Tika's Ready for 2013

Just like she's pulling and eagerly forging ahead on our snowy walks (and we have 8" of the white stuff), Tika is a great example to me of what I should do in 2013. First, make a clear and reasonable New Year's Resolution...... and I have:  I will throw something away every day. This might be cleaning a drawer or closet but it might also mean cleaning off my desk or cleaning out a file. Be inspired by Tika's example: eagerly forge on ahead and just DO IT.

Tika Likes Christmas Grandmas & Family History

Tika did not enjoy the 80-mile ride on Christmas to be with family. Notice the WHITE road, WHITE hills, WHITE sky and WHITE snow blowing sideways??  But once there, she was quite excited to see us two grandmas sharing family history stuff............

What a grand day for talking about, for asking about and for sharing family history! Rosemary and I share kids (her son married my daughter and we now share four grand-boys and two new grand-ds-in-law.) Rosemary had brought a nice stuffed box of genealogy papers and here she is asking me if I think the young woman in the one photo is the same as the older woman in another. (I did.) What a fun day we had with genealogy-yakking, good food, great company, present opening and Christmas cookie painting!   Tika happily and contentedly slept all the way home.

Maybe you might should arrange a similar rendezvous for New Year's Day upcoming???? Tika says "YES!"

Tika & Wind In The Pines & MyHeritage

These are Ponderosa Pines and they can grow 50-feet tall. On a clear, sunny blue day the pines in our yard are wonderful, majestic and beautiful. BUT today, in a howling wind, these enormous-gigantic trees are twirling, dancing and swaying in the wind...... in a cold, snow-driven wind. It's not a nice day. Tika says "I'm staying put!"

But, I said to her, "You cannot just sleep all day." And she said, "Let's explore MyHeritage and Mocavo today!"   Such a smart little dogger. And so we will!

Tika & The Map

Tika often wonders why I collect old license plates. I try to explain to her that Handy Man makes roofs for birdhouses from these old metal plates. I've collected many from states where I've visited and from where my ancestors lived and the license-plate-roofed birdhouses line my fence.

In a gift catalog I spied this wonderful map made from license plates from all 50 states! It only cost over $1000 dollars so Tika will not be getting this for me for Christmas but it surely is neat-neat-neat. Have you ever seen anything like this? For real?