Taxes are Done !

I downloaded all my tax documentation, got the instructions the IRS sent me in the mail, read over the instructions to make sure nothing had changed that affected me, filled in all the proper forms and voila - my Federal taxes were done. I tried the FreeFile eFile option for the Feds but could not get the new user screen to let me establish a logon identity. Oh well, snail mail for the Feds. The Virginia efile worked just fine, so that's done too. Somehow it never feels like a new year until I get my taxes done. So now its officially 2010.

Otherwise I just puttered about the house, did the laundry & dishes, tidied up a bit, read some and just generally let my batteries do a trickle recharge. Sometimes ya just gotta be a bit lazy.

Pictures from Kat’s Visit

Here’s Wicket in his very own bed.

Here’s Wicket in Urchin’s lap.

Here’s Baboo, Skiddy & AliKat inspecting Urchin’s clean laundry & Wicket’s bed. Both passed the sleep test.

The Urchin Visits

The Urchin came for a visit yesterday & today. Wicket her kitten came along too. We all had a grand time. Urchin & I ate at the local oriental buffet, went & got the dogs their licenses, put flea preventative on all the furry paws, cooked mac & cheese with tuna for dinner, watched a DVD on my 'puter and just plain hung out together having fun. Urchin helped me get started on Facebook, which looks like it will be fun. Wicket and Pippin hit it off. They gave us no end of amusement. The other cats kinda ignored Wicket, but he was having too much fun running around my place and pouncing on Pippin to care. Thanks for coming Urchin.

merri catmus 2 R kittah frenz

merri catmus & happi nu yers 2 all r kittah frenz. santipaws waz gud 2 us. der iz lotz of ribbens 2 plaz wiffs. der iz boxes 2 sleps in. der iz preti colereds paper ballz 2 biffs. dez iz ebin a nu bottle cap puk 4 baff tubz hocki. all da kittahs herez gots sum tings gud.

cc and tabatha's houmins gif us dis nice birdie wut sings and moovez wan u biffs it.

skamper-dootle's houmin gif us dis super 2 up sleps basket

der waz nip far nu yerz 2. it iz gud to haz such considerit and thotful houmins to serve us. we gifs de houmins boxin dayz offs. we doz haz a festashun of red dotz but we iz ons itz. da red dotz iz gud to chases and pounces onz. da is az gud az nip. ma all r kittah frenz haz a gud nu yer.

baboo - alikat - wingnut - pawsintrouble - skiddy - pippin

History is Everywhere

The Commonwealth of Virginia, like many other states, puts up historic markers. These signs note some places we all read about in our history books and other places even the local folk have forgotten about. I decided that this year I'll post pictures of these Footnotes on the Past that I stumble over when they interest me. So the First Footnote of 2010 is the Eckington School.
This school is located at the junction of Mt. Pony and Blackjack roads in Culpeper county. Its currently owned by the adjacent church, which probably explains why it still exists. There isn't much around the school now, just the church and a house across Mt. Pony Road. It doesn't look like there was ever much else here but of course there could be foundations from other structures in the surrounding fields. Neither Eckington or Popular Ridge seem to exist communities anymore, not even as postal offices.

The only other one room school I've seen is located in Pierre SD, but that one was moved from its original location about 2 miles away to a city park that ran alongside the Missouri River. This building appears to be on its original site. Both buildings were very similar in size, window placement, etc., except the Pierre school was painted red.

I hope you all enjoy my Snapshots from the Past as I find and post them.

Starting the New Year Out Right

OK, so there I am at work on New Year's Eve, when it gets decided that I can get adjusted off. So at 10:40PM I'm out the door and on my way to the D&D's. At 11:55PM I'm in D&D's front room with D&D, my Urchin and her college friend Yuko watching the Times Square Ball drop. We finally got to do the Christmas present thing and generally welcomed the New Year as is best - in the company of good friends and beloved family. On the 1st I left D&D's about 8AM, drove to where Urchin & I board our horses & visited them, went on to make a brief stop at my house, and then continued south to my friend Jane's. We made some music, did more of the birthday & Christmas present thing and generally started 2010 as we had ended 2009 - spending time with friends. May 2010 bring us all plenty of time with our friends and family doing the things which we all enjoy.

Life's Little Pleasures

Once December 25th is past, winter seems to take on a dull and wearisome air. The snow has melted down to a white icy crud. Most folks have stopped turning on their holiday lights and the seasonal concerts are over. The stores of course look like a tornado hit them with a modest little New Years display trying to remind us that's its not over yet. Sometimes I really do wonder if we have simply used up all our fun between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Then, just as I'm really developing a good funk, a wonderous sparkle of joy will pouch on me and tell me I'm just being silly. The snow storm here prevented mail delivery to my house from 12/19 until 12/26. So on the 26th I had a mailbox full of Christmas cards, birthday cards, letters and even a present. WooHoo !! Then on Monday morning when I came home from work (I had to work 12/25 evening thru 12/28 morning, which didn't exactly lighten my mood) there was a message on my answering machine from Missy, one of my rendezvous friends who lives in upstate New York. YeeHaw !! So I called her back that afternoon and we had a wonderful chat. So while the white icy mounds outside still pretend to be snow, and its still ugly damp cold here, and I have yet to get together with my Urchin for a birthday/Christmas/movie party, and a whole basket of Round Tu-Its are waiting for my attention here at the house, so what ? To everything its time.

Happy New Year to You One and All !!!!