Today's News

Whether you are at home all day, as Jim and I now are, or are still a part of the working force; nothing is more satisfying or comforting than to sit down to a simple supper of a bowl of steaming hot soup (this includes chili) with muffins, cornbread or homemade bread.

It seems that since Jim retired last June we have been on a campaign to do all the things that we never had time or energy to get to before then. First it was to get the 5th wheel ready and up to Indiana, where we spent September and October. Once home it was time to begin holiday preparations.

Just when Max was about dry from his bath, he had to go out to go potty. He only took ten minutes but in that time he covered himself in dirt and sand spurs. You can imagine what a Sheltie looks like with black dirt and sandspurs in his fur.

Not only does he get stickers in his fur regularly, he also gets his paws dirty, too, when he rakes dirt up with his front feet acting macho.

Then there's Molly. She gets ice cream on her chest when she eats ice cream. Such a messy dog, and her mane is nearly six inches long. She gets knots behind her ears, too.

No rain pelted the heads of revelers. Except at Coconuts, no heavy amps battered their ears. Unlike on the eve of 2007, Cedar Key welcomed in 2008 with a quieter revelry.

Some things stayed the same. As it had last year, Joel Benefiel's group reined at the Island Hotel. Local Traffic rocked the swamp at Coconuts.

Local rockers Dock Street brought their Bob Seger-style stomp to the Seabreeze downstairs, and the up-and-coming duo of T.J. Brown and Josh Calvert were joined at the Raw Bar by Gulf Hammock songbird Naomi Cahours.

Christmas and even New Year's is past for another year. We have all somehow survived one more year of trying some new recipes and making the traditional ones. It seemed like I would never be done; there was always one more recipe to prepare. But then, a few days before Christmas, everything was made and stored so that gift plates could be made and Jim and I would have goodies throughout the remainder of the season.