Happy New Year chat

Uneventful yesterday, but eventful today.

For me 2013 was supposed to be a good year, but in all honesty it was not. Good things: qualifying for crufts with barley, getting puzzle, winning highlife trophy, lots of show success with barley, great show success with puzzle, got a dog that has a recall, got a dog that wants to learn, barley was in numerous magazine's and newspapers, got dad convinced to feed puzzle raw and probably some other stuff that i have forgotten about.

Bad things: the actual crufts experience, lots of health issues with barley, almost loosing barley (TWICE), and lots of other things that are too personal to share on a forum.

Hoping that 2014 is a lot better than 2013

We had a quiet New Years Eve. Except for the idiot neighbors.  The fireworks were incredibly loud and sounded like they were being set off in our front yard!  I spent a lot of time with Gabby, training.  She did pretty good, as far as not being terrified.  I was trying to free shape her into putting both feet on a footstool.  This proved harder than I'd anticipated.  When she was a young puppy, she tipped it over and it startled her.  Now she considers it something to avoid.  I did get her to finally put both front feet on it but it took twice as long as it would have any other dog.  Belle loves to stand on it with all four feet.  She looks ridiculous since it's a tiny footstool.  She looks like one of those circus elephants balancing all four feet on a little stool. lol  Belle absolutely doesn't care that it teeter totters.  

DH stayed up to welcome in the New Year.  As usual, I was asleep by 10 pm. lol  

I hope everyone's 2014 is good.  Last year was incredibly stressful for me and for my DH because of work situations.  I feel hopeful about the coming year because many of the stress inducing events are settled.     It's nice to have off two days in the middle of the week.  We might go to the river for a long walk a little later.  

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Happy New Year my dear friends.  Its a little chilly here but the sun is shining for now.  Like Jackie I was asleep by 10, lol.  When I was 20 no make it 30, maybe even 40 you would never have convinced me I would be asleep by 10:00 on New Years Eve.   I would be on a dance floor celebrating til the wee hours of the morning.  

Now I go to sleep around 10 and my dear hubby wakes me at Midnight with a kiss and then I go back to sleep :).  I have my blackeyed peas simmering and will be making my cornbread and fried potatoes in a few hours.  That is our southern New Year tradition.  What's yours?

A sad note; we lost a neighbor yesterday to that angry disease Cancer.  Good or not he being a very hard worker  and a stubborn man, didn't go to the Doc until a few weeks ago and was found to be terminal only this Monday.  Prayers to his wife children and grandchildren.

2014.... when I think about it.... 40 years since I graduated from high school, really?  I am looking forward to a good year, no resolutions that I wont keep, just enjoy each day as it comes.  

The K-9 for Cops float just came thru on the parade.  It was a beauty, made me think of some Shepherds friends I havent seen on here for a while :)

hmm -- lost a post, dang.

David and I did our typical "move" last night -- "The Hobbit"  -- Tolkein has long been a common interest for us so we've enjoyed that all the "parts" to the Trilogy and Hobbit have been over the Holidays LOL

Ginger so sorry to hear about your neighbor.  Difficult for a loss to be over the Holidays.

Jackie -- I'm so the opposite.  I can't *go* to sleep that early, tho I never sleep by a clock really.  When I'm tired *then* I go to bed.  But never in my life have I been a "morning" person.  I can do whatever is required but I don't think I've ever woken up "towards morning" and thot "I might as well get up">  LOL --  well only maybe if it's 2 minutes to the alarm.  Then that just ticks me off LOL

Tracy - yeah, those ads make lots of money.  Unfortunately it's almost scarey how many people are trolling the internet for soft or hard porn.  Even with general stuff -- there are always the curious ones who have to "click" and for the rest "name recognition"  is a powerful lure.  We Americans definitely DO respond to advertising.

Have a great beginning to 2014 all!!  

Oops, I meant to say -- hope the new year with Barley & Puzzle is better!  Health issues can be such a devastating thing!! (particularly for our dogs!  and particularly when you have high hopes for one).  Happy **new** Year!!

Yep, but thank god for pet insurance or i would be broke with the amount of vet bills barley has bought apon himself.

Hoping that he has less vet visits this year.

Happy New Year back to all. We had the normal quiet night waiting for the ball to drop. Had some sad news yesterday, as she couldn't call me the day it happened. A good friend lost one of her cats to cancer on Monday. RIP  Mr. Tom , you big handsome sweet boy.

Happy New Year to all. It was quiet here, and I, too, was in bed and asleep long before midnight! Some of the islanders did their annual plunge--the Bay is 40 degrees right now--brrr is all I say.

I am so sorry to hear about your neighbor, Ginger. Peaceful thoughts coming your way. And gentle thoughts for Mr. Tom's family, too.

I had a hankering for meatloaf and mashed potatoes tonight, so that is what is in the oven. I made the meatloaf with some salsa, so we'll see how that tastes. I remember black-eyed peas, collards and cornbread from when I lived in NC. And, we had to have the tree undecorated and down by New Year's Eve. We've always done a prosperity bag here--a stick of wood, a coin and a potato hung in a bag on the door, so you'll have money, fuel and food for the year to come. The first person in the house in the new year brings in the bag.

We're supposed to have a nor'easter with a foot of snow tomorrow into Friday, so I moved some wood and got the shovels ready.

Here's to 2014!

Kate, I've never heard of the prosperity bag tradition.  That's really cool!  

The recipe we have for meatloaf uses salsa along with breadcrumbs and some extra sautéed onions and green peppers.  It's really good . . . I like it better than the standard ketchup or plain tomato sauce recipe.

Our evening was mellow.  Our neighbors came over for dinner.  They left a bit after 10pm.  It took me nearly an hour to clean up the kitchen.  I would've gone to bed, but we have idiots in the area who blast fireworks, too.  I waited until about 12:15 to go to bed, figuring they were over.  I was in a deep sleep when what sounded like an M-80 went off very close by, about 1:30.  Seriously?  What time zone are you celebrating??  My heart was racing, so I was awake for a while.

I don't make resolutions because I never keep them.  The same things nag at me all year, every year:  eat better, exercise more, go to bed earlier, make decisions about possibly changing jobs, etc.  They are always on the to-do or goal list.

I forgot to send good vibes to your neighbor's family, Ginger, and your friend who lost her cat, Maureen.  As Callie said, the loss of loved ones (2 or 4 legged) is especially sad at the holidays.

I forgot to pass on my condolences for your neighbor Ginger and thanks all for sending thoughts about my good friend's cat, Mr. Tom. He was a good boy.