Happy New Year

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year's Eve/Day.

We had a wonderful Christmas again this year. We drove up to see my family in Central California. I love this drive. The scenery through all the agricultural land is so beautiful, and in a different way each season.

This tree was at a rest stop, and was full of crows. The tree's muted beige coloring against the crows' black feathers made it look like a sort of Christmas tree. What you can't see is that there was a single black crow at the top, like a star. Naturally, he flew away just before I snapped the shot.


These are my favorite hills in the world. They are so softly carved out by nature, and in winter remind me of velvet.

I call this image Blue and Gold Road.

The drive is also very special to me because as I pass each different area, I remember and replay in my mind all the stories my mother has shared with me about when she was a little girl. As we pass some large trees, she tells me, "That's where my dad would pull over and my mama would make us all a picnic lunch." So, that drive is very meaningful for me each time I make it.

Actually, the only "hair in the salad" on this road trip was...a hair in my salad. Gross. I won't tell you where we ate, because I really haven't got anything good to say about it, other than the cool scenery in the vicinity. The waitress brought the wrong drinks, wrong orders, the infamous hair in my salad, wrong bill, and finished the whole ordeal off with no apology and attitude. (Just HOW does one expect to justify hair in a salad by using this line: "Well you know it's a restaurant and things happen...")

As always, my sister put together a fantastic Christmas meal for us (sans hair). The table was set stunningly beautiful, and the meal was delish!




Oh, and did I mention PRESENTS?




We each make Christmas wish lists (hey, who wants to waste their Christmas ducats?). This year I wanted a Waterpik, a Sonicare toothbrush (my dentist would be so proud) and a George Foreman rotisserie, among a myriad of other items. I GOT THEM! I am using them all faithfully, and I feel my choppers getting prettier by the day.



And as far as the rotisserie...

Need I say more??

We were a lucky family in that we had a new member to celebrate this year.


This is baby Suki with her cool Yoda 'do. She was going to be put down for being a runt and having some related health issues, but my niece fell in love with her and rescued her. Suki repays her daily with big love and companionship...and laughs. As you can see, she's good to go now. Sometimes just a little effort goes a long way to save a life.

New Year's was very mellow and reflective for me. I spent the day making sure I focused in on what's truly important in my world - starting with God and my family, and remembering that everything else is a bonus.

So, I can say I had a wonderful Christmas and New Year's Day, and I hope you did, too.

Peace.

B