Trotting in the snow is excessively tiring but it’s so comfy when you come back into your lovely warm kennel.
The niece and I called a truce and found our best spots to snooze.
Meanwhile, Ma listened to the news about Venezuela and chewed her nails. She is anxious about what is next.
We don’t know much of Maria Corina Machado but she did receive the Nobel Prize so she can’t be a bad sort. Her letter suggests she is supportive of the strike.
We’re glad we’re not humans but Ma has learned more about Venezuela in the past few hours than she ever dreamt she might.
I’ve reminded her that her worrying will not impact the situation and that she must sleep!
Ma and me did virtually nothing yesterday and it was good.
We went with the niece for a short ride in the car to the post office and then had a nice walk in the snow around part of the gigantic graveyard.
When we got home Ma made some Cambell’s chicken soup and managed to burn it. Now don’t tell her I said this but who burns canned soup?
Her excuse was that she’s still getting used to the electric hob having had gas for centuries.
She better hurry up as it makes a stink.
Auntie Marsha stopped in for a tour of the new kennel and was delighted with the progress until she saw the garage at which point she almost swooned.
Ma decided we needed to forget about the garage and rest a little so we had a lovely nap.
For dinner we made fried rice from leftovers and then sat in front of the TV watching a program about the factory where Mr Kipling Cakes are made.
Do you know they make a BILLION cakes a year! Ma said it made her nostalgic for the factory visits she often made and that the scale of food production is awe inspiring.
I said all those buns we’re beautiful and appetizing so we had to have some snacks before we adjourned to the land of nod and dreamed of French Fancy’s and Apple Pies
Precious Peeps it’s your very own PERFECT Princess here.
Usually I would be full of fun on a Friday but today I’m just filled with sorrow for those beautiful young souls who died in that terrible fire in Switzerland.
My Granny and Grandpa and Dad lived in that country for years and have many dear friends there.
It’s such a well organized place and safety is taken very seriously.
It also has some of the best medical units in the world so the injured will receive great care but they will still be scarred for life.
We are heart broken just thinking of all the parents and family and pets who will have an empty chair at their tables.
What is your hope for 2026? Is it world peace? If so let me as a canine councilor ask you “are you at peace with yourself”?
What would this look like?
You’d probably just have had a very good uninterrupted sleep. If you didn’t why didn’t you? Work to resolve this first.
Maybe you have resentments or worries or pain or you’re too hot or it’s noisy. Fix these issues. Oh I hear you say that is easier said than done. It may be but have your tried to get to the root of the problem? Take noise as an example. If Casey wakes you up invest in earplugs!
If you’re well rested you should be more energized. This will help you accomplish daily tasks and to take long leisurely trots.
Exhaustion, that leads to negativity and ultimately to anger and bitterness, is less likely to occur if you’ve had plenty of shut eye.
If you haven’t slept well take a little rest every hour or so. Stop doing whatever you have to do for two minutes and just sit and think of the night to come.
Think of the nice dreams you might have. What would they be about? Who would they involve? What can you do to make them happen?
There that’s it; you’re all set for the year ahead.
Precious Peeps it’s Pits Perfect here to propel you with passion into a New Year.
Today is your last chance to make your mark on 2025 so get chewing.
Yesterday Granny returned with another load from the old house that included a very long cushion she called a “bolster”. She wasn’t sure if she really wanted to keep it so I helped her decide by eating a hole in it within ten minutes of its appearance.
Now I tell you this as an example of my decisiveness. You have got to be like me. Don’t dilly dally wondering what to do just get to the point and severe yourself from anything that is not essential. Granny is making progress in this regard, Dad is a fervent follower of my fashion but Grandpa needs some serious help as illustrated by the fact our garage can no longer house a vehicle since it is swimming in boxes of papers and books and art and frames and more chafing dishes than owned by the Ritz.
Make 2026 your year of success by being like me. Pare away with passion anything that lacks purpose or calorific value. Unfortunately this excludes the elimination of the stinking Gizz. He has no purpose but is made mostly of digestible material!
Elevate yourself and your position and climb to the pinnacle of PERFECTION.
Have an outstanding 2026 and listen up for further enlightenment.
Thanks to the Bro we now have Brit Box so Ma has an endless stream of shows from the good old BBC.
Yesterday we were “subjected” to yet another Carol service. This one was a bit different though. It was put together by no less than HRH The Princess of Wales.
This now annual event called Together At Christmas brings celebrities and citizens who have made a special impact in the kingdom to sing in the splendor of Westminster Abby.
It was so lovely that Ma had a little tear running down her cheek.
Made us very thankful that this beautiful Princess is so kind and thoughtful and also that she is surrounded by so many people who love her.
It’s real spooky in our new bedroom when there’s a gale howling like it is right now.
See the branches of the very big trees in our yard swing around a lot and even if you turn your head away from the window their image is reflected on the closet doors.
It makes it feel like we’re babes lost in the woods. The trees become giant monsters from another world.
I had to get very close to Ma for comfort.
It made us think about how often trees and storms and woods and winds feature in literature.
Maybe other people felt the force and captured it in their stories.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that there is nothing to beat a Sunday morning snuggle with your hooman in a big soft bed.
Ma and I were reflecting just now on this fact and that we love each other very much. She told me that just before she woke up she’d had a dream about scolding me because I was being nasty to the niece.
“NEVER”!
Do you know I was sequestered with that piece of PIT for seven hours yesterday inside Aretha while Ma cleaned out the kitchen cupboards at the old house. I completely ignored her.
Ma had to take us with her as we left home at 6:15 so we hadn’t time to trot before departure. She did take us for a mile walk in our old neighborhood once dawn broke.
Thereafter we were parked in the garage while she worked. I have it on good authority that she threw away enough takeaway plastic knives and forks to fuel a KFC for a year.
Every single one from the fast food they’d enjoyed over a fifteen year period had found its way into a drawer or cupboard.
It would seem Dad planned to use them for picnics! Ma says that henceforth if she see one she’ll have a fit.
Today the Bro and Ma are heading back to squeeze as many of the remaining pots and pans into the car before hitting the pantry. Ma already jettisoned some items that were let’s put it mildly “aged” and I don’t mean good cheddar!
The niece and I will remain with Dad to give Aretha maximum capacity to convey.
For now though I intend to snuggle some more and reflect on the essentials of life that are best described as warm and cuddly.
The alarm just went and the powers at be chose a good old Van Morrison song to wake us up.
I must be swift as the secretary needs go wash and caffeinate before we all leave Dad and head off to the old homestead.
We have decided to focus on the kitchen today as we have plenty if time. We are going to bring as much as possible so we can do normal cooking once more.
Yesterday our scope with leftovers was limited as we had no spice to make curry nor pasta to make bake.
If all goes to plan we will be cooking with gas metaphorically tonight as we’re all electric here.
There again we might have sandwiches if Ma is exhausted you just can’t beat a good turkey and ham!
Booming Banter 