Wow, we made it through January! It’s always a long, dark, cold month, and this year it gave us a humungous dumping of snow on the way out. What a kick in the pants! We usually get more snow in February, but it’s a short month, with a candy holiday smack dab in the middle. That’s doable. And if June, July and August are summer months, that means March, April and May are technically spring, right? In other words, we’ve only got one short month left of winter. Hey, that works for me! I know I should spring clean in January, but it’s a hard enough month as it is. I don’t want to add …

Charlie and me were taking a Sunday morning walk, just the two of us. Scamp doesn’t really do walks anymore. We take him out in the yard, where he pees, then stands and sniffs the air for about five minutes not willing to go any further. Guess he’s deciding whether or not he has to poop. Sometimes he does, sometimes he doesn’t. 50/50 chance on those mornings when doesn’t go outside, he realizes later he had to go after all, and leaves a little deposit or two around the house. More times than not in the bathroom, if you can believe it. He’s always been a smart little fella. Anyhoo, Charlie and me were out …

We were hanging out with our niece Caitlin and her boyfriend, Adam, last week. It was a typical January day, cold and blustery, with an occasionally flurry thrown in for good measure. But it was warm inside, and we were having breakfast for supper. This is something we used to do all the time when we Caitlin was little and we were babysitting. French toast and bacon were on the menu. Caitlin and Adam are vegetarian, so they usually bring along some veggie bacon for me to cook up for them. Personally, I don’t get the point of veggie bacon. It just seems kind of unnatural. But we humor ‘em. Could have knock me over …

I went to see my Dad the other day. Afterwards, my sister Irene texted me. She asked, “How’s the old guy?” I answered, “Do you mean our dad, my husband, or the dog?” I told Charlie what I said, and he didn’t think my snappy remark was as funny as Irene and me did. Actually, Dad is in a little bounce right now. I think they must have gotten his blood sugar more under control. All of a sudden, he’s talking in complete sentences and is a little more with it. He’s even laughing a bit. Sure, Dad still thinks the trellis is a truck, and a typical visit is basically the same conversation three …

On New Year’s Eve day, I had an Aha moment. Yup, I’m giving Oprah a run for her money. I was working down to the A&P, wishing folks “Happy New Year,” like you do. And I thought, How many times am I gonna say “Happy New Year” in the next few weeks? It’s just something you do without thinking, right? Well, what if I put some mojo behind it? What if, when I say “Happy New Year” I do it with intention, as my niece Caitlin says. What if I really wish that person happiness in the new year, and at the same time, for myself, too. Kind of an affirmation (Caitlin, again). “I am …