Six degrees with minus eight windchill.  Yeah, I'm not going out there.  Happy New Year,

"And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been."----Rainer Maria Rilke

     It is gorgeous out today.....50 degrees and sunny, so Charleigh-dog got some actual exercise!  We took advantage of it. Tomorrow, the last day of the year, though, will have a high of 14 and snow. It's a good thing I'm a New Year's Eve home body because I wouldn't be venturing out tomorrow night.

All joking aside:

And finally Winter, with its bitin', whinin' wind, and all the land will be mantled with snow. —Roy Bean

(We haven't gotten any snow this winter, but we've gotten the biting cold). It's 5 degrees out so no walking around the lake today, instead opting for a mall walk. It should be fun.  Hopefully the gift exchangers and sale shoppers will sleep in a bit on a Saturday.

I've got to get back into the exercise routine and the not eating all the junk food routine, and yes there are lots of vegan junk foods.  Poor Charleigh has been getting minimal walks. That has to change, too. Resolution time.

I love this kid!

Intelligence

Travel the road less taken

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lINLhw7iv0&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR0grjgKhpX8wbkS2l0QMozuqTsTb2V6O7jyE9Myxy6HpOWNM-3caEj6m6I

Maybe Christmas, the Grinch thought, doesn't come from a store.

Today be thankful, and think how rich you are.  Your family and friends are priceless , your time is gold, and your health is wealth.

Merry Christmas from me and my Charleigh Brown

Such a great tradition....I will do try it this year.

     I have several books waiting to be picked up at the library this morning.  Perfect timing.


     I got out early with the dog.  What a beautiful full moon and moonset.

     I just now saw a red fox with a big slice of pizza in its mouth running down my court. He did have the good sense to be looking back over his shoulder while he ran.  Merry Christmas Reynard.

     Last week I put a big pumpkin out in the back yard for the deer.  I hadn't gotten around to cooking it, so thought I would share.  For a day or 2 it just sat there, with only a couple of squirrel bites.  Then suddenly it was just gone.  Not a seed, not a stem, not a shred of orange left.  Unless it was neighbor kids, who never before have wandered into my yard, what could have carried that big pumpkin off without a trace?  My mystery of the week.

Still punny!

“it is a serious thing // just to be alive / on this fresh morning / in this broken world.” ― Mary Oliver, Red Bird

Pa-rum-pa-pa-pum

Basic elementary school biology:

Dad jokes

Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is the special occasion.

(Guilty of this, but working on it)

If you can't play sports, run. If you can't run, run long......Author unknown

     I've got a lot of years to make up for:
https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a25378840/running-keeps-your-body-younger-study/

Santa Stampede yesterday

     First rule of running.  Locate the camera man, look up and smile, no matter what!! (Near the finish line of a 10k)

Very Interesting

Muscle mass should be a new vital sign.

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-10/ghn-mms101718.php?fbclid=IwAR01S6T8c6orN_fFbHho9lTivVdVE-H3sGkNRIoQf6gbe_-S8XAuOCTeAnE



I've always loved this graphic:

https://www.bettermovement.org/blog/2012/use-or-lose-looks-like



     I need this info for motivation.  I haven't been exercising much lately.  Hopefully this will help me get my mojo back.

Thoughts for the day

Never cut what you can untie.
                ----Robert Frost

   

      but what about:
          "When one burns one's bridges, what a very nice fire it makes."
                                           ― Dylan Thomas

     it seems:

           "The hardest thing in life to learn is which bridge to cross and which to burn."

                                           ― David Russell

"Dog Songs"

“LITTLE DOGS RHAPSODY IN THE NIGHT
(PERCY THREE)

He puts his cheek against mine
and makes small, expressive sounds.
And when I'm awake, or awake enough

he turns upside down, his four paws
in the air
and his eyes dark and fervent.

Tell me you love me, he says.

Tell me again.

Could there be a sweeter arrangement?
Over and over
he gets to ask it.
I get to tell.”

― Mary Oliver

tags: dogs

Sorry.....had to share

HaHaHa

     I almost caused a traffic accident yesterday.  I was stopped at a cross-walk with my dog and a car actually stopped for me!  The car behind it was going way too fast causing lots of braking, skidding, honking, swearing, and having to veer off to the side. So glad it worked out okay.

Quote of the day

- The very powerful and the very stupid have one thing in common. They don't alter their views to fit the facts. They alter the facts to fit the views, which can be uncomfortable if you happen to be one of the facts that needs altering. - Doctor Who

Have an awesome weekend.

The joys of home ownership.

     I guess I'm ready for winter.  I have new circuit breakers and a whole house circuit breaker installed, the gutters have been cleaned; today the furnace and hot water heater will be maintained and a functional new garbage disposal installed. Anything else will have to wait.

     Update.....grrrr, hot water heater is 16 years old, too old to flush as that could cause more damage than leaving it alone at this age. Have to consider a new one at some point.

     Update to the update.....to bring house up to code for the water heater, need to install new smaller chimney for it since I have a high efficiency furnace which vents itself.   Also discovered the pressure reducing valve to house is no longer functional and must be replaced.  We're talking big bucks here.  Darn aging house and new safety codes.  The furnace better not require anything new, or else. All this will have to wait until new year. It might be cheaper to move. (Just kidding....I'd have to fix it anyway due to code changes).

     It is cold, gray, and starting to snow.  I am staying in today, drinking coffee, and reading.  I am abdicating exercise for the day....a conscious choice to veg out.  Yay.

     FYI, the biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody" was excellent.

Prescient!

Experience the world of Vincent Van Gogh.

     This is gorgeous, calming and serene.

                                        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-AykjLhKHw

I've always loved this quote......

LOL

What did the surgeon say to the patient who insisted on closing up his own incision?

Suture self.☺

Mary Oliver is the best!

Wrinkles mean you laughed, grey hair means you cared and scars mean you lived.

 From Charleigh Brown and me