Much worse than the Miata ordeal was the scare everyone in my family got when my 76-year-old father had a mild stroke for the first time in his life, causing him to lose his short-term memory for a day. He's in good health now, taking a blood thinner, and hasn't suffered another stroke since. But we were all sufficiently alarmed that in April the entire family gathered in Fairfax to celebrate the birthdays of my mother and father. (Photo - 72KB) Eight months later, most of us would be together again on Thanksgiving Day. In terms of Jewell family unity, this year was unprecedented.