Family Letter 2007

Dear Friends,

Well it’s been another exciting year for the Mrs. Hanes Moravian cookie clan. My husband Travis and I turned 75 years old. We continue to enjoy good heath and we stay very busy. I love to work in my garden and Travis enjoys helping me. However he is getting a little weary of my recent fascination for BIG ceramic pots. “Alright now Evva, decide where you want this thing because it is not going to EVER move again!” Our weekly family dinners with our friends (at least 23 at a time) continue to fill me with warmth and happiness. “Simple joys” - I think that is the way I would sum up my life.

On the family front, all my granddaughters (our “Cookie Tasters”) are having an exciting year. Fiona began Kindergarten and sister Isabella is in 4th grade. This is Madison’s senior year in high school and she is looking at colleges. She is serious about her studies and yet somehow manages an active social life. Her mother, Ramona (President) jokes that she has put a tape player under Madison’s pillow that plays the message: “Choose a state supported college” while she sleeps. However, she isn’t sure Madison ever really sleeps. Grandson Jedidiah continues working on his music and is still our “number one” Moravian Star assembler. He also is our resident musician and often serenades us at dinner. Ramona and Scott will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary in July. They hope to take a cruise but it sort of depends on Madison’s College choice. So it may be a cruise- or could be a back-yard picnic. Whatever the venue, 25 years of marriage is an achievement and I am very proud of them.

Son Michael (Vice President) continues his church involvement and bike riding. He averages around 150 miles a week. Recently he rode 67 miles in the “Three Mountain Madness” Bike Race. He was supposed to ride 75 miles, but he injured his foot prior to the ride playing golf (explain that to me). Mike also has his own pottery wheel and kiln and makes beautiful pottery. Actually all our family is involved in making “art”. Mike, Scott, and Norian make pottery on a wheel. Ramona, Caroline, and myself hand-build pottery. Travis carves walking sticks. Our “creations” are displayed in our bakery sales area. Dinners are filled with “show and tell time”. Ramona jokes that while she has never been the best at rolling out cookie dough, she has learned to roll out a mean slab of clay and does use lots of cookie cutters in her hand-built designs. So our family tradition of hand-rolling and hand-cutting continues in more ways than one.

So yes, “simple joys.” Lots of laughter, occasional disappointments, the usual business challenges, but most of all there is love. My family truly does love each other and we enjoy each others company. I view that as our greatest accomplishment.

Until Next Year,

Evva Hanes