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Sunday, January 1, 2012

Welcome to 2012- hope it's a good un'

Hi friends and shoreites! Well, isn't is amazing that last year we were digging out of many feet of the white stuff, and this year everyone is biking, hiking and still wearing their shorts? A balmy 50 yesterday. You just never know what nature has in mind in these parts. I love the snow, but I'm sure diggin' this weather.
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2011 ended weird around here. My laptop got a terrible Russian malware (so my tech head tells me) and has been disabled since mid Dec, forcing me to resort to a 6 year old desk top that changes pages at the speed of evolution. If you are driving by and see it sailing through the window, just duck and keep walking.
Yesterday our neighbor knocked on the door and asked if we knew tht 5' flames were shooting out of the chimney. Can't say that we did. So, our first "flue fire" and a grand visit by NCFD. All is well, though I am kicking myself for not having the chimney cleaned in 2 years (new pipe just installed 2 years ago) despite Hubert at A1 Stove calling me NUMEROUS times last summer saying "it's time." So now we have to replace the holey pipe, which is probably 5X a cleaning cost. Don't be dumb like me, have yours cleaned!
We had lots of family for Christmas, 7 adults and baby's first Christmas. My great niece Olive Wynne Johnson (1 year) helped decorate the tree and I forgot how a child improves Christmas by about 100%. We also had 9 dogs in the house for 5 days. We are a big animal loving family, and though that would horrify most people, I think we manage quite well, and it just magnifies the love by 9 times.
Speaking of, we have two new delightful foster dogs. Jake N Bake, the 2 year old Chihuahua has a great fun personality, is housebroken, and loves all people, dogs and kids. He thinks chasing the kitty is fun, but can be talked out of it. Jake was rescued from a Sacramento shelter by Scooters Pals with hours to live. No crimes, just overcrowding. He's very tall for a chi, and very beautiful, is mostly white with a buff colored back. I post pics when I get my good computer back in service.
Peanut is a smooth coat black and tan cute-as-a-bug mini doxie, 5 years, 10 lbs, and sweet and loving, also housebroken. His elder mommy died a few months ago, and family could not take him on, so brought him to Sammies friends. All there know I'm a sucker for the doxies, so he promptly came home with me. He's a little treasure if you know anyone looking for a weiner dog. He loves your lap or his crate, and is starting to roughhouse with the chi's.
Polar Bear club meets at Scott's Flat today at 2pm for their annual winter plunge. Very fun and funny.
Thanks to the Cascade Shores Womens Club for all the fundraisers and events they hosted this year. They do a bang up job with the kids parties, but that's not all. When member Karen Lari was diagnosed with cancer this year, they rallied to provide her with food, company, wood and housecleaning, not to mention a sympathtic ear and lots of support and love. It is so wonderful to live in a community where that kind of empathy and affection exists. Thank you ladies for all that you do for Cascade Shores and it's residents.
Thanks also to the CSHA board. I know that your efforts are sometimes invisible, but having been a board member, I also know that you are important and vital to the community. When I hve more time I'd like to go into all the bases that you all cover in a year.
So, I'm off to walk the pack of 4, Jenna Babe, KT, Peanut and Jake N Bake. Wave if you see he trying to manage the mob (we do get tangled) and please have a wonderful 2012. GET THAT CHIMNEY CLEANED!
Love, Denise and assorted critters