Good morning, friends! Happy New Year's Eve, Eve! We've almost made it! As the final moments of 2021 tick down, I'm gonna sit over here with my coffee and egg nog and "be ve-wy ve-wy quiet" (Elmer Fudd) so as not to antagonize her into any last minute bursts of mayhem. Really feeling like tip-toeing into the new year this time. That is usually not my style. I'm a bit loud, and a bit of a klutz. I'm a pot banger, an off key singer and a loud "holler-er" across the streets when I say hello to the neighbors. They always know I'm coming. Hee hee.
(But seriously.......ssssshhhhh......let's not get 2022 all riled up before she comes in. Let's be quiet, respectful, and offer her chocolate.)
Speaking of across the street, here's the current view outside my front door. I really was out in the fresh air earlier, with the dogs and the shovel, but didn't think to take a photo until I removed all 15 layers of winter garb. Ugh....that's the thing about winter....it's so dang much work.
That tiny looking person across the street is my neighbor Lon, doing his patriotic duty of keeping the driveway cleared. He's thorough. I'm not. My approach is often, "eh, good enough." So.....with the snow, pretty as it is, comes the annual dragging out of the rag rugs and bath towels by every entrance of the home, so we can mop up puddles and wipe down the doggies. Fun at first, a drag by February. Stay tuned for lots of grumbling in a few weeks. I promise you, it will come.
Seriously though, we have much to be grateful for, here in the big yellow house. Earlier in the year, our sweet Bosco, the old chocolate lab, got a cancer diagnosis....he has a slow growing mass on his lung. It's a long story, but we thought we were going to lose him in the spring...but he's still with us. He's still comfortable, enjoying life, eating his meals, taking short walks. We are so grateful to have him still with us, and are soaking up every glorious day with him. When it's time to say goodbye, we will know. We've been down this road before. Our "bright young thing", Callie Mae Butterbean Naughtypants, the yellow lab, keeps us on our toes. She is just a ball of joy. Always ready for a good time. Always wagging her tail. Always ready to snuggle. (as seen above).
I'm thankful for my kids and my hubby who were a great support system while I found myself on the road again, attending art shows. Hubby is my pack mule and navigator, the kids take care of the doggies at the house for us. We were BUSY this summer. I mean, wow! Customers and collectors were so generous with their support, both in person and shopping online. THANK YOU to everyone who supported my work one way or another this year! I'm so thankful!
I have some fun things in store for the new year! Some new projects, big and small, and I hope to be more active online, possibly jazzing up the YouTube channel and doing some more online and in person teaching. More on that soon. In the meantime, remember.......
Cheers, Dori and the gang