Dear Friends,

This is the final news letter for the year and what an eventful year it has been. From February 14th when I was discharged from the hospital after a five and a half month stay and having suffered six bouts of pneumonia, I arrived home with a pressure ulcer on my tail bone. This kept me in bed for the next three and a half months waiting for the sore to close. Summer was, for the most part, trouble free and culminating with the excitement and enjoyable day of the Scottish Highland Games in St. Louis at the end of September.

The following weekend, October 3rd, Linda’s son, John was married to his longtime girlfriend, Stephanie. It was a wonderful wedding in a historic facility named the Boo Cat Club located next to Forest Park in St. Louis. Linda was absolutely stunning in her purple dress and, by far, the most beautiful woman there, apart from the bride. It was great to see this lovely young couple marry after eight years of courtship.

A week later, on Sunday, October 11th, Linda and I decided to visit the Missouri Botanical Garden, the oldest botanical garden in the country, founded in 1859. It is a veritable oasis in downtown St. Louis. Linda’s son John joined us as we walked and I drove my super-duper powered wheelchair. A good number of paths were quite bumpy and I could feel the toll they were taking on my tail bone and derriere.

The following morning Linda noticed two hard spots on my left and right buttocks which tend to be the sign of impending pressure sores. From October 12th, I spent the next six weeks in bed as the hard spots slowly diminished. Osteoporosis in my right hip and neck and frequent body spasms are some of the issues and struggles I have to endure with this spinal cord injury. On a positive note, I have regained the partial use of my right arm and fingers. Having the use of one limb, I am now classified as a tetraplegic. Being able to drive my power chair gives me the feeling of independence. Thank God I served in the U.S. Army as the Veterans Administration has provided me with an abundance of support and tools to manage my disability.

I keep my spirits up with the love and support of my loving wife Linda, my family and friends. And I feel all of my fans are included as my friends. Each day I find can be a struggle and a blessing. As always, I sincerely thank you for your thoughts and prayers.

On the subject of my recordings, remember that when we run out of CD selections, the album will only be available by downloading from my website, alexbeaton.com. The website store displays what CD’s are still in stock. My “Christmas Classics” album is only available by downloading. I know you will enjoy this album which features such classics as “Silent Night, The Christmas Song, and Oh, Come All Ye Faithful.”

I have led a very interesting life and am working on a project that has been suggested to me by some close friends. With the help of a VA volunteer, I am working on my memoirs. This endeavor will take you on my life’s journey. From my early days in Scotland, turning into a professional folksinger and recording artist at 19 years of age in London through to the present day. Being a cancer survivor and dealing with other challenges that life has dealt me, my good friend, Ron Eisenberg, suggested that a working title for my book would be “Beaton but not Broken.”

I would be remiss if I did not thank my very good friend Merv Forney. Merv designed and hosts my beautiful website at alexbeaton.com and also manages my newsletter. I love him dearly.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Healthy and Happy New Year!!

With Love,

Alex