Princess Casey!

Here's a picture of my beautiful, beloved Chow mix, Casey, with her new best friend, Santa Claus! Casey is a rescue dog who adopted us 5 years ago after we lost our 15-year cockapoo, Conrad.
Casey was rescued by the humane society back home in Jacksonville, N.C. after she had been beaten up and thrown out of a car. She had two surgeries before we got her, and is today a happy, healthy and spoiled little girl!

Say goodbye 2008 and hello 2009

Well, there's only a few hours left in 2008, and I for one am itching to bid this year adieu. If I hear the words "bailout," "maverick," or "go green" one more time, I think I'll hurl!
No doubt about it, 2008 has been challenging --- constant chatter about the collapse of the economy, failed ponzi schemes, continuing worries about terrorism, and political scandals can make even normally positive people feel anxious about the future. But the dawning of a new year brings with it a clean slate, limitless possibilites and the chance to start over.
My resolutions for the new year -- exercise more (that is a definite), eat better, and laugh more!
I hope we all take advantage of the good that 2009 will offer.

This that and the other

As Christmas draws near and the year comes to a close, it's always fun to take a look back and a glance forward.
Here are some highlights from my 2008:

1) Attending the Papal Mass at National's Stadium in Washington, D.C. Only one way to describe it: Holy Awesome!

2) Hanging out with the President: I'm a reporter at a suburban newspaper just outside D.C., about 20 miles or so from the nation's capital, so its always a cool thing to get to report on the President. Got to do that a couple of times this year -- on Sept. 11 for the memorial service at the Pentagon and at the final T-Ball on the South Lawn fame of President Bush's administration.

3) Still on the reporting front: Seeing families reunited after their loved ones returned from serving oversees was joyful. Tearful were the departure ceremonies that I reported on.

4) Hanging out with family and friends at the beach, dinners out, conversation, reading good books -- the little things that we forget that make life meaningful.

Much to be thankful for

Thanksgiving is behind us and the mad dash to Christmas is underway! It is hard to imagine that in a scant four weeks we'll be celebrating the Lord's birth and then ushering out 2008 and welcoming in 2009.
Our family had a joyous Thanksgiving, although it got off to a rough start. Mom, Princess Casey (my much loved and much spoiled Chow Mix) and I headed out last Tuesday morning on the 4 1/2 hour trek down Interstate 95 on the way to my sister's house on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I know -- its so tough to spend Thanksgiving at the beach! BTW on Thanksgiving morning, Casey and I were on the beach enjoying the sand and surf. She was wearing her "fur" coat. I was in short sleeves, soaking up the sun!
Anyway, back to Tuesday. We're all comfortably ensconed in my Honda Pilot and were less than seven miles into our trip, near Exit 148 just outside Woodbridge, Va., when I noticed that a STOOPID driver was coming up WAY fast behind us. I no sooner had mentioned that to Mom when aforementioned STOOPID driver darts into the far left lane lane and speeds by. There were cars in front of us -- natch, we're talking an interstate -- but everyone else was actually giving everyone else plenty of room and not tailgating. As I watched STOOPID driver, he swerved back into my lane and hit a car that was about four or so car lenghts in front of us. Both of their vehicles then spun out, with the car that got hit by STOOPID driver spinning into the far right lane nearest the shoulder and then hitting a car that was traveling there. All three vehicles ended up in the embankment. I certainly do hope no one was seriously injured. What a way to begin Thanksgiving.
The rest of the trip to OBX passed uneventfully. All the family gathered at my sister's house and we had a marvelous time, eating too much turkey, watching the parade, and doing a little shopping. So much to be thankful for -- our faith, our health, this wonderful country, our freedom, and the marvelous men and women who defend all the above.