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Happy Holidays from (left to right): Parker, Ben, Michael, Karen, Heather, Griffin, & Matt

Our 2012, 2013, & 2014 Annual Reports from Michael & Karen Mispagel

We wish you all a Happy and Healthy New Year for 2015!  We have some catching up to do:

Michael officially retired from UGA in April, 2012, and Karen retired at the same time from her regular dairy consulting business.  As time permits, she has continued her volunteer work helping dairy farmers and teaching short-courses in developing countries via USAID (Egypt in 2011, Nicaragua in 2011, 2012 & 2013; Ethiopia in 2013).  Since retirement, it has been a joy to have Michael accompany her!  In “retirement,” we have still been crazy busy, as we continue to manage our numerous Georgia rental properties and now regularly travel back and forth between Athens, GA and Fayetteville, AR.

Joys in our lives:  Our daughter, Heather, had our 2nd grandchild, GRIFFIN RICHARD GANIO on April, 2013, & is expecting #3 in July, 2015!  Karen and Michael now have a small house in the Ozark mountains in lovely Fayetteville, AR, near Heather, Matt, Parker (3.5 years) & Griffin (1.5 years).  Matt is on the faculty at the University of Arkansas and Heather, a budding entrepreneur, has started a fundraising business for non-profits. 

Our son, Ben is a Civil Engineer with the US Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).  After 2 years in southern GA, he transferred this July to NRCS in Great Falls, MT, where he hopes to find time for mountain biking and snow boarding. (It gets down to -50 F!)

Sadness in our lives was the loss of Karen’s father, Donald Jacobsen, Sr., to bile duct cancer.   Karen, Michael, and 2 dogs spent the month of December, 2012 in an extended-stay hotel in Chapel Hill, NC, while Karen was caring for her dad.  He passed away January 6, 2013.  

Karen’s mom, Dolores, will be 88 in March, & still lives across town with her 2 cats. After losing her husband in 2010, she broke her hip in 2013.  She recovered and was up and around again, but recently has reluctantly given up driving. This October, we hired a care-giver for her, and have rented a home across the street from Dolores for her caregiver, Barbara.   . 

We still have our 2 sweet Australian Shepards, Bonnie, and Blue, who are too smart and energetic for their own good – continually escaping and getting into trouble!  They come with us on our numerous 13-hour drives to Northwest Arkansas to play with their cousin dog, Kia. 

Mike and Karen are still square dancing in Athens, GA and in Arkansas.  Karen’s new goal is to learn to clog! In our “retirement,” we have remodeled a few houses, and resurrected a small, 40-year-old vineyard.  

We have had some health “hiccups” this year.  Karen had a few months of stress-induced enteropathy this past Winter, but is now recovered.  This fall found us in Arkansas for Thanksgiving.  On December 5, the day before we were to drive back to GA, Michael suffered a heart attack while at a stop light.  Miraculously, the driver behind him saw him slumped over the wheel, and called 911.  There was no heart damage, but a 90% blockage of the LAD (“widow-maker") coronary artery & its branch necessitated  double-bypass surgery.  As we write this letter, he is  still in the hospital, having had a complicated recovery.

Do come visit us either in Athens, Georgia or Fayetteville, AR. (Call or email ahead to find out which state we are in!)  Our email address:  themispagels@gmail.com  Karen’s cell:   706-340-0999. 

Best Wishes for Health & Happiness in the New Year,

Karen Jacobsen Mispagel & Michael Mispagel