My sister-in-law, Ella Brown, keeps us up to date on the news of her adventures at their winter home at Beaver Creek, Colorado, where Tom is a ski instructor. Ella is a very outgoing, classy lady with lots of creative energy that takes her in many directions. Each of her "newsletters" is unique in some way - sometimes really funny, sometimes inspiring, but always pure Ella. I particularly liked the one I received today - so here are some excerpts.

Now this event I am going to call “A Walk in the Park” because so many nice things seem to happen while Grizz, the Handsome Dog, and I are walking around the lake in Avon. A light snow was falling and the sky was white. We met 5 nice dogs who all greeted Grizz with bounding joy. We continued along the trail and approached a woman and young child. I said hello and she smiled. I realized that she could not speak much English but I knew love for the baby, her grandson, would help her understand. I said , “Nice baby, pretty baby!” She said , “No, bad baby, bad.” The baby did not want to get back into the stroller. He is 14 months old and wanted to walk. He was making protesting sounds with a pacifier in his mouth. I asked her where she is from in Spanish, French and English and she understood enough to say Russia. Then I remembered enough to say in Russian (which I studied in Nashua at the Adult Learning Center in 1992), …. Here I am going to give a phonetic version of what I said since I cannot write Russian script on the computer…..”Kak va zu voot? Mean ya zu voot Ella. “ (What is your name? My name is Ella.) She smiled the broadest smile I have ever seen and answered, “Mean ya zu voot Ludimila”. After our English-Russian conversation about Grizz we departed on our own ways and will undoubtedly see each other again. I wish I had my Russian tapes and text here in Colorado with me.

Last Friday I encountered a group of fire fighters training for ice rescue. There were 2 men, one submerged and the other on the edge of the broken ice attempting the perilous rescue. Of course there were about 8 other firemen and supervisors watching the “rescue”. On Sunday 4 of these firemen were ringing the bell for the Salvation Army at Wal-Mart. They told me that every year they go through this training, taking a chilly dip in the lake.

Several winters ago a similar ice rescue training was in progress at Wiers Beach in Laconia. One of the leaders of the training group got disoriented under the ice, got lost and the oxygen tank eventually emptied with the passing hours. This young man left a wife and 3 young children. It was the saddest thing that had happened for the Laconia Fire Department.

Tom has class lessons today. The following 2 days he will be with his private lessons, a family from England. At their home they have 2 dogs and 6 chickens! Doesn’t this sound like a strange combination?

We are going to the Beaver Creek Village to see an ice skating performance tonight. I’ll meet Tom there around 5:30 PM. I could put on my long fur coat to mix right in with the crowd of elegant tourists. Perhaps I will.

Ella befriends very interesting people. Last year she helped a group of Mexican laborers who were clearing snow around the condo she and Tom rent while in Colorado. They were cold and she gave them hot food and some of Tom's things and then went to thrift stores and found more clothing for them. She is a retired Spanish teacher, and I'm sure they appreciated very much that she took the time to talk with them and provide warm clothing. She said they send most of the money they earn back to their families in Mexico, so go without themselves.

The true spirit of Christmas is alive and well, thriving at the hands of Ella Brown.