On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donner and Blitzen!

I hope my charming, warm, annual bulk email finds you well. 2019 was a blur and was largely comprised by a busy year of work at Dimagi. I spent much of the first half of 2019 in Delhi working on a large project there.

While most of the time in India was heads down in our office in Delhi, I did get away to spend a weekend sightseeing Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, a large state in India near Delhi. The whole city is filled with beautiful, amazing architecture. Here’s the entryway for my hotel:


In April, I was delighted to have Caitlin and Keri up from Philly to visit for a fun weekend. Here’s a photo of us hiking in the Blue Hills Reservation on the boardwalk in Ponkapoag pond. The hike is listed as ‘easy’ level of difficulty but that is not my recollection of the rolling and pitching boards.


In May, I was honored to be invited to attend Claude’s graduation from the University of Rochester. Claude was a student who I had the opportunity to work with while I was a fellow at ASYV. It was fun to go back to visit the city of Rochester, not having been there since 1997 or so when my parents lived near there in Victor, NY. The ceremony was beautiful and Claude has a lot of accomplishments to be proud of. After graduation he moved to NYC for a software development job for now. I’m still looking forward to working for him someday.


I spent a big chunk of the month of July in my sister Lynn’s beach house on Oak Island, NC. Thanks so much to Lynn, Robbie, Lindy and Kate for hosting me and taking such good care of me! My nieces Lindy and Kate are now seniors in High School and College respectively and we are all so proud of them and curious to see what comes next. Kate has already started student teaching and is still very active in dance and choreography. Lindy has been accepted to several schools so tune in to next year’s holiday letter for the big reveal.

In August, I was invited to the beautiful wedding of my cousin David to Hannah. We’re lucky to welcome Hannah to our large, and sometimes boisterous, family and it was fabulous to see all of my Louisville family at the celebration. Here’s me and Lynn enjoying the reception out on the Ohio riverbank:


I’m still running a bit and trying to keep active. I’m playing some pickup ultimate on Sundays with good weather and in a BUDA Grand Masters league a few weeks a year. I also ran a couple of road races this year and recently found a wonderful club that meets on Tuesdays and Sundays to run around Cambridge. When I realized how close the group meets to my home (very) I decided the universe was trying to tell me something so I decided to check it out and I’ve had a blast meeting tons of friendly new people. Here’s me and my friend Julie in September at the Salem 10K after party:

In October, I had a great series of internal meetings in our Cape Town office and had the time to hike up Lion’s Head with a few colleagues. Cape Town is a beautiful city and I’m always energized by spending time with the team.

Wishing you and yours peace and health in 2020. Please let me know if you come through Boston and I’ll unfold the futon in my sneaker room for you.


~Courtney

@CourtneyMFK
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So up to the house-top the coursers they flew

Greetings all,

I hope this charming annual bulk email finds you happy and healthy.

2018 was a momentous year for me.

First and foremost the Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl!!!

I’ve been waiting for this since I was 7. It was especially satisfying to be in a bar in Boston
for the big game, enjoying a spirited dialogue with local Patriots fans about the team’s
respective qualities.

#FlyEaglesFly.

Next up in the life milestones: I always said I would never do it, but now I’m a homeowner.
When the apartment I was renting was sold to be torn down for condos,
I couldn’t find anything else to rent within a walk to work, so I bought instead.
Now I have a 2bdr Condo in Inman Square in Cambridge.
The whole mortgage process was a terrifying, tear-filled disaster, but it’s over now.
Eternal thanks to lawyer and real estate expert Cousin Matthew for saving my bacon.
I moved in the new place in March. It looks like this:

New address for annual photos of your kids for my fridge:

394 Norfolk St. Unit 2

Cambridge MA, 02139

(Sorry if this news is coming a little out of order. If you already sent me this year’s
fridge photos of your kids to the old address, know that I loved the silly pics and your
kids are adorable.)

Family update: Nieces Kate and Lindy are full blown humans now, so I guess you should
just subscribe to their Instagram if you want to know what they are up to:
Kate is pursuing a BFA in Modern Dance at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro
and had a great time studying abroad for a semester in New Zealand.
Lindy runs Cary High School like my new MacBook runs Mojave and receives awards for
tennis and good grades in AP classes despite an unmatched Netflix binging endurance.
Lynn is working for NC State in the Student Counseling Center and
Robbie is the principal of Mary Phillips High School in Raleigh.
I spent a week at their beach house in Oak Island NC in the summer and it was a blast.

Mom is enjoying living in Louisville, KY near her sisters, brother, nieces and nephews. She
has some sharp words for whoever’s running the NCAA (see Louisville Basketball FBI investigation) so I guess she’s doing just fine. I spent a week with her and her dogs over Thanksgiving and my cousins took me to Churchill Downs for our annual Thanksgambling adventure:

My cousin's daughters & me: Claire, Hayley, Elise, Me, Gracie and Lauren

Work update: I had a busy year of travel for work, spending time in Dakar, Senegal,
Cape Town, South Africa and Delhi, India.

The Dakar office does high intensity interval training on the roof after the work day.
I had so much fun almost transferred there permanently:

I also did a first scuba dive in Dakar and really enjoyed it.

Here’s me with the western-most tip of Africa behind me:

Work continues to be quite busy. Dimagi’s CommCare platform is in use for hundreds of projects worldwide, including the largest scale mHealth project in the world. Our software tracks 1 out of every 200 births worldwide. Working at this scale is forging new paths and that is both challenging and rewarding.

Air quality is Delhi is pretty bad. Here’s the mask I wear while I walk to work:

Visitors: Thanks to Keri & Caitlin (and soon after Amy) for breaking the seal
on houseguests in the new place. (Keri went straight to work hanging my blinds.)
Amy, I hope there’s another conference here soon, next time bring Dusty and
stay for a Celtics game!

Also wonderful to sync up with my cousin David and his family,
who vacationed this summer on the Cape and invited me out for a beautiful day on the
4th of July.
We also spent a fun day in Boston together on the Freedom Trail and took
a look around Harvard. (Lauren (10) registered for a few classes, but I can really
see her more at MIT.)

My primary non-work interests remain the NBA and following cute (all) dogs on Twitter.
Looking ahead to 2019, I have a spare bedroom now, so come through (although,
I expect to be in Delhi much of Q1).

Wishing you peace in 2019. Happy New Year!

~Courtney

@CourtneyMFK

I got a new headshot for work! (Same blazer as the one from 2014, though…)

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Archives from the Original: Peace on Earth 2001-2009

Hi. While I was at Mom's house last week in Louisville my Uncle Bill handed me a flash drive he had found in my mom's boxes while unpacking. I told him to throw it out, it was probably trash. He handed it to me anyway, and I planned to throw it out later. I decided to glance at it for a quick check before I trashed it and of course, it is a gold mine. Thank you Uncle Bill!

The flash contained the original upon which my annual imitation is based, the Mike Kelly Xmas letter from 2001 through 2009, his final letter. I'd never read them through in one sitting, rather each year when the new edition came out. Read sequentially they reveal what we all already know, he was a man who loved has family deeply, valued his friends, took his work seriously and was so, so funny.

The measure of any year for me was the mentions in the annual letter and I'm proud to say I make most of these, but of course cannot compete with the granddaughters.

I can't get his permission to republish them, but I am pretty sure he would be okay with it, as he mailed these out to hundreds of people each year.  Here, unedited, are some Mike Kelly Xmas letters 2001-2009:

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Peace on Earth 2009

(Unedited Xmas letter from Mike Kelly)

     Peace on Earth

                                                                                              December, 2009

Merry Christmas to all from Barbara & Mike.

   Hello and best wishes to all our good friends. We had a wonderful year, and we hope you did too.

   Lucas Wheatley visited us again in the spring and brought his Mom & Dad with him. Kate, Lindy, Lynn & Robbie visited in July. The girls really enjoyed Gettysburg and Land of Little Horses. In July the Corcorans and the McElwaines from Belfast came to Myersville for a fun visit. The children played all day with the dogs and the mini horses, Belleek & Ash. Tim, Mary Helen, Sam & Lucy Blue also visited us; the children really enjoyed the day.  Courtney and her Ultimate team stayed with us in August. We never did get a good head count, but there were more than a few players.

     Barbara and I went to Oak Island twice this year, once with the “big family”. We also traveled to Raleigh for the Annual Oyster Roast. We drove to Louisville for Thanksgiving where we had an awesome visit. Thanks to Cathy, Joe, & Lucas for the hospitality.

This year we lost our beloved Golden, Maggie May, after 14 & 1/2 years; we really miss her. We rescued two new dogs, Goofus and Penny Too. Our current animal count is 4 horses, 3 dogs & 2 cats.

   Our jobs have changed this year. I got tired of being unemployed, so I retired. I’m still not having any problem with the spare time. Courtney left Accenture and is now working 3 days a week for Perfect Sense Digital. She has moved to Brooklyn and is very happy with both changes.

    Lindy’s Neuroblastoma Cancer Research Project has developed a drug that is being tested in a clinical trial at Chapel Hill. We are all very hopeful that it will produce positive results. Thank to all of you who helped make this possible.

    Thanks also you all for your prayers and good thoughts for Lindy. She is continues to do well & is enduring second grade grade. Our Kate is doing very well in 6^th grade and is enjoying her dance company. She is beginning to act like a teen.

Barbara & I are both doing well. Barbara had some new injections in her knees, and she is much improved.

Come see us in Maryland.. We live near Hagerstown; 11908 Woodland Way Rd, Myersville, MD 21773. Phone 301-293-4375. Email: kellymike8@gmail.com & kellybarbara4@gmail.com .

Peace and love,

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Mike and Barbara

Peace on Earth 2008

(unedited Xmas letter from Mike Kelly)

Peace on Earth

                                                                                              December, 2008

Merry Christmas from Barbara & Mike.

Hello to all our dear friends. We value your friendship greatly, and we hope to see you all in the future.

We are fortunate to have had several family members visit our home this year. Joe, Cathy & Luke Wheatley along with Matt, Mary, Claire, Gracie, & Elise Elder visited in April. Luke also played is a jazz festival in D. C. in October.  Kate & Lindy along with Lynn & Robbie visited us twice this year. Courtney spent Thanksgiving with us. She is working in Minneapolis for the winter (brrr).  We also spent several weeks at Oak Island..

This year we added 2 mini horses, Belleek & Ash, to our family. That makes 2 horses, 2 minis, 2 Goldens, & 2 cats.

My news is that last December I had a seizure and was diagnosed with epilepsy. It is under control with medication now, but I spent 8 months unable to drive myself; your sympathy should go to Barbara.  Second, I am part of a RIF at EDS. My last of work was December 1, 2008. I am deciding now whether to retire or find another job.

                Lindy continues to have clean scans, so we are truly blessed. Barbara continues to be heavily involved in fund raising for Lindy’s Neuroblastoma Research Project at UNC Children’s Hospital. This year we had a memorial auction in Myersville as well as the traditional Oyster Roast in Raleigh to raise funds. A new drug combination has been developed for children who have relapsed with neuroblastoma; results are promising. A full clinical trial should begin soon. We pray we will never need it.

               If you visit Maryland, please stop in. We are located near Hagerstown, MD.          11908 Woodland Way Rd, Myersville, MD 21773. Phone 301-293-4375. Email: kellymike8@gmail.com & kellybarbara4@gmail.com .

Thank you all for your prayers and good thoughts for Lindy. She is continues to do well  & is taking over her first grade. Our Kate is beautiful and is growing up too fast.

Peace and love,

Mike and Barbara

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