Hm. I wouldn’t tell Carl that he wasn’t the Top Dog…
…or Spike, either…after all, Spike had been around the longest
and had to guard the house from those pesky cats
Sometimes, though, it IS about the last Dog Standing. If I had a medal, I would give you one, Charly. Would you settle for a major treat? How about a good memory?
Love you,
Your best friend
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One thing I’ve learned from the 22 dogs I’ve had in the past 80 years: I was capable of both good and bad in those years, but my dogs forgave the bad and adored the good. I have been a lucky person.
They seem happy to share the warmth of the heating pad on our carport every year but then disappear in the spring. Always together, just the two of them…until the winter of 2026.
uh, oh, two’s company, but three’s a crowd
excuse me, said Tuxedo Cat,can you not see the problem here?
Indeed I can, Tux, but Pretty cannot. In matters of the heart, I have learned over the past twenty-five years to trust Pretty’s instincts. When Pretty says possums get hungry, too, what can I say?
Ella and Molly’s Snowman – first weekend of February, 2026
Snow fell over South Carolina this past weekend, and our granddaughters enjoyed 3-4 inches of the fluffy ice crystals for two days before that lucky old Sun which usually rolls around heaven all day(according to the song) jumped out from behind the clouds to begin the thawing !
Three-year-old cousin Caleb came over to play with six-year-old Ella and four-year-old Molly in the unusually chilly cold that marked the beginning of the second month of 2026.
Although their snowman wasn’t the largest in size compared to other areas of the country, it was “enough big” to inspire the children’s laughter, happiness and making memories.
The End
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For the children of Minneapolis who have an abundant amount of snow available to make gigantic snowmen but are afraid to go outside and play… we stand with you.
A steady stream of children took one look at the fun outdoors this past Saturday and decided the Super Kitty Fourth Birthday Party for Molly James was immune to the bitter cold and wind. The Bounce House in the backyard was an invitation to freedom from well-meaning parents who made efforts to encourage them to wear coats with little success.
Molly seen climbing to the slide while Ella explained her rules
one brave mother tried to manage the chaosin the cold
Molly (L) and her best friend came inside to check out food
Molly’s mom, Caroline, made the birthday cake, planned the party,
made memories for her daughter thatwill last forever
Gigi and John watched as Mollyand friends inspected new stroller
Nana on secret mission for more chicken nuggets
let them eat cake – and they did
Molly not interested in sharing her birthday cake or her Super Kitty candle from cake
Molly was Queen of the Party and loved opening her gifts
Big Sister Ella kept a watchful eye
Ella so happy to see her friend, Thomas…
…so happy she picked him up!
oh, look! it’s a Super Kitty!
Super Kitty Molly with her friend Charlie and her dog Sadie
meow, meow, meow – I am Su-Purr Charged and Su-Purr Wild!
and now I’m also FOUR years old
The birthday party was a fun time for us on a day that we needed to celebrate hope for the future of our Molly who saw herself as a superhero – someone that went into the world creating good and righting wrongs. May she always have the courage and strength to keep those goals in sight wherever life takes her. She is already a superhero to her Nana and Naynay.
“We move through our lives shedding skins – kissing older versions or ourselves goodbye and kissing newer versions hello.”
Wish I had written this, but the quote was a line delivered recently by the main character in the TV drama series, Bull, which I watch occasionally at Ion television when I have exhausted my other streaming possibilities.
The Dr. Jason Bull quote I could relate to especially on the beginning of the New Year 2026. I liked the idea of shedding skins, kissing the older version of myself goodbye and kissing a newer version hello.
I will be 80 years old in April, 2026, which means I can look back to several lifetimes of skin shedding in those decades spilling over from one century to the next.
Some skins were painful to shed, and some were full of joy because that’s how “shedding” works. Some fell somewhere in between on a continuum of not understanding whether the skin I was shedding was one step forward and two steps back or two steps forward and no steps back. Shedding isn’t necessarily crystal clear.
As the New Year 2026 begins, I hope our Resolutions include the possibility of kissing our new skins hello and kicking our old skins to the curb. Yes, that definitely was my quote – sounds just like me.
Happy New Year!
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Nana and Naynay, Kitty and Kaka on the playground
New Year’s Eve with four grandmothers, three granddaughters
(and one random child along for the ride)
the little girls growing up too fast –and reluctantto say goodbye
(how many skins will they shed in their lifetimes)
I'll Call It Like I See It 
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