Who is that unmasked man?

Happy New Year!

This year's Shovan Family holiday card featured the four of us, with a cameo appearance from a famous statue.

Robbie (15), Julia (12), Rob and Laura with the man who may be our ancestor.

I grew up visiting my grandparents in my mother's native Nottingham, so I was shocked (shocked, I tell you!) at the number of people who inquired about our mystery man's identity.

Have you guessed who he is and where we are yet?
According to my cousins, pranksters are fond of stealing his arrow.

 "Where are you in that photo?" they ask. Or, "Who's that statue of?"

Maybe you'd guess if his tunic and hat were Lincoln Green.

Three points for those of you who guessed Robin Hood. This iconic statue can be found outside Nottingham Castle in the English Midlands.

Our trip to the U.K. was the #1 highlight of 2012. Here is our family's 2012 Top Ten.

10. Robbie's robotics team competed in the VEX Robotics National Championships and Laura's poem "Robotics" appeared at New Verse News.

9. Julia played the role of  Macbeth at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company's summer camp.

The Bard Buffs at the Globe, London.

8. Laura's third book was published, Voices Fly: Exercises and Poems from the Maryland State Arts Council Artist-in-Residence Program. (Co-edited with Virginia Crawford.) Maryland Poet Laureate Stanley Plumly and Governor Martin O'Malley wrote introductions for the book. (Download your free copy!)

7. Rob started a new job.

6. Robbie's high school marching band took second in states and fifth in nationals. He looks super cool playing marimba. (The band is playing at the Gator Bowl tomorrow, 1/1/13.)

5. Julia sounds like an angel on the clarinet, but she's a beast on the field hockey pitch.

4. Laura's poem "Fringe" was a finalist for the 2012 Rita Dove Poetry Award. Still busy as editor of Little Patuxent Review.

3. We welcomed a  new cousin, Jagger Max, on April 1!

2. Laura, Robbie and Uncle Jay were winners at the Warrior Dash.

1. We had a great time visiting London, Nottingham (where Nana grew up -- Hi, Auntie Susan!) and Edinburgh, where this photos was taken:

We loved Camera Obscura and the World of Illusions.

Whew! It was a busy year.

Tonight, we are taking it easy. Robbie is in Florida for the Gator Bowl parade and game. Poor Julia is starting the new year with no wisdom teeth. My brother and his crew are stopping by for spaghetti arrabiata with lobster and chocolate souffle. I hope our patient is up for a visit from her little cousins!

We'll sign off with the final stanza of John Keats' poem "Robin Hood."

 So it is: yet let us sing,

Honour to the old bow-string!

Honour to the bugle-horn!

Honour to the woods unshorn!

Honour to the Lincoln green!

Honour to the archer keen!

Honour to tight little John,

And the horse he rode upon!

Honour to bold Robin Hood,

Sleeping in the underwood!

Honour to maid Marian,

And to all the Sherwood-clan!

Though their days have hurried by

Let us two a burden try. 

Read the full poem at the Poetry Foundation. 

Wishing you a happy and healthy 2013 from all of the Shovans, including Sam. His top ten would include visiting the grandparents in the Catskill mountains while the rest of us were with our "Sherwood Clan."