Winston Says Party

Let's party like it's 2012...

Happy New Year peeps...I am SO gonna 

catch that ball wen it drops THIS year.

Yup. 

Be safe and have fun!

Love,

Winston

The Little Things...

Let's all take the time, in 2012, to celebrate the small things. 

You know, the smell of a Summer rose, the laughter of children, 

an understanding glance from a friend or family member. The aroma and taste of

 a hot cup of tea or coffee, perfectly brewed. 

An unexpected phone call from 

an old buddy. Taking a nice, long hot shower or bubble bath, watching the sunrise 

or the sunset, seeing a great film or play. How about settling in with a cozy throw and

a wonderful book? Ah...go ahead. You can picture it can't you?

The rustle of Autumn leaves...

...or the first Winter snowfall.

Going with your family to a Summer carnival...

...the unconditional love of a pet.

Each day we are showered with precious, little gifts that can bring us so much joy.

 Let's celebrate the fact that you can see and hear and smell, taste, cry, laugh,

 hug and be hugged. The simple fact that you woke up today, got out of

 bed, that fact that you CAN make a difference in so many lives, that you CAN love and

 be loved in return...let's celebrate the little things that surround us every day!

Happy New Year to each one of you...sending you all much love!

And A New year Begins...

For last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice.
And to make an end is to make a beginning.
~T.S. Eliot

Wishing each one of you a peaceful, healthy and very happy New Year!

Resolutions? Oh WE'VE Got Resolutions...

We all make a few resolutions as another new year dawns fresh and bright and then, often as early as January 2nd, we break our resolve and forget the promises we made. Just this afternoon I compiled a list of resolutions that I intend to keep in the new year...uh huh. I think that 2009 will see old Susie Q succeed with her new year resolutions at long last!

I will lose weight the fast & easy way!

I will order a catalog of new clothing ideas... ...and begin to dress with a greater sense of style.

I will improve my parenting techniques...

I shall discover new ways to beat hot flashes...

I will join some new & exciting organizations...

I will abolish my wrinkled hands by doing more dishes...

I will purchase a lovely wig so I can see how I would look in the young & hip styles...

I will always have a smoke to prevent loss of temper...

I will buy soda as gifts for all those 2009 babies!

I will update all of my make up... I will get a nice tan and help all the infants I know to get one too (while they are swigging their soda pop)

I will wear only my undies while doing farm work...

...or fighting fires!

I will keep my family free of goiters...

I will dance with Bill no matter how silly we look doing it...

I will get more strenuous exercise like this...

I will gather the family 'round the kitchen table more often...

I will keep my car cleaner...

I will travel more...

I will show Bill more affection...

I will meet with my girlfriends for lunch more often...

I will work on my cooking skills... ...and I won't burn the beer!

I will sing and sing and sing...

I will take my dog for longer walks...

I will get new and more fashionable glasses...

I will try new photography techniques...

I will keep a cleaner house...

I will get out the old bathing suit and hit the beach... ...and I will continue being so, so grateful that I am a member of this sweet blogging circle of amazing people. Each one of you has blessed my life in so many ways.

God bless you & may 2009 be filled with joy for you, your family and your friends.

Happy New Year!

Love and Hugs,

Susie Q Many of the vintage signs and advertisements were found at : Found In My Mom's Basement

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

(May prosperity be with you)

Xin Nian Kuai Le!

(Happy New Year)

This year is the year of Wu Zhi.

The Year of the Rat...

Just for fun, how would you like to see your name in Mandarin Chinese? Pop over to Your Chinese Name and try it!

Well, it is February 1st ya'll (Eh, so I still have a few more hours before it is *officially* February but let's just ignore that fact okay?) and it will soon be the Chinese New year! We have a few fun things planned...Saturday we will be participating in a wonderful celebration with many other families of adopted Chinese children. On Thursday we will have dinner at our favorite Chinese place, as we do every year for Chinese New Year's Day!

This year, 2008, is Year 4705 by the Chinese calendar. Chinese New Year, also known as the "Spring Festival", falls on a different date each year, ranging from late January to mid-February, (basically on the second new moon after the winter solstice.)

If you were born in 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996 - you were born under the sign of the rat!

Unlike our western New Year, celebrations aren't tightly focused on one particular date.

The big day itself will be February 7 2008 but festivities can occur on weekends before or after that date!

Chinese New Year is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese calendar. The Chinese year 4706 begins on Feb. 7, 2008.

Chinese months are reckoned by the lunar calendar, with each month beginning on the darkest day. New Year festivities traditionally start on the first day of the month and continue until the fifteenth, when the moon is brightest. In China, people may take weeks of holiday from work to prepare for and celebrate the New Year

.

A Chinese proverb states that all creations are reborn on New Year’s day. The Chinese New Year is a celebration of change ... out with the old and in with the new!

The Chinese New Year falls on a different date each year because it is based on a combination of lunar and solar movements. It usually occurs in January or February. On February 12, 2002, Chinese communities around the world will ring in the Year Of The Rat!

Ratatouille Anyone?

Legend has it that in ancient times, Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve came, and Buddha named a year after each one. Those born in rat years tend to be leaders, pioneers, and conquerors. They are charming, passionate, charismatic, practical and hardworking. asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve came, and Buddha named a year after each one. He announced that the people born in eac

h animal's year would have some of that animal's personality. Those born in rat years

Fireworks and Family Feasts

At Chinese New Year celebrations people wear red clothes, decorate with poems on red paper, and give children "lucky money" in red envelopes. Red symbolizes fire, which according to legend can drive away bad luck. The fireworks that shower the festivities are rooted in a similar ancient custom. Long ago, people in China lit bamboo stalks, believing that the crackling flames would frighten evil spir

its.

The Lantern Festival

In China, the New Year is a time of family reunion. Family members gather at each other's homes for visits and shared meals, most significantly a feast on New Year's Eve. In the United States, however, many early Chinese immigrants arrived without their families, and found a sense of community through neighborhood associations instead. Today, many Chinese-American neighborhood associations host ban

quets and other New Year events.

Chinese New Year ends with the lantern festival on the fifteenth day of the month. Some of the lanterns may be works of art, painted with birds, animals, flowers, zodiac signs, and scenes from legend and history. People hang glowing lanterns in temples, and carry lanterns to an evening parade under the light of the full

moon.

In many areas the highlight of the lantern festival is the dragon dance. The dragon—which might stretch a hundred feet long—is typically made of silk, paper, and bamboo. Traditionally the dragon is held aloft by young men who dance as they guide the colorful beast through the streets. In the United States, where the New Year is celebrated with a shortened schedule, the dragon dance always takes place on a weekend.

Tangerines and oranges are given as gifts, as their Chinese names sound like "gold" and "wealth".

One of the most popular dishes at most Chinese restaurants is a stir fry. Here is one that is easy and good.

~Garlic Chicken Stir Fry~

Crunchy vegetables and chicken are treated to a quick garlic-ginger saute, then tossed in a lightly sweetened soy sauce for a quick and colorful stir-fry. Dish it up over rice or noodles and you're done!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup sliced cabbage
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 2 cups sugar snap peas
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Cooking Instructions

1. Heat peanut oil in a wok or large skillet. When oil begins to smoke, quickly stir in 2 cloves minced garlic, ginger root, green onions and salt. Stir fry until onion becomes translucent, about 2 minutes. Add chicken and stir until opaque, about 3 minutes. Add remaining 4 cloves minced garlic and stir. Add sweet onions, cabbage, bell pepper, peas and 1/2 cup of the broth/water and cover.
2. In a small bowl, mix the remaining 1/2 cup broth/water, soy sauce, sugar and cornstarch. Add sauce mixture to wok/skillet and stir until chicken and vegetables are coated with the thickened sauce. Serve immediately, over hot rice if desired.

Sound good? To all our dear friends, Happy New Year! Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Some of the pictures, designs and information comes from:

Activity Village

Kaboose

Recipes

Got Snow?

Why yes thank you. We did. In fact, Grace missed her first day back to school when the schools closed. She was quite happy. Imagine that! I am still cleaning and fluffing and tweaking and puttering and, okay, so I am slow but it is getting done! I am cleaning out drawers and closets and the storage room as I go along. Oh how happy Goodwill is with me. They have given me my own lane at the drive through. Okay, so they didn't but they smiled and said, "You again?" I am still packing away Christmas and, though bittersweet, the house always feels lighter and cleaner in January. It is quieter and frees us up to do more cleaning and puttering and tweaking and fluffing around the nest...er...cottage. Bill, who rarely gets sick, had the awful cold that has passed through the entire family. He is always so generous and that sweet man shared it with me. Wasn't that special? So, here I am honking and sputtering and snorting but only in the most feminine way possible. Oh, so you heard me? Not feminine you say? Okay, but I can't help it! Aw gee... It was a quiet New Year's Eve but nice. We had dinner with Mom and our buddy *T* at one of our favorite places. We met up with 2 more friends, *M* and *M* and enjoyed a delicious dinner and lots of laughter. Then we all went to see "National Treasure: Book Of Secrets" and loved it! Yes, we knew that some critics did not like it but since when do I ever listen to critics? It was fun and exciting and Grace loved it! Just as delightful as the first film and this one even has Helen Mirren! How could it have been anything but good? Poor Bill did not even make it to Midnight but Grace, Dan and I did and we welcomed in the New Year with Kip, Lucy and Henry, apple pie and ice cream. I forgot to talk about some of our Christmas booty! Mom gave both my brother and sis in law and us a treadmill. I love walking on it and wow. Won't it help me stuck to being more active in 2008? I know, I know. I have to DO it but I will. I promise. My Mom is a pretty super lady eh? My brother and sis in law gave Bill and me tickets to see Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band! How cool was that? Good seats and a great night out! It is in March and I am already looking forward to being with the Boss...er...I mean Bill! Thank you Jim and Lisa! More soon...I am off to tweak and fluff some more. I also wanted to thank all of you for the prayers you are sending up for Chris Burrell. I know his family will appreciate it so much. Many blessings to you all.

Love and hugs, Susie Q

Four...Three...Two...One...Happy New Year!

Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot and days of auld lang syne? For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne, we'll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne. Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot and days of auld lang syne? And here's a hand, my trusty friend And gie's a hand o' thine We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet For auld lang syne

So many resolutions are being made during these last days of 2007...ones that may have a shelf life of only a few weeks or less. I ought to know. I have shattered more resolutions than one human being should be able to. On that note, may I offer some more ideas, resolutions that may be a bit easier to hold on to during the year to come?

Be kind to yourself. Do not expect perfection. It is almost always impossible to attain. Allow yourself time alone, time to read, to rest, to enjoy the wonderful things you HAVE accomplished. Do not waste one second of valuable life minutes wishing you had the possessions or life style of someone else. Those people could very well be wishing THEY had the life style of someone else...that old proverbial vicious circle. Rejoice in those little things that give you pleasure. Life is made up of those sweet, little moments. ~~~~~~~~~~ Enjoy your special times with family and friends. Savor it. It does not have to be elegant or a big splashy party. Take out Chinese and a rented movie can feel like a world premiere and dinner at Le Cirque when shared with those you adore. ~~~~~~~~~~ Take care of yourself. Diets seldom work. It is the small lifestyle changes that DO work. I will be sharing this mission with some of you. Eat healthier but do not deprive yourself every treat. Get out and walk, ride a bicycle, swim...just move a bit more! Do it for YOU and no one else. ~~~~~~~~~~ Embrace who you are. Not all of us can be thin or rich. We can not all be great scholars or HGTV designers. We can, however, love the person we were born to be. Each of us has talents. Enjoy the ones with which you are blessed. God does not create junk. ~~~~~~~~~~ Smile more (even when you do not feel like it!) & give more to those less fortunate. No matter how bad you think you have it, sadly, there are always those who have it far worse. Give all you can and do so with a happy heart. That heart of yours will thank you and, in turn, help that pretty face of yours to smile more. See how that works? ~~~~~~~~~~ Never stop learning. Never. ~~~~~~~~~~ Hold onto the magic and wonder of your childhood. Giggle more. Act silly when the mood strikes. Sing. Hum. Skip. Believe in the impossible. ~~~~~~~~~~ Pray more. Ceaselessly. Talk to God. He is there to listen and He has big shoulders. I wish each of you a 2008 that holds more laughter than tears, peace of heart and mind and warm hugs from the people you love. I wish you joy. God Bless you all. Happy New Year to all of you. Love and hugs, Susie Q

New Year's Eve Doins'

It was a sweet evening and a nice way to say goodbye to 2006. Quiet and happy, just the way we like it.

We had dinner at our favorite Chinese restaurant, North China. The food is great and the folks who run it are the dearest people. Dan, Grace, Bill, Mom and me were joined by two of my oldest and dearest friends, T and P. We shared laughter and food and

reminisces of the year.

After a relaxing dinner we headed to T.'s to watch the new year arrive. Dan headed out to his girlfriend's home but we stayed at T.'s with Mom and P. for cheesecake, killer brownies and lemon bars! Oh, that and the Twilight Zone marathon on the Sci Fi channel! Okay, we are happy with such simple things but it was FUN!

I LOVE this picture. Grace just ran over to her Grandma and jumped in her lap. I think they kinda like one another wouldn't you say?

And don'tcha LOVE T.'s red walls, white couches and red and white pillows?

Happy New Year To You All

From all of us at Rabbit Run Cottage, to all of you, may

this be a year filled with good health,

laughter, friends and family. We wish you work that

satisfies you, time to relax, a warm home, love &

hugs by the dozen. We hope you find

great pleasure in life's simple things & the

ability to always believe in yourself.

We will pray that you feel peace of mind,

a calm spirit and pure joy of heart.

See the magic that surrounds you.

Life is filled with moments to

savor and remember...

Be good to

yourself, be good to

those around you

and enjoy your year

in all it's wonderous glory!