Season's Greetings and End of Year Letter 2024

Christmas Letter 2024
As we approach the end of 2024, we ask ourselves what truly mattered this year and what is worth mentioning. *The Economist* answered this question in its own way by naming “kakistocracy” as the word of the year in its December issue. Kakistocracy, meaning the rule of the worst, succinctly captures the fears of half of America and much of the world.
We, however, answer the question differently. For us, the highlight of the year is that three of our granddaughters successfully and commendably completed their school or university exams. Corresponding pictures are below. As the proud grandparents of these three remarkable young women, we wish them great joy in applying what they have learned. We also hope that the knowledge they have gained will help them better understand both fundamental and everyday truths and connections, allowing them to enjoy and make the most of their lives.

In contrast to politics, our private life was quieter and more typical for old people who still live at home in their self-built house. For us, a new phase of life seems to be beginning, in which we are increasingly dependent on external help. Heidi, with her excellent ability, but also compulsion, to organize everything, is still coping with these challenges quite well. Dietmar, whose tendency towards chaos is becoming increasingly apparent, is finding it more difficult, especially because his many broken vertebrae are not being improved by the otherwise beneficial exercises under the guidance of our physiotherapist Blanton.
We still love our house on the island, even though after 23 years there is more work to do to maintain it and the damage from the two hurricanes makes these tasks more difficult. Our handyman and friend Uli Laube, who gave up his plumbing business in Berlin years ago because he won a US immigration visa in a lottery, is a great help.
This year, several hurricanes made landfall on Florida's west coast, the last two right here. They piled up massive amounts of sand on our coast and destroyed many structures, especially trees and plants. Our entire roof needs to be replaced and some of the electrical wiring has also been damaged.
Many people visited us again this year, but not as many as in previous years. The pictures document how much fun we had with Dietmar's nephew Christan and his newlywed Pui, as well as with Jutta, Volker and Nils. Dietmar's nephew Nils also comes to play skat often, as was the case this year when his knowledge was in demand for advice from Exon in Texas and Firestone in Akron. His side trips to us in Sarasota are a good idea. In any case, the skat evenings with Nils are always a highlight on Casey Key. Mark's childhood friend Frank from Blankenese unexpectedly visited us with his family and we enjoyed many memories of our time in Hamburg.

Heidi was also active this year and traveled to Hamburg and Portland, Oregon, where the Nature Printers once again exchanged their knowledge and refreshed old friendships.
In Hamburg, she spoke at a memorial service for her father, who was active as a resistance fighter in the Third Reich (see picture). Especially in today's times, when we are watching with horror the burgeoning anti-Semitism among young people in Germany, this memory takes on even greater significance, as if the recent images from Ukraine and Syria were not already striking enough to remind us of the crimes of the Nazi regime. The memories of Emil Heitmann are of great importance to our family. They give us the reassuring feeling that Emil's resistance - however small and insignificant it may seem - keeps awareness of this important episode alive and thus makes a valuable contribution to prevention.
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a better New Year

Dietmar and Heidi