End of Another Year

It’s one more journey around the sun

To the end of another year
You think of all the distance run

At the end of another year

So many times we’ve been around
We’ve been up and we’ve been down

And we’ve been lost and we’ve been found

At the end of another year

Between tomorrow and yesterday

It’s the end of another year

Springtime isn’t far away
From the end of another year

Stroke of midnight, hear the sound

Friends and memories gather ‘round

And when at last the ball comes down

It’s the end of another year

This is the first and last verse to a lovely song by Bob Zentz. I found myself humming the chorus this afternoon and decided to look up the words of the verses. I've been enjoying reflecting on the year's events. It's been a busy one! Here are some highlights:

• In January we started in earnest to hunt for a space for FOUND. In July we signed a lease and on August 28th we opened our doors for business!
  

• We lost our beloved Franklin kitty in May and were adopted by our sweet kitten Pippa in November.

• Ken was rehired in October by the very firm that laid him off in '09.
  

We're looking forward to 2011 and the many adventures and opportunities of the coming year!
Here's hoping your new year is bright, joyful and prosperous!

Evidence

Though I don't often see them first hand
I know they've been by for a visit.

Little gray junkos and chickadees

and another stray cat.

This one's an adult. I only get fleeting glimpses of it - gray tabby fur, bits of white on its face and paws. Maybe it heard through the grapevine that we sometimes adopt strays who sleep on our porch rockers...

Priorities

I have a love hate relationship with winter. I relish the first big snow storm like a school kid, enjoy the coziness of the season and love to bundle up. But enough is enough! All we ever get these days for snow forecasts is measly amounts like 1-3 inches. My all time least favorite winter forecast seems to be most prevalent these days - "cloudy with a light wintry mix" (whatever the heck that means). I know, I know, I'll be complaining about the gray and the cold by mid-February but for now I'd just be happy to wake up tomorrow morning to find four inches of snow on the ground. Actually I'd be happy just to hear that we got more snow than Washington, DC or Philadelphia. Come on, this is upstate NY after all, we have our pride. Meanwhile our neighbors in Syracuse just hit 73 inches in total snowfall for the season. I suppose I should watch what I wish for, there is a lot of winter still left...

Here's Pippa and I enjoying a cozy fire and a good movie.

Forget about snow, for her winter is all about the snuggling and catching up with her buds on facebook.

Photos by Ken

Over the River and through the woods...

to Mermaid Lane we go! We had a lovely but short Christmas visit this year due in part due to our schedules and the enormous Nor'easter headed up the coast. We arrived in time for a fantastic Christmas Eve dinner prepared by Amanda with presents immediately after ward and birthday cake for Lexi too.

On Christmas morning we drove over to Medford, NJ to spend the afternoon Howard.

After lunch there were more presents to open,
and knitting projects to complete.

Lexi and Alana even found a quiet spot for a nap.

Another cozy and sweet McKinney Christmas!

Happy Christmas everyone...

and Happy Birthday Lexi!

It's snowing lightly here and the sun is out. Gotta love upstate winters and gotta love a white Christmas! I know I should be careful what I wish for, but I'm hoping we get an honest to goodness proper snow one of these days and soon. I want the kind of snow that stops us in our tracks, strands us in our driveways and gives us that unscheduled day off. I want a snow day!

The kitties are all snug in their beds after a night of chasing and play fighting at the foot of our bed. We're a little slow-moving ourselves this morning after an evening spent celebrating Lexi's 22nd birthday.

Ken and I were most amused to note how much more fun we had at Lexi's party than at the other fancy grown up party we went to earlier this week. Yeah, we were the geezers at last night's festivities but we held out own.

Happy Birthday dear sweet Lexi!

Bringing Back the Light

Ahhh, Winter Solstice.

Time to welcome back the light,

and let the magic begin.

The meal was warming and delicious,

and the tree was aglow.


Carrie started off the ritual

and then the bundling up began!

This was the first year I didn't make the big trek up the hill and I really missed being at the bonfire circle. Next year I'll make the hike for sure.

Happy Solstice everyone!

Getting Along, Moving Along

Today for the first time ever, we have snuggling!

Peter, the owner and full time occupant of the desk-top kitty cup, saw his way clear to allow Pippa a small bit of room there. She climbed in, circled twice and then commenced to purring.Her purr is irresistible even if she sounds like she needs a muffler. Her little paw sat sweetly on P's belly the entire time. They are quite the color combo these two. They snuggled for a good ten or fifteen minutes - long enough for me to document the special occasion for posterity! I predict a long and happy friendship. The verdict is still out on the state of things between Pippa and Lillie however. Today I'm fairly certain I heard Lilllie meow "Can we give her back now mom, please?"

Though I've been on leave for the past five weeks I'm still keenly aware of the academic calendar and today was a milestone. It was the last day of juries. Had I been in school I would have had the ceremony of the removal of the teaching schedule from my bulletin board. A most hallowed event. Instead I spent the day puttering in the shop and getting caught up at home. Because the semester is now over, I'm officially released from leave and I can begin working in the shop again. This is a most welcome change. You can only do so much acupuncture, massage and nutritional counseling. The good news is that I feel good, in fact I feel better than I've felt in some time. In a few weeks I'll start seeing if my hands remember how to play the viola. I can hardly wait! Onward. Upward. Here we go.