Welcome to the Bistro!

And, another fine week it has been.

Pups and ponies have been happy with the more- than- agreeable December temperatures. There’s been several days this month that we’ve actually been able to ride in the outside arena. Winter is the time to practice our dressage tests in anticipation of competing which, starts in the Spring. I am riding at least 4 days a week and try to pick-up the 5th when possible. Riding 2 horses is a really instructional as both teach me very different techniques. Like people each horse is a unique individual and requires being ridden as such. Maddie and Sophia got their holiday groom and are two beautiful girls. I will take them to a Milford assisted living facility that I’m affiliated with through my church in the next few days. Most residents are so grateful to have a couple of little soft pups to pet and have on their laps. Maddie and Sophia love it too and come home pooped after all their TLC.

This weekend I need to get my butt in gear and do some Christmas decorating. I stopped putting up a real tree years ago when Tom and I had puppies. They would leap trying to get the ornaments. So, we’d put them up higher and have a half decorated tree. I miss the smell of pine but not the shedding needles. I am fortunate to be able to drag a tree to a mulch pile but the majority goes into land fill. So…just pine cones and a few bulbs around the Brady house this year.   Michigan ranks 3rd in the nation for the number of trees harvested, around 1.7 million.  The industry employs nearly 1,000 people in over 300 communities. Like everything else, there is a shortage this year so, you may end up cutting your own. Plus, have you seen the prices? Holy smokes. 

Another interesting fun fact is that the first religious postage stamp was issued on November 1, 1966 featuring the Madonna and Child with Angels by 15-th century painter, Hans Memling. Because of its popularity over 1 billion were printed. Although most stamps have concentrated on Renaissance paintings for their images in 1977 one was issued with a praying George Washington at the Valley of Forge.

Sunday is the first day of the eight-day Jewish feast of Hanukkah. It celebrates the cleansing of the Temple from pagan desecration in 164 B.C. And, happily the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year and the first day of Winter are here next Wednesday December 21st.  Then we’re on our way to Spring. It is also the time when the Sun reaches its southernmost point in the sky and a gradual cooling process will continue for the next two months sending temperatures to their lowest. Hopefully not too low…

The Ann Arbor Brady’s just celebrated its 4th year being open. For me, it is a walk down memory lane, not because of all the pictures of 7 Mile, but because Tom and I would hang out in the same place, years ago known as Blue Moon. We loved the ambiance and comfort of the room then and it is certainly exemplified now.  ​