Item 1: Christmas morning December 25, 2015. I hop out of bed at 4:30 A.M. to greet this cherished day. I bundle up go outside into the chilly air retrieve the paper, prepare the coffee, mix my oatmeal and banana, work the crossword, listen to some music, and then add on another layer of clothes so I’ll be warm for my 7 A.M.Christmas Day 6 mile walk through the neighborhood.
It is cold. Frost covers the lawns in patches of clear icy blankets.There is no traffic. The stillness and silence is appropriate for a church service as the entire neighborhood is spread out before me like my own private cathedral this chilly morning.I love walking in the cold.The only thing better than that is walking in the cold with a brisk cold wind smacking you in the face like the palm of a doctor’s hand on a new born baby’s bottom. Your are alive!
Beethoven and Thoreau were right. Nature is God personified.
Ninety minutes later I round the corner and head to the homestead. In a few short hours Sheila and I will be in Woodland sharing Christmas Day with Jessica and Peter and their two boys while Mark and Rhiannon and their two children will be cooking up a Cajun Christmas dinner of Gumbo, chicken wings and other foods with fancy Creole names.Sheila’s brother, Billy, will be joining us from Grass Valley. He always brings a bag of home made gifts for the grandchildren and they adore him. It is always a treat to see him.It will be a good day providing happy memories for the grandchildren,Nana and Grumpy, Jessica and Peter, Rhiannon and Mark, and Uncle Billy.
Item 2: For some New Year’s Day Cheer click here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dSwMY7UWc4
Item 3: In just a few short weeks you will have the opportunity to see two outstanding bluegrass groups at the Westside Theater in Newman. Special Consensus is one of the elite national bluegrass groups today. They are being brought to California by none other than my sister, booking agent, Maria Nadauld, (Above the Bay Booking) to entertain you. Opening the concert will be one of the valley’s top bluegrass groups, Red Dog Ash.
Red Dog Ash and Special Consensus.
Jason Winfrey guitarist, singer-songwriter, and resident existential philosopher of the group has been putting together various bluegrass shows the past few years at the Westside Theater. Jason has worked hard bringing in popular bluegrass bands to share the stage with Red Dog Ash. It is a labor of love and bluegrass fans have been able to enjoy the results of Jason’s diligence and care. A hearty thank you to Jason. I encourage you to mark January 16 on your calendar and treat yourself to some fine bluegrass music.
Item 4: New Years predications and resolutions:
1.Giants and the Golden State Warriors in the playoffs in 2016.
2.49ers will move to San Diego instead of the Raiders, taking York, Balke, and the rest of their misfit front office.
3.Raiders will be moved to Santa Clara and win the Super Bowl.
4.Someone who is not a member of AARP will be elected to the CBA Board.
5.RIck Cornish will market a line of tie dye tank tops with drawings of Labs on them provided by his artistic and lovely wife Lynn.
6.CBA readers will soon have a New First Friday Welcome Columnist.
7.A democrat or a republican will be elected president.
Item 5: January 2016 marks the beginning of my sixth year on the Weight Watcher Program. Spending sixty years of my life overweight maxing out at 240 pounds and some change it was time to shed some of the excess baggage.I was able to lose about 75 of those pounds and have been fortunate enough to keep it of. It easy. We are fortunate in Turlock to have some outstanding “team leaders” at our weekly Weight Watcher meetings and I need extra help so I attend two meetings a week. Carol and Cassie lead up the meetings and they are the paragon of what team leaders should be.Our meetings are fun, informative, and it is rewarding and productive to share thoughts with those who struggle with the weight thing. If anyone was having thoughts about looking for a program to follow I don’t think you could go wrong with Weight Watchers.
Until February 5, 2016, or until the twelfth of never, whatever comes first:
Read a book, hug a child, pet a dog, stroke a cat, eat a bar of chocolate, share a silent moment….