Challenging Times

We're back home in upstate NY. . . after traveling for our usual three days, 1,270 mile trip. We froze! Reason is freezin - of course, but because of a change in plans we found oursevles doing all the more shivering. You see, we originally planned to fly home for Christmas, so we didn't bring any outer winter clothing with us. However, we're changing cars. We drove the new Toyota Corolla back here with us, and will be taking the Kia Spectra back with us after the holiday season.

We were really nervous about snow travel, but the Good Lord was looking out for us, and we had a beautiful trip - if not sunny all the time, at least it was not snowing! But COLD. And windy. Paul had a challenge with the little car. Our first night we stopped just north of Columbia and Paul had to take Gracie out. He looked like a sheik because we put a hand towel under his baseball cap and tucked into his jacket to cover his ears.

I always thought that people who dressed their dogs up were down-right silly. I still feel that way, but I must admit, Gracie really needed the red winter vest we bought her. Our "Florida dog" has never been in cold weather so we both felt sorry for her, when her whole 4.5 lb. body shivered from the cold and she'd lift one foot after the other to keep at least one foot warm. Oh, well. We all have to adjust!
Ok. I will admit to you - I bought her some little boots. She refuses to wear them though. And they're big for her, even though they're small. They fell off even when tied. She needed extra-small. She'll adjust. She has to. There are such things as winter dogs, you know. Take Ivan - Nancy's siberian husky. He revels in the cold weather with his big heavy double fur coat. Or Greta, Lue's puppy.

So - we have our little tree up. It's decorated. Actually we do have two. Plus a village, plus our mirror has lights around it. Paul decorated the porch with lights, our lit Santa (the electric kind/ not the overly cheerful kind. . .my cracked brain saw him with a bottle). We have other decorations around the house. When I get my camera hooked up, I'll put some pictures up.

BTW I don't think I'll get a Newsletter written before Christmas. Perhaps I'll write one afterwards. Make it a New Year's one. I do want to keep in contact with the people we get cards from and it's always good to hear from everyone.

Got the cutest pictures over the internet of my almost-three month granddaughter, Evie. She looks so much like her brother, Vincent, who is four. Nancy got a video camera from her dad as an early Christmas gift. Vincent went ice-skating with his dad at a rink in Chicago, and they recorded it and shared it via e-mail. Oh, my. The poor little guy was flopping all over the place without a care in the world! But - he finally got up and "took off" and you could see he had a marvelous time. He was so excited.

I think the internet is such a marvelous invention to keep in touch with family. Think of all the settlers and pioneers who left the East to go out West, with the possibility of never seeing their loved ones again. We've come a long way.

I could write more, but I have things to do so I hafta' close. That's what's happenin' in our neck o' the woods. What's happenin' in yours?