re’sure we’ll see jaguar.

  And so, life unfolds in northwest Arkansas and at our humble abode. As always, our open door invitation remains: "If you find yourself in our neck of the woods, please stop in."

Sylvia, Jerry and Phantom

12 Stonehenge Dr, Bentonville, Ar 72712
Cell: Jerry: 479-340-2741 // Cell: Syvia: 479-531-2997
E-mail: jerry@argets.com or sylvia@argets.com
website: https://argets.com/