TheBanyanTree: The End is Near . . .

[Margaret R. Kramer]

Our hard and dirty ice-snow was refreshed yesterday by a thick, wet blanket
of “heart attack” snow.  This is the kind of snow that’s so wet, it sticks
to everything, and causes the weak to have heart attacks as they try to heft
it out of their driveways.  Many snowmen appeared in front yards as the
thick flakes were falling.  These fat men made out of snow seemed to be
welcoming in the new year.

As the 2005 ends, there seems to be signs of change in the wind for us.  Our
real estate agent’s assistant called to let us know someone is very
interested in our house and there will be a second showing tomorrow.  It’s
hard for me to imagine after all these months that someone would actually
want our home, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed.  Just to be ready, I
printed out information about 10 homes that I am interested in and then Ray
winnowed them down to four houses to seriously look at.  If this person
makes an offer, then we’ll be ready to look for our house.

It would be fantastic to spend the next couple of months packing and
throwing out and getting organized to move into our new “old” home, since
the houses we like were built in the early 20th century.  I get energized
just thinking about it.

And yes, I did buy a dog from the Humane Society on Tuesday.  He’s a little
beagle, about one years old, and has a cold (or kennel cough).  Our vet said
kennel cough is catch-all term for a hodge-podge of dog viruses, and has to
run its course, so I’m not too worried about it.  We have never had a dog
that was so shy before, but he’s gradually warming up to us.  It’s also
strange to have a dog that gets cold in this weather, but beagles have very
thin, fine fur.  Our big, German Shepherds and Shepherd-mix dogs, and also
CoCo, who was a rottweiler/Chesapeake Bay retriever mix, had warm undercoats
and they would sprawl out in the snow and enjoyed chasing snowballs.  Axel
is too little and too cold to do much than his business before he heads back
into the house.  So far, Axel has not had an accident in the house.  He’s
been eating well.  And he barked this morning for the first time at a guy
walking down the street.  People told me beagles were barkers (and so are
German Shepherds), but Axel’s barking made me feel good, because the barking
shows that he’s beginning to feel like this is his home.

I finally began working on our 2003 cruise scrapbook yesterday.  Most of it
was organized already, so it was just a matter of deciding on how to do the
layouts for each page.  I got a few pages done in the afternoon.  I’m hoping
to get back to it today and later this weekend.  It’s just difficult to find
a good chunk of time to work on it.

So it’s Auld Lang Syne, My Dear night.  We have dinner reservations and then
maybe we’ll see a movie, which one, I’m not sure yet.  I doubt I’ll be able
to stay up until midnight, but I’ll give it a try.

2005 wasn’t a great year, because too much was up in the air for me as far
as the house is concerned, but I’m hoping the pieces will be filled in
during 2006.

Happy New Year!

Margaret R. Kramer
margaretkramer at comcast.net

http://www.bpwmn.org
Business and Professional Women of Minnesota

Next to a circus there ain't nothing that packs up and tears out faster than
the Christmas spirit.
~Kin Hubbard