Bits and Pieces

Read Speaking In Bones yesterday, and then started a new J A Jance mystery.  Roxie slept with me the night before last, but Finney has never gotten in bed with me - until this morning.  I had to answer a call of nature at 4 a.m., and when I returned, Finney was asleep in my spot, with her head on my pillow.  She went totally limp when I attempted to move her, and I finally had to "scoop" her off the bed and onto the floor.  Before I could get my butt down on the side of the bed, she was back up, in my space again.  I finally got her to settle at my feet, and we had another good sleep until my alarm went off.
   Victor and Xena's folks are back from their 12 days of travel, and I need to transcribe my appointments for next year on the new calendar, today or tomorrow.  Saturday morning I'll meet with a couple about walking their 5 dogs while they are out of town in February.  They have a a lady who will be the live-in care-taker while they're gone, but she recently injured her back, and the dogs pull, so I'll have walking duties.
  I gave a friend a Surfer Dude calendar for 2016 as a Christmas gift, and she cried when she opened it...  Didn't mean to make her cry, just wanted to give her something SD oriented.  She loved that stallion.  Guess I'd better get a copy of the book about him for her birthday present.
   Taking the Christmas tree down today.  Will carefully pack the ornaments and lights, and take our welcome Santa down from the front door.  They are coming by tomorrow to pick up trees to make into fresh mulch - so ours will go onto the pile.  Both Beatrice and I get checks tomorrow, so we'll also grab cat food, squirrel food and bird food tomorrow.   Not doing anything special for New Years Eve.  But I'll watch the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade without commercial interruption on the Home and Garden television channel on Friday, and I think the Gators play in a Bowl Game that afternoon.  We'll probably have black-eyed peas, pork chops, collard greens, apple sauce and corn bread for supper - not making Hoppin' John this year.
  Please enjoy the rest of the year 2015!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! January first, two thousand and thirteen. I have the Pasadena Rose Parade on TV, thanks to the HGTV channel. I love the fact they show the parade from the first block and without commercial interruption - one gets to see all of the floats, bands, marching units and equestrian groups. I did have to laugh at the announcers, who are from HGTV - a group of ladies on horseback were going by, and they announced the horses included quarter horses, mustangs, Arabians, and an Appaloosa. The announcer said he had absolutely no idea which horse was the Appaloosa - it was a bay with a snowflake blanket on the far side of the street... At least he was honest about it; and now they are laughing about the "feathers" on the Gypsy Vanner horses legs - but it's done in fun and with the admission they know nothing about equines. How refreshing!
  A Shell drilling vessel broke free of the ship towing it and has grounded on rocks off Kodiak Island in Alaska. Due to 60 mph winds and 35-foot seas, the crew was removed by the US Coast Guard. They are hoping the 155,000 gallons of fuel will stay intact and not spill. ... In northeast England, in the county of Norfolk, and the city of Norwich, UK bobbies are searching for four people who attacked a man in a shopping center. As the victim left a kabob shop, he was knocked down to the ground repeatedly, suffering two black eyes, and cuts and abrasions to his face. Two of the attackers were dressed as Oompa Loompas, so, if they stay in costume, they should be easy to spot.

Oompa Loompas

  It is bright and sunny today - it was 10 degrees out when I got up, and the sunrise was a beautiful orange cloud and blue sky mix. Since the Broncos have made it to the playoffs, it was announced that the folks of Colorado are, and will be, "United in Orange." I was even wearing my orange Broncos shirt when this was announced, so I felt prepared (ha!). The announcers just about lost it again - there was a US Army Cavalry unit on with the men mounted on quarter horses, and and they were accompanied by an 1878 supply wagon drawn by two Belgian mules. For some reason, the two "Belgium" mules cracked the guys up - I'm not sure why.
  In any event, it is the beginning of a new calendar year. I have a lot of wishes that I hope will come true - world peace, religious tolerance around the world, an end of violence perpetrated against the innocent, the end of the drought and the end of starvation throughout all nations. I wish every one large amounts of love, good luck, and laughter in this New Year. Happy New Year!