Our Precious Dog, Rafe--RIP

Yesterday we put our wonderful dog, Rafe to sleep.  He's been sick for some time--having diabetes, lyme disease and a host of other problems.  Over the last month he has steadily gone down hill & this week he couldn't get up the 3 stairs to get in the house--and then couldn't get to the back door.  Mind you he weighed just over 100 pounds so it's not like we could pick him up.

Alan & I are heartbroken--he was  definitely a mamma's boy and by my side whenever I was home!  He always greeted Alan when he got home from work like it as the best thing to happen to him all day!

I don't think a week went by without me taking photos of him--I even had taken some yesterday morning before we had decided to put him down.  This  one of him with his best bud, Squeak was one of my all time favorites!  I hope that Squeak was waiting for him at the Rainbow Bridge!
If you'd like to see more photos from over the 10+ years of his life, just put "Rafe" in the search box in the upper left hand corner of the page--I didn't realize how many posts I had done about him!

Merry Christmas!

This is a photo of Alan & I in younger days with our dog, Tessa ( Zep's Contessa Magnolia)--taken in our solar room.  I'm going to guess & say the photo was taken in the late 80's--the room was added onto the house in 1987.  Did you notice Alan doesn't have a mustache ?  He shaved it off for just a short time.

I think this is the last family picture we have with both my parents & Aunt in it.  My dad passed away in 1991, 6 weeks after my brother's wedding so I know it was taken between 1987-1990.  My sister passed away in 1996 and my Mom & Aunt last year.
 back row:  Tom ( my brother), Judie ( my sister), Alan & me.
Front : my Mom, Aunt Kay and my Dad.

Another old Christmas photo!  This was taken in the early 50's and as I recall it was taken for the family holiday card & then tinted---don't you just love the yellow tinged hair!

Snow showers?

It's been snowing steadily since I got up a few hours ago!  Just called for snow showers today--we'll see!

Macro Monday

Found this cute ornament at Pottery barn over the weekend...can't wait to be using the real one!

Sock Monkeys!

This was my favorite window display that we saw in Hudson!   Very imaginative!

Holiday decorations

Yesterday after Deb & I went to Vasilow's --AKA Candy Heaven-- we decided to walk around downtown Hudson ( NY) and look at the decorations.  Lots of the stores are closed on Mon & Tues ( Kate told us that before we walked over) but the weather was nice so we decided to look around.

Warren Street is the main shopping area & there are quite a few antique shops, restaurants ( last year Sandia & I went to a great restaurant called Mexican Radio) and various boutiques--even a store that sold just items from Turkey--it had beautiful handbags made from Kilim rugs and pottery!  This is the window of a salon.

The reindeer in this shop window was cute & I love how the garland in the window looks like it's draped on the buildings across the street.

There are many beautiful old brick buildings in the downtown area & many have or are being rehabbed.  I should have gotten closer, but this church was pretty.  Photos of one special window tomorrow!

Howlin' Cat

Our 20 yr old cat, Tuck loves to "catch" catnip mice! But when he does, he walks around the house howling--basically saying "look what I caught" happens at different times--not bad during the day, but when he does it in the middle of the night it usually wakes us out of a sound sleep!