A Tribute to Dogs

We lost our faithful dog Sally on January 14th... she was a great dog. She will be missed by her people and by Stella.... but we have happy memories, and thanks to me, lots of pictures!

"I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive." Gilda Radner

A dog is like an eternal Peter Pan, a child who never grows old and who therefore is always available to love and be loved. ~ Aaron Katcher, American Educator and Psychiatrist

Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring--it was peace." - Milan Kundera

"She is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. She will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of her heart. You owe it to her to be worthy of such devotion." Unknown

"I love a dog, she does nothing for political reasons. " Will Rogers

You think dogs will not be in heaven? I tell you, they will be there long before any of us." -

Robert Louis Stevenson

Save a place for us Sally!

Wrapping up 2009

I met Carrie Edwards, Sue Englebert and Kathy Stromske for lunch in Wautoma on December 30th.... fun catching up with these wonderful ladies... none of us are at Lourdes anymore, but we still had lots to talk about!

Kathy and Sue

Then Mark and I were off to the Dales... where we got to play with Betsy and Dick's grandson Jonah, who I met in San Fransisco last spring.

And here are his parents, Emily and Paul

Mark enjoyed seeing Betsy and Dick --- and Thank God he had the right color on!

Jonah in the bath... it is a required picture for all grandparents!

On New Year's Eve we traveled to Illinois to see Mark's family. We gave Grandma a Kindle for Christmas, and I helped her figure it out... so now I know a bit how they work! Really fun way to carry more than one book with you if you are going on vacation!



Bruce and Deb joined us to celebrate the holidays

Some gift exchanging took place....

Laura sent my Christmas gifts up early... and they are wonderful... 2 sewing scissors, a book on knitting, a sweater and a fruitcake!!!!

We gave Nick walkie talkies and he seemed to like them

Debbie and Ralph posed for the camera

Bruce received a chocolate fish from Mary Kay

Hatton family tradition: Wrapping paper fight!

Sally hasn't been feeling too well... and Stella is keeping close




We rang in the new year at Mary Kay's, and then returned to our Castle on Lake Camelot on New Year's Day. Football, and more football, and a bit of relaxing before we return to the real world and see what 2010 (twenty ten or two thousand and ten?) has in store for us!

Happy New Year!!!!! Hope it is a great year for all of us!