Collage de Dawgs

It was suggested that I do a Dawg collage, and it was so fun to go through the year and pick out silly dawg pictures. I use Picasa as my photo organizer, and it makes these collages with one click.
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Met with my girlfriends yesterday, Judy and Sharon, and caught up on all that we missed over the holidays, as we didn't see each other for weeks! So much laughter, so many released endorphins, and it really worked out the kinks and gave me renewed vigor for the start of the new year. Laughter is so essential and while I enjoy my solitude most of the time, I do really need my social times to balance everything in life. I also saw my sister Brooke too, and we had a great visit. It is so good to have her nearby.
Speaking of balance, after seeing my year end round-up, I realized that I need more balance in my creative life, as well as needing to add one more thing to make it just right. Reading in the daytime. I usually read at night, and fall asleep without much comprehension. I found myself reading the same pages again the next night, not remembering the previously read parts. So for a treat on Christmas Day, I read in the living room chair and finished a book (Killing Orders, Sara Paretsky) and started a new one, (Royal Heist, Lynda La Plante) which was wonderful! Next came Tree of Hands, Ruth Rendell, fabulous.  For those of you who already read in the daytime, this must seem totally weird, but I felt that reading was getting nothing accomplished. Wha? I mentioned this to Dave and he said
"You're retired, why shouldn't you read now? When did you think you could afford to do this, when you retire from being retired?"
O..K..
So I went to the big used bookstore, being library-less, and bought a boat load of my fave authors. I feel WEALTHY with a bag of books under my arm. Mostly mystery/thrillers, doncha know.
And I made a decision about my quilting life too. We'll see if this sticks. I am going to try and do a quilt a week, which could be pieced or fused, that part is undecided. And I am going to stick to the fabric I have on hand, which is PLENTY, really. Since I am more of a solid vs printed user, I have no real need to run out for more.
Knitting will automatically happen while watching tv and visiting with my knitgals, and painting...I will work that into my days somehow.
Must quit baking for a long long stretch...I am wearing all those cookies at the moment. O dear.
So that's the lay of the land for the time being.