HAPPY NEW YEAR, ONE AND ALL!

Best wishes for happiness and peace in 2013.....

A WELL DESERVED RETIREMENT....

 

 It's an exciting evening because we are attending a special event.....

 In a beautifully decorated holiday setting.....

 Attended by lots of congenial folks happy to be here.....

To honor a wonderful woman on the occasion of her retirement after a long career in state and federal service...................................

 

 Josina greets every guest........

 Some from the very early years of her career........

 And some of the "Core Kids" from our members and admirers of the Class of '67........

 The Dinning room at THE LODGE was filled to capacity....

 Another "Core Kid", Annabelle greets our honoree with a beaming smile...........

 Husband, Adolfo, asked what to wear and Josina said "a tuxedo", so he complied....

 Even if it was a Tuxedo T-Shirt.........

 More "Core Kids"--but Randy and Theresa are camera shy, so I have to sneak a quick shot......

Waymon enjoys some stimulating conversation.....

 

 And Mister Dwight is delighted to be in attendance....

FEMME PENSIVE.  This is a momentous evening for Josina and there is bound to be some sentimental moments......

 But the large crown is excited and happy for her.....

 Josina has always loved a man in uniform--and her grandson is happy to comply in his Boy Scout uni.........

 And don't forget the Cub Scouts as well..............

 Both boys love Josina's beeeeautiful cake.................

 And the congratulations keep on coming.....

 And soon the presentations begin.....

 Including this handmade "nativity" depicting the folks from the Parks Service.....

 The joke is that it will never make it into Josina's large nativity collection....

 She enjoys the joke.........

 And I'm sure THIS nativity gift will surely make the cut into the exclusive collection...

The crowd agrees, and many record it for posterity.........

 The boys have a presentation for Grandma......

 And Mommie is there to help them along.....

 There is not a dry eye in the house as Josina's only child tells Josina how proud and happy she feels to be her daughter.......

 Josina reacts with a full heart to the accolades and many warm wishes from friends and family.......

 And so now after many years of hard work it's time for Josina to enjoy the liesure time she has so richly earned.....

Best wishes, dear friend, as you enter what we all hope will be the most rewarding and enjoyable years of your life....CONGRATULATIONS JOSINA!

FROM OUR HOUSE TO YOURS...

 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND BEST WISHES FOR EVERY HAPPINESS IN 2013!!

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE

 

 CHRISTMAS!!! In Santa Fe, we have experienced our first snowfall...

 And Cielo Azul is once more draped in a mantle of white......

 And all the birdbaths and fountains are wearing snow hats........

 Karen's house is surrounded by tall elms and looks like a snow fortress..........

 It's also time for parties at the home of friends--like Annabelle's where this festive wreath decorates the door to.......

 The SNOWMAN ROOM!  This is just a portion of the collection........

 And the front room is decorated with a beautiful tree and over twenty nativities............

 Back home, our lives have been turned topsy-turvey by a new addition to our family!--Miss Spiagga" (meaning "beach" in Italian because Giano thinks she looks like a beach dog).  We call her Zsa Zsa.  We were suckered in by this glamorous "Pet of the Week" shot in THE NEW MEXICAN........

 And found her to be a bit scrawnier, more wiry haired, not white, all legs, scuzzie nosed and in short ADORABLE!  Here she is checking out her new digs......

 And getting to know the current residents.  She and Solange have become good friends........

 And attacking the vacuum sweeper--Mei Toy can't believe we have adopted such a country bumpkin..........

But in no time at all, she is part of our family and has a solid place in our hearts...........

 Something else has been monopolizing our time at Cielo Azul.....

 After a two year hiatus--the village is being put up!......................

 So once again, we are in the magic kingdom where Alice can still stroll with Mr. Bachicha.......

 And Baby Elliot can still delight in his first pair of shoes--somewhere between NYC and San Francisco........

 In Washington, thankfully Barack Obama will be spending another four years as our re-elected president. (For the years prior to his first election, I had painted the White House black and red and had renamed it The Asylum For the Criminally Insane.)..............

 In their castle on the hill--besides their showy tree, the Republicans (those clownish gnomes) are cavorting.  That's Newt and Huckabee doing leap frogs and Grumpy Boehner pushing everybody off the fiscal cliff...........

 And there's O'Reiley (representing all the crazies in the conservative press) showing the President his behind!  And showing all of us what total asses they are.................

 Meanwhile in the Latin Quarter, my homies are enjoying a delightful dinner in one of Garland's first minority owned businesses...........

 In the suburb enclave of Mistletoe, life goes on as usual after the white-flight from the urban center--lots of conspicuous consumerism.....

 There are eight million stories in the "Naked Village"--well at least eighty or so.  The village is about half up, so I will be including more stories as the folks from Noel Flats, Holly Ridge, Lake Noel, New York City and Europe take their places and tell their tales........

 Like these fellows from the Garland Community Band that raised funds all year for nifty new uniforms for their moonlight parade through the streets of their hometown........

So you better be good, you better not frown because now Santa Clause is CERTAINLY coming to town....................