Happy Day

‘Red’ still controls the brush pile.

Ede putting new compost in her vegetable garden.

New facing on the ‘west wing’.

Miss Charlie

… ladder champion …

… sun worshiper!

Teddy wonders what is up with Rufus.

Poor Ru still recovering

Sunshine and fresh hay

Almost twenty years ago the kids and I decided we needed to do something to shed a little light on a dark mid-November. ‘Happy Day’ was born. I fondly remember that first year when Kate and I did our secret shopping to buy everyone little gifts … and put on a ‘red and green’ themed dinner. Anything for a pizza! 😉 We pulled out some early Christmas decorations, put on good music and surprised Edie and James when they arrived home from school. Since then our gang manages to catch the 16th on the calendar and send out HAPPY DAY! greetings around the family mailboxes.

This year I’ve considered lights … considered some early decorating … but truth be told … I’m enjoying the warm cozy feeling of these lamp lit evenings here at home. I think it has a lot to do with the experience of being retired and not too busy to appreciate the slowing pace of these days.

We’re keeping a close eye on Rufus this week. The poor guy has had seven teeth pulled out. He developed a condition that caused infections at the roots of his teeth. Now he has hardly any teeth left … which even so our vet has assured us he can still eat. And today he has been trying valiantly to accomplish that. It sure is hard when a family pet has to go through something like that and you have no way of explaining it to them. What must he think about my dropping him off at the clinic and not coming back for him until he’d been through that ordeal? He is sticking close by my side in his usual fashion and I’m just happy to have him here.