Greeting from the Bistro!

Welcome to the Bistro!
January 8, 2021

And, another challenging week it has been. I am so sad about what happened last night with the rioting on the Capitol. What a disgrace to our heritage of being the most powerful democratic republic nation in the world. It is devastating what we’ve been reduced to. On top of being shattered by the pandemic, now we’ve been faced with a country of rebellion due to the revolt against an election deemed fair. I am so proud that our Electoral College, the formal body which elects the President and the Vice President, came back to complete their duty last night and proclaim the rightly elected leaders. The Electoral College has as many “electors” of each state as it has Senators and Congressmen. A candidate needs 270 of the 538 electoral votes to win. The electoral vote can, and has, “trumped,” the popular vote 5 times in history, as we saw in 2016.

In the 40 years of my “life” as a Brady, and especially after Tom’s death, my commitment has been to carry on the legacy of a father and son, Jim and Tom. I am a runner in a relay race that also involves Sharon and Tommy. It is not a chase for just profits but to earn them fairly; to have a higher purpose to provide for our teams and communities and, to provide a service to you that in turn inspires pride for us.  Leaving 2020 behind was supposed to be good. Let’s be positive and have faith that it will be. I do and it will.

The weather changes sure have been drastic, 40 degrees one day then snow and cold the next. It has been a challenge with the horses and their “clothes.” There is actually an app that instructs as to what weight blanket they should be wearing depending on the temperature. The colder, the heavier. There is a fine line – too heavy and they sweat, not good, to light they shiver and loose body mass very fast. The challenge with the cold is not only to keep them warm but to make sure they have warm water and additional food. They are eating like crazy to keep their bodies at a good weight as the cold burns calories at an amazing rate. The pastures are not a good source of food right now as the grass is minimal. Better than nothing, but not enough to count on. Both my ponies are getting “fat” supplements in addition to an extra few flakes of hay a day. And the pups are out and back like lightning for their “potty breaks.” It takes treats to lure them out the door at all. I bundle them up for our walks, which are too few and too short anywhere below 25 degrees. Which is unfortunate for all of us. If the dog’s walking so am I! Too bad I never trained them on the treadmill. I’m so lucky to have my furry buds, big and small. Animals are good for our health. The Human Animal Bond Research Initiative is full of data that indicates talking to or petting a pet can have a positive, physical affect, lowering blood pressure and pulse rate. For me it’s the unconditional love that is irreplaceable. I’ll never be without a four-legged bud!

Sharon’s working on Chalkboard Features as we speak. Check out the website to see what she’s got cooking. www.djbistro.com . And there are a few 4-packs of JLohr left at a discounted price thanks to our distributor Vintage Wines.

Finally, hopefully these will bring a smile to your face:

“This morning I saw a neighbor talking to her cat. It was obvious she thought her cat understood her; I came into my house and told my dog. We laughed a lot.”

“My husband bought a world map, gave me a dart and said, “Throw this, and wherever it lands—that’s where I’m taking you when this pandemic ends.” Turns out that we’ll be spending 2 weeks behind the fridge.”
HA, HA!

​WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AT THE BISTRO AND WISH YOU MANY MILLION DOLLAR DAYS!!!

XXOO,
Mary, The Pups and Ponies