It has been a little rough around here recently.  I keep thinking things like I need to get Steve in for lunch or I need to be careful getting out of bed in the morning and not step on Steve.  So it is recurring remembering that he is not with us anymore.  I didn’t quite realize how much I was doing to try to help him.  I had to pick up his ashes on Monday.  That was really hard, but they came in a nice box with a name plate and also a lock of his hair and his paw print.  Not sure what to do with it all so made a little tribute for him with the digital photo frame that Thomas and Diana got us for Christmas that has some photos of him.  It does help me to see his photos.

In better news, the cows are looking pregnant.  They are due starting in March so that will be nice.  Hoping for a bull calf from Hercules.

I am inspired by a fellow blogger, Boulderneigh.  She presented her 2025 book list from her Libby app.  I keep complaining to myself (and possibly others) that I do not have enough time to read.  But inspired by her, I got myself a library card.  I never thought I qualified for one as I am not in a library district, but I was able to get a digital one from the Burlington, WA library.  I went there to pick up my card on Monday, and it was a hopping place with lots of people, including kids.  It was nice to see.  I spent a fair amount of my childhood at the Bellevue Library so I miss it.  So now I have a Libby app, and I also set up a Everand app with titles stacked by my bed that I have always thought would fall and kill me someday.  Hopefully, I can prevent this death.  I didn’t go for the libro app as I already own these books so am not wanting to purchase them again (although I would be in a way when I start the Everand subscription).  And I do not want to use audible as I am boycotting amazon.  So hopefully now I can listen to audiobooks, decrease my stacks, and not feel so sorry for myself.

But, in my defense, I did finish a book.  I love Ann Cleeves and always read her Shetland murder mysteries when they come out.  I never figure out the killer before she reveals them, but I love the ambiance and stories.  I do love the TV series too although it is not the same.

Tom bought me a rocks glass with bees on it not long ago. Today I made a Penicillin cocktail from the Doctors and Distillers book, and I thought it was very appropriate for this glass as it contains ginger-honey syrup.

That is what is happening here in this sad January.