A new year and a new start. The coronavirus is still with us though. This week we endured another COVID test on Monday, as Darcy may have had an exposure last week, we thought it prudent. This was our 7th testing, and we were again negative. So far, so many bullets dodged. Some birthdays to reflect upon this week: Monday, the 27th was Lynn Covert’s 70th birthday. She does not look or feel like she is a septuagenarian. Her loving husband John bought her a cake/brownie mix and asked her to make it for her birthday cake, he is so thoughtful! Also Tuesday, the 29th was Marsha Gallagher’s birthday - an undisclosed number of years, but still spry and sightful.
Three wedding anniversaries to celebrate this week. Evidently a lot of people looking for a joint tax return filing in past years: Ann & Don Hosford on the 29th, and both Lynn & John Covert and Mary & Dennis Picken on the 30th. Happy-Happy to all celebrants!
It is with regret that we announce the passing (euthanasia) of our dear Harry Picken Covert. Our somewhat incomplete records say that Harry entered this world on November 4, 2001. If accurate, he was 19 years old at his last birthday. He had been living with us since December 24, 2009, which is when we took over his care and lodging from Deb’s mom, Beverly Picken. Harry had been adopted as a puppy by Bev and Roger Picken, and brought them much happiness, as he did to us. To the end, he would be sprite-full and carefree, running around the yard and house, barking at other dogs as they pass by or inhabit the neighboring yards. In the last few months, he became increasingly incontinent, his cataracts reduced him to almost total blindness, and he couldn’t hear unless you shouted at him or stomped on the floor so he could feel the vibrations. It was a very tough decision for us, but Harry had had a good run and was in obvious pain and much confusion. RIP Harry: 2001-2020. We toasted you on the 30th and you will be in our memories forever.
We have been dining on leftovers: ham and cheesy potatoes, braunsweiger dip with black bread, lasagna, snickerdoodle cookies, fudge, pecan spice bars, frosted cookies, chocolate peanut clusters and assorted other health foods. We even scrounged up a salad with one of our lasagna evenings. Monday we made a run to the stores for groceries and bird seed while we were out for our COVID testing. Monday evening
the Tuesday forecast was for a big winter storm with projected accumulations of 5” - 11” inches of snow. Mark, knowing that his new hip probably wasn’t best for heavy snow shoveling, ran out to the local ACE hardware and purchased a new battery operated snow blower, which uses the same batteries as his other yard implements. There may have been some previous planning in this acquisition of a new (toy) tool! Come Tuesday afternoon, when the snow stopped falling, he was out like a flash and cleaned up the 7” we received in a thrice, never even skidding on the ice. Slick and a quiet operating machine. Of course that means that we now have to store the new 96 gallon trash and recycling containers outside to make room for the new purchase in the garage, but such is the sacrifice Deb is willing to make to keep her husband healthy and happy. He even promises to show her how to operate it for future snows!
Deb’s book club, Women with Spines, had a gift/treat exchange this week. Each member contributed some small edible, two of the members collected them all and placed them in decorated paper grocery sacks, and three other members collected them and delivered them to members’ homes.The club then met this week, virtually, to choose the books for next year. They spent a few hours making their various presentations on the choices and narrowed it down to 12 plus one alternate from the original list of 24 titles. 2021 will be a well read year.
Our New Year’s Eve celebration was raucous as usual. We had a virtual cocktail with our friends Karen and Dell in Phoenix, Lee and Howie, and Ann and Don, all having traveled together in times past;
we then dined on a Hungarian turkey goulash recipe, accompanied by some wine and home made baguettes. We tried to stay up until it was midnight somewhere on the globe, and toasted out 2020 and toasted in 2021with a few glasses of bubbly. We even tried to sing a verse of Auld Lang Syne!
We wish all a very prosperous and safe New Year in 2021. We will have a new leader in the White House, one who can string a sentence together and who doesn’t lie at every breath, one who respects others and has a calming influence, we hope. Please stay safe, wash your hands, mask up when needed, test if you can and we hope the coming year will allow us to see many of you in person.
