Good morning all:

“In the New Year, may your right hand always be stretched out in friendship but never in want.” — traditional Irish New Year’s toast

“I didn’t attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it.” — Mark Twain

Twain’s ‘funeral’ represents the year 2008 and I approved of its passing. Marcia and I stayed home this New Year. She lasted till about 11 and, cuddling a short-shot of Scotch, I limped across the finish line at 12:15. I could not stomach the major television network offerings designed to simulate a party atmosphere. Instead, I got caught up in a PBS offering of Dr. Zhivago. I must have started to dose off under the spell of the balalaikas playing Laura’s Theme and startled to when neighbors lit their fireworks. Since “excitement” is currently my middle name I’ll grab a second mug of morning coffee.

Time with family has made the holidays. First it was a great time in Michigan; even if Marcia accidentally locked herself out of Paul and Dia’s house Christmas morning. Her struggles to gain some attention meant that I finally spotted her trying to reach over a snow-bank to pound on a dining room window. The brisk wind and 18 degree weather meant that, at that moment, she wished she was wearing more than slippers and pajamas. I keep stressing that she should always keep her cell phone with her—though I have enough sense to realize that this was not an ‘I told you so’ moment.

New Year’s day we celebrated our gift exchange at Adrianne and Tevita’s home. At 8 pounds 10 ounces not so little Vai was introduced to her cousins for the first time. We could have skipped the gifts, it was Marin and Dinah studying Vai with utter fascination which made the moment.

Well nearly anyway.

We did capture Dinah shortly after she discovered Marcia’s homemade ‘Buckeye’ confections. The first one was doled out under supervision. It was the subsequent ones which she tried to sneak oh-so stealthily and oh-so unsuccessfully. I fail to understand the fascination kids have with something created out of peanut butter, sugar, and chocolate and easily accessible at eye level.

Yesterday was Marcia’s birthday. As I sang to her when she got up:

Have a great year, may it bring you peace, health, happiness, and joy. As a proponent of ‘baby steps’, if you’re into the resolutions thing, it might be better to organize them on a daily rather than yearly basis. Maybe start by making it a great week.

Cheers,

Dirk