Happy 6 Months and 4 Days Until Christmas

First and foremost, I guess I want to acknowledge that I haven't blogged since March 21.  If that has offended or hurt anyone, I apologize.  However, I realize most people don't care, and this apology is mainly for my mother, and Tracy Rathke.  But I am happy to report I have been working regularly as a substitute teacher, I now have cable TV and I have as many as 4 friends!! And I live with 3 of them!!! That's right, I no longer live with the ICs.  I wish them well, and hope that they one day give me the money they owe me.  I think we all learned a lot from the experience. 

Anywhose, with Christmas JUST around the corner I would like to share with you a Christmas-time story that still baffles me, and makes me uncomfortable.  So, my parents have these neighbors.  The family consists of a father, mother, 12ish year old son, a German Shepard and up until October an elderly Dalmatian (RIP Dottie).  This Christmas they sent out a card, wherein the family was piled in around a less than enthusiastic Santy Claus.  Just when you think your heart may break, remembering that this would be the family's first Christmas without Dottie, your eyes are drawn to the bottom of the photo.  There nestled between Kris Kringle's patent leather boots, is an urn containing the cremated remains of their precious pet.  And then you feel...better?  Now, I have ABSOLUTELY nothing cremating your pets.  The Sandbo family has the ashes of our "bone-white dream" Lisette, tucked away somewhere.  And Steve has told us on more than one occasion he wants our current dog, Nick, to be stuffed after death, and kept on display until a time they can be buried together.  I'm still unclear on if Steve wants to be buried with Nick in one of our 3 backyard pet cemeteries, or in a human cemetery.  Honestly my biggest problem with the Christmas card is that the parents are sitting on Santa's lap, while the son is crammed in the corner.  The urn just adds to the overall feeling of unease.  It's quite revolting, really.

My parents didn't keep the photo.  Or maybe they did, but they don't want to give it to me to display here.  My mother is afraid that it would hurt their feelings.  Hopefully my artist rendition doesn't hurt their feelings!!!!

 Both the mother and son have mullets, and I ain't mad at 'um

To Dottie: Gone but not forgotten

In other news, my parents and I watched a falcon eat another bird, in our backyard, for about 20 minutes.  Now THAT'S lucky!!

Mahalo,

Kate