Spring Forward with the Ratliff's 2022
Friends and Family,
Summer 2022 is just ahead, and we still have not shaken this pandemic even though, for the most part, we are all operating as much like we did before the pandemic as we can. Here’s what we’ve been up to since May 2021….
This year’s video starts with a more recent visit to New York City to see some Broadway plays and musicals. First up is the revival of Neil Simon’s play Plaza Suite, a series of 3 vignettes about 3 different couples over 3 years who stayed a weekend in the same suite at the Plaza Hotel, with all 3 couples played by real life couple Matthew Broderick (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) and Sarah Jessica Parker (Sex in the City), and the other photos are of our preshow dinner view of Central Park from Thomas Keller’s Per Se restaurant. Next up was the musical adaptation of the Billy Crystal movie Mr. Saturday Night by and starring Billy Crystal about the rise and fall and last hurrah of a standup comedian. Finally, was the musical adaptation of the inspiring book Come from Away about the people of Gander, Nova Scotia, a town of 9,000 that hosted 7,000 9-11 flight passengers for five days when they diverted from their Atlantic flight destinations in America on 9-11.
As we began to emerge from the pandemic in 2021, many of the charities we support resumed their fundraising events, including two that recognized Alan’s past service on their board of trustees including as their board chair with awards at their event. The first several pictures are of Chinquapin Prep School where Tricia has volunteered over 10,000 hours as an assistant principal, and where Alan has served on the board for 20 years including the last three as the board chair. Photos include the 2021 live graduation including Alan’s mentee and family, and several fundraising events where we were joined by friends and Alan’s colleagues. Next up was the Houston BARC Foundation Fall Event (near Halloween, we went as a Dog and Cat) honoring Alan. The organization is a City of Houston Foundation Board to which Alan was appointed to two terms by Houston’s last two Mayors including as board chair. And most recently was the 25th Anniversary Gala of Girls Inc. where Alan, a past 10-year board member and board chair, was given the inaugural “He’s in Her Corner Award” for serving as an ally and mentor to student girls and women professionals. (The four minute video of Alan’s acceptance speech is here, https://stoneturn.com/news-events/girls-inc-of-greater-houston-names-alan-ratliff-as-the-inaugural-hes-in-her-corner-honoree/). Several Chinquapin students received Girls Inc. scholarships that night too!
We enjoyed several throw-back concerts and sporting events this last year as well, including Eric Clapton, Keb Mo, Elton’s final tour, and Journey. Live sports resumed full steam as well including Astros opening day in 2021, our Baylor Bears had a great year winning a basketball championship, and a football conference and Sugar Bowl championship. We are sharing highlights of games, tournaments, and homecoming, including a funny picture of us with Baylor’s President and First Gentleman, and video of Hall of Fame Announcer Dick Vitale’s first visit to Waco!
We also enjoyed fun with friends and family this year. Pictures include our Baylor friend, local professor and Sunday School Teacher, Dr. Randy Wilson, other Baylor Friends, Ambreen (Alan’s business partner) and Steven Salters and their recent law school graduate daughter Sydney, Nephew Jack and Niece Vivian, a wedding shower for the daughter (Danielle) of former Baylor classmates the Martinez’s who is now also a Baylor grad, our cat Hip-Hop still going strong at 18 (88 in equivalent people years), pictures of our home at the holidays, family photo with Tricia’s parents and sister Amy’s family, the Siegel’s and Hauck’s, and Alan’s brother’s family, Captain Tricia driving the boat and “hanging” with musician 50-cent at a Texans Game.
Our travel photos include trips to the mountains of Colorado last summer to escape the heat (where we were visited by, unpictured, friends Lyle & Kelley Nicholson who were church and schoolmates of Alan’s), Randy Wilson, and Houston friends Anne and Jonathan Ayre). This Spring we attended NCAA Tournament games in Fort Worth and stayed across from the Livestock Exchange which was a bit of a step back in time to the old west. Over the New Year we went to Maui with longtime Houston friends Kelly and Eddie Anderson, including hiking, waterfalls, scuba and whale watching. Back in February, we joined fellow members of the US Olympic & Paralympic Foundation Board of Trustees in Park City for opening weekend Olympic Games-watching, including doing some mountain sliding, bobsledding, curling and museum touring. Alan has now visited 49 of the 50 states, and we hit two of those over Easter Weekend – the Dakotas! And early last Summer we spent Tricia’s birthday in Jackson Hole and Yellowstone, also picking off another state (Montana) and whitewater rafting!
This year’s soundtrack music in sequence includes 2022 Grammy Award winning performances by Jazzman Chick Correa, New Orleans native and Late Show bandleader Jon Batiste, prior Grammy winner Bluesman Keb Mo who we saw live last year, and the 2022 Grammy-nominated Fu Fighters.
We hope to see you in Houston (or maybe Colorado, we have an open week and an extra bedroom in August, let us know if you can come!), or during our travels to California, around Texas, or maybe join us in Daytona at the condo? Just let us know….Hope your 2022 is back to normal and better than ever. Love, Tricia & Alan
We miss you….keep in touch…. aratliff@stoneturn.com and 832.435.3535, tricia.ratliff@comcast.net and 713.705.7422.
Alan & Tricia
Spring Forward 2022 with the Ratliffs!
