Once Again, a New Year Has Begun

Belated Happy New Year

New Year's Day was beautiful and sunny.  Loved the snow squiggles in the crab apple trees.

Saw the New Year in with the neighbour's across the road.  There were five of us.  One couple brought Ukrainian dinner:  cabbage rolls and pirogies.  Yum.  Plus there were appies before hand.  I was SO full.  We ladies played scrabble and the two fellows watched a game and whatever else.  Mingus and Zak circled around vying for as much attention as they could garner.  Around 11:30 another neighbour joined us and we toasted in the New Year.  I haven't stayed up until midnight in years.

Mingus was very happy with all his Christmas goodies and promptly destroyed all of them except one, the one from his nephew, who takes much care to find him an indestructible toy.  

While this toy created much excitement at first, after a time, when it was discovered as not readily destructible, interest waned and it lays abandoned on the floor.  Seems there is no winning.

The neighbour who walks Mingus, (whose house we were at for New Year's Eve) her husband made us this great present for Christmas ...

Christmas day another of my Dad's sisters made her departure at the age of 92.  It is so sad to see all the old dolls moving on ... but great for them, getting to graduate to higher ground.

Just this last weekend I was off to my Aunt Helen's memorial in a town a couple of hours away.  It was great to see so many cousins and second cousins and even third cousins and to make some reconnections!!!  Some I hadn't seen in YEARS.  We made quite a group.  It was such a blessing because the weather was such that the roads remained good for travel.   Yay, says I who isn't fond of driving at the best of times ... but winter driving ugh.  The added hazzard in winter: one can get peppered with gravel by the passing speedos!  I am trying to be so careful and not get chips in my new windshield. 

Today, it has snowed all day.  So glad to be back in my cozy home with a fire glowing and emanating that nice wood heat.  Aaaaah.   I have shovelled twice already today and will have to get out there first thing in the morning.  More snow tomorrow too ... or so they say ... and the next day and the next.  Yes, it is that time of year.

And that about covers any news from my world ... at least the news that comes to mind.

I bid thee ta ta for now ....