Happy New Year!

Goodbye, 2011 ~ Hello, 2012!

Coming Home

My sweet baboo is coming home tomorrow morning! He has gotten so much stronger and steadier, thanks to the daily therapy. And the once-upon-a-time, terrible pain in his right hip is gone. It’s history. Thank goodness for modern medicine! 

I joined him for his last lunch at the rehab facility earlier today. Tonight, I’ll keep him company during his last dinner there. I dropped off some duffle bags in his room so that he can pack up tonight. It is bittersweet for him to say goodbye to the kind staff that have taken such good care of him. He’s gotten quite a few hugs. They will miss him and his cheerful spirit. 

Ah, but their loss is my gain! It’s been incredibly quiet around the cottage for the past three and a half weeks, and I am ready for my man to come back home. We’re both anxious to resume our normal lives.

And as the calendar gets replaced on Sunday, we’re ready to start planning more traveling adventures in 2012!

Wildlife Wonders of Alaska - Porcupine

Let me introduce you to a little ball of quills called Snickers. He is a porcupine that was originally raised as a pet and now resides at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. A staff member was feeding him one of his favorite foods during our visit: peanuts. Oh, he was a happy critter! With that kind of rugged exterior, it is hard to photograph an expression on a porcupine. But I thought it was cute when he held out his paw in anticipation for his next unshelled peanut. An appropriate thought bubble would be “gimme”!

Snickers has gotten to be a rather famous YouTube star. Here he is, showing off his playful character. 

An interesting fact about porcupines is that they make a variety of sounds, including whistles, whines, mumbles, grunts, and snuffles. It is really amusing to hear them carry on! Here is Snickers, showing you some of his vocal skills. 

That sounds a lot like the hungry diner sitting across from you at the Golden Corral restaurant, doesn’t it?!

Christmas Gifts

Upon reflection of what this special time of year means and the countless moments that have shaped my world, I am filled with love and gratitude. 

May your Christmas celebrations touch your heart, and may you discover those same gifts.

Christmas is Almost Here!

Where has the time flown? This month has zipped past faster than any other this year. It’s to be expected since we’re still living in that alternate universe! Hubby is doing incredibly well at the rehab facility and getting stronger each day. He has been a big hit with the staff and several have already mentioned how much they are going to miss him when he leaves there. Right now, he still working on his balance and he is beginning to learn how to walk with a cane. We expect that he will come home in another week.  

Things haven’t been going quite as smoothly for me. After being immersed with so many people the past few weeks and all the “to and fro” activities, I have caught a nasty cold. Yep, somebody flung cold cooties on me! Grrrr… I woke up with the telltale onset of symptoms Monday morning. What lovely timing! {sarcasm} I am using an arsenal of over-the-counter medicines, resting when I can, and trucking along anyway when I can’t. At least my workweek is now over and I have a long weekend to rest up and visit with my sweet baboo.  

With sickness descended upon me, I freely admit that I am less than enthused than ever about taking photos now of this year’s decorations. But here are a few scenes I took in our cozy great room. Garland is strung on the stairway banisters and a few Santas are hanging out on the staircase in back of the loveseat. A Santa needlepoint pillow also gives a little pop of color. In case you are wondering, that is some of our Alaskan Native art collection peeking off to the right of the photo. And a cherished grandfather clock resides on the stairway landing (made by hubby’s uncle, now deceased).  

The commanding feature of our great room is the expanse of built-in bookcases along one wall. I put out a few cheery decorations on either side of the television. Though I have an extensive Santa collection, I decided to display a minimum amount this year. A snowman that I made in 1998 dominates this scene. (A tag on the bottom serves as a reminder!) With an apparent burst of energy, I made about a dozen snowmen that year and gave all but two away. The bookcases hold a small assortment of treasures, books, pictures, and small antiques that we have accumulated over the years. If you look closely, you can spot a corner of an antique cowbell in the background on the right-hand side of this photo.  

A large, wild-eyed Santa is the focal point in this scene. It looks like he is ready to deliver a couple of miniature pull toys to some lucky children. We got this folk art piece from Colonial Williamsburg last year. A hand-carved wooden Santa to the right is holding on to a very plump bear. Each piece has a story of its own. Many of them were acquired during our travels or at craft fairs. Some were gifts. And this particular photo gives you a little taste of the types of treasures that we have in the bookcases, including pottery, carvings, and baskets. 

I hope that the hustle and bustle of activities is winding down for all of my blogging friends so that you may enjoy the joys of the season!