Over and Out.....

Christmas is over and out for another year. We just can't catch a break on the holidays... well except three... in my father's leg. Yup, the Captain is on the bench. He did a nice triple axle up at Uncle Grayson's house a week ago. However, he didn't stick the landing too well. He broke his right leg and ankle in three places below the knee. He is in a wheelchair and on "happy pills" for a while.

Master Branny and I spent the holidays in New Hampshire cooking, chipping ice, wrapping presents, wheeling him around, and getting him to doctor's appointments. We did have a couple of brief rests to visit with the family and close friends that matter the most. We received lovely things. It is up to Mom to keep him going for the next week until I can get back up there again.

I am strongly encouraging the word "FLORIDA" for the 2008-2009 winter to them.

I am looking forward to New Year's ... We are having a some family over for dinner and a sleep over.. (no one is driving out of Brannydoon on amateur night) Hopefully, this is the last occasion that requires a trip to the emergency room for a while. Whomever came up with the quote, It isn't a party unless someone gets hurt.... should be gagged!

I am realizing a White Christmas

IT IS SNOWING !!!!!!!!!

Okay... this was taken on December 2nd. But the ground is covered!!!

I am like a little kid with snow. It makes me want to go grab a saucer and head for the backyard.

Remember how hot and hard snowsuits were to get in and out of ... especially when nature called?

This is Seamus my Tennesse boy out on a walk down the dirt road from Brannydoon.

Happy Snow Storm Everyone and Safe home to those of you :)- that don't work remotely!

Twas the Fight for Freedom

I received this in an email. I thought it was so well done that I had to share it with all of you.

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,

I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.

My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,

My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.

Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,

Transforming the yard to a winter delight.

The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,

Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.

My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,

Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.

In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,

So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,

But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.

Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know,

Then thesure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.

My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,

And I crept to the door just to see who was near.

Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,

A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.

A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,

Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.

Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,

Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,

"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!

Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,

You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"

For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,

Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..

To the window that danced with a warm fire's light

Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right ,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."
"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,

That separates you from the darkest of times.

No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.

My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December,"

Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ',

And now it is my turn and so, here I am.

I've not seen my own son in more than a while,

But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.

Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,

The red, white, and blue... an American flag.

I can live through the cold and the being alone,

Away from my family, my house and my home.
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,

I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.

I can carry the weight of killing another,

Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all,

To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."

"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,

Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."

"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,

"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?

It seems all too little for all that you've done,

For being away from your wife and your son."

Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,

"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.

To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,

To stand your own watch, no matter how long.

For when we come home, either standing or dead,

To know you remember we fought and we bled.

Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,

That we mattered to you as you mattered to us.

"PLEASE, Would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our U.S.service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities. Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us.

LCDR Jeff Giles, SC,
USN30t h Naval Construction RegimentOIC,
Logistics Cell OneAl Taqqadum , Iraq.

Huckabee - I told you

Okay ... Mind you... I told you... Are you sick of me forecasting yet?

I told you back in September, (See Post from September 7th) I had decided to vote for Mike Huckabee. Many of you laughed at me. You told me he didn't have a chance. I said that I looked at his platform and I liked him better than anyone else.... I told you.

Now look at the polls ...

1) 2ND amendment rights
2) FAIR TAX SUPPORTER
3) Long term Gov. ( Kennedy was the last Senator elected and try and find a Senator prior to that who wasn't VP)
3) Understands the Clinton machine and how to defeat it
4) Immigration
5) Faith and Politics
6) Family Values
7 ,... Here is the link http://www.mikehuckabee.com/?FuseAction=Issues.Home

There is one or two planks I don't agree with but I am probably not going to agree with any candidate ...even myself 100% of the time on either. They are topics I just don't think have any place in government or politics.

I watched Gov. Huckabee on a MSNBC interview on Thursday night. He quoted the Constitution on States Rights perfectly.. I had the Internet open and Googled it immediately to check his facts and then went on to quote the gospel of St. James. A rather interesting mix for MSNBC viewers, no? The way the flow of the questions occurred did not lead me to think there is anyway he would have been prepped on having to reference either piece. Huckabee simply knows them.

Beyond that, this is a quote that struck me when he was asked about who he would support if he wasn't the nominee....

" Character is what we do when no one else is watching"

I thought this was probably from Lincoln. I was wrong ... It is from a study of the Torah.

It makes sense because the conversation leading up to it was about my Senator Lieberman. The candidate understands what it is to be a man of character and a leader. Look beyond the fact he was a Baptist minister.... Truman sold hats. Reagan was an actor. The constitution guarantees us Freedom OF religion not FROM religion.

Consider Mike... Read about him. There are a number of very good men running for the Republican nomination. I ask you to consider this one....

We have decorated for the Holiday....

Everyone got into the act.... with the first snow fall. This Tennessee boy is Darn Cold!!!!

The lights are done outside the fake tree is up in the living room. I can't wait to put up the real one next week. It seems so strange to not have Annie in the middle of my wrapping.

How is your holiday progressing? I have done 90% of my shopping via telephone and computer. The UPS man is my new best friend!

Happy December!!!

The Golden Goddess Athena .... Our Annie .. Our Sweet Girl

Our beloved Golden daughter, Annie, (The Golden Goddess Athena aka… Bellie, Annie Belle, Stinky, Little Girl, Baby Puppy, Annie Bananie) passed over the Rainbow Bridge on Friday, November 23, 2007 after a sudden illness that struck her on Thanksgiving morning at her residence in New Milford, Connecticut. She was a native of New Hampshire being born on May 19, 1996. Annie was the canine daughter of “Promise Me Magic” an International Grand Champion. She shared his love of tomatoes and children. Annie was home schooled by Thomas Dwyer. Throughout her life, Annie was often noted to be a particular well behaved and enjoyable dog to be around. We both were grateful how many homes she was always welcomed in regularly, no matter how muddy her paws or how much she shed of her beautiful strawberry blonde mane.

Annie was well traveled living in four states (New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Georgia and Connecticut) in her 11 ½ years and visiting over 15 states. Yes, she left her “mark” in everyone! She was blessed with many canine friends. Annie would want to thank them for their sharing of their toys, human parents and water bowls. Some of them include Kaleb, Ruger, Winston, Sidney, Maverick, Tucker and Bosco.

Among Annie’s favorite activities, beyond her position as receptionist and security guard at her Mzinga (formerly Shared Insights), were chasing tennis balls, swimming in especially the ocean, having her belly rubbed, sniffing the air on her mound, cheering on a bicycle races and going anywhere in the car.

Annie is survived by her father and mother Jim and Pauline Brannigan, her canine Brittany brother, Seamus, and feline sister HRH the Duchess of Brannydoon. She is also survived by her maternal and paternal grandparents and many uncles, aunties, and cousins that all loved and miss her dearly.

She will never depart from our hearts even though hers loved so much it burst from providing a life time of joy. Services have not yet been planned. Donations in her memory can be made to the Animal Charity of your choice or Adopt a Golden Atlanta Rescue Organization. http://www.adoptagoldenatlanta.com/

Funeral Blues

W H Auden ... modified for Annie

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,

Prevent Seamus from barking with a juicy bone,

Silence the pianos and with muffled drum

Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead

Scribbling on the sky the message She Is Dead,

Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,

Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

She was my North, my South, my East and West,

My working week and my Sunday rest,

My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;

I thought that love would last for ever; I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;

Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;

Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood,

For nothing now can ever come to any good.

Ho-Ho-Ho

It is a greeting said by residents of the North Pole and Santa's village. It isn't a request for a professional menage a trois. When are people going to get over themselves? We limit what is socially acceptable EVERY MOMENT!

I was listening to the radio on the drive up to the Hive this morning. One radio morning jock was chastising the other for referring to a Mexican as a Mexican. The other guy said but what do I call a person from MEXICO!

Christmas thoughts....

With business about to take off with the relaunching of my company scheduled for later this month, my thoughts and plans have turned to starting to actively plan for Christmas early this year. I have been working on things that can be done early to reduce the stress that December always brings.


Many of you are aware I am an avid internet shopper and review reader of everything! The search for an item yesterday brought me to a discussion board that had a huge number of postings for the topic. "I hate Christmas". Everyone knows the way to get people to at least lurk on a discussion forum is to make the title a bit controversional.

The original poster wasn't a non Christian religion hating person. They (I believe it was a woman) were upset that the value and thought that they had put into a gifts was regularly returned by a $4.99 discount item that reflected none of her interests.

The discussion went wild about how the poster didn't have the true meaning of Christmas and that "she" should find better friends or things to do with her money. Find Christ... etc.

It dawned on me that I don't think it was the fact that she didn't "get" good gifts. It was that the love that was put into selecting the absolute right gift and wrapping carefully wasn't returned. Simply, her circle of gift receipants didn't love her back the way she could understand and value affection.

I think this has happened to everyone. I know it happens to me in reverse. There are people that it is very tough to buy for in everyone's family. You want to get them something that will delight them. That it will be the best present of the day. It is wrapped with care and love. What happens when you can't find that item? What happens when a budget (time or money) doesn't allow for that to occur? What happens when you receive something that is the thing the giver loves but not you? I think the end result is that most people know the abilities of their circle of family and friends. Deep inside.... you are aware of the financial, time and shopping savvyness of your community. So... here are a couple of great ideas that were posted on the discussion:

1) Accept the short comings and adjust your spending to a nice present but is in line with what you have received in the past. There are lots of things you can still get for under $20.

• Gift Cards to Starbucks/Dunkin Donuts
• Books or Book Store gift cards
• A bottle of wine or Gourmet Coffee or Tea
• Gourmet Chocolate
• A Christmas decoration (although this got blasted if the gift is given ON Christmas)
• Homemade items including food (consider your audience's diet - candy for the diabetic that isn't sugar free - WRONG. Omaha steaks for the Vegan - NOT GOOD)
• Magazine Subscription
• Kitchen Gadgets

2) Different Alternatives:

• Giving to Charity
• No Gift policy - announce it early
• Yankee or Dirty Santa Swaps with limits
• Pulling names with set limits
• Do a Christmas list (remember to put items from the cheap side of the aisle on it) - be specific if you are a picky person

3) Find the Christmas spirit in other ways

• Attend Holiday concerts
• Buy toys for under privileged kids
• Spend time visiting a nursing home or hospital
• Go shopping with friends and make it a social occasion
• Drive around with friends to see the lights with carols in the car
• Host a holiday party with a theme (cookie swap, wine tasting, decoration swap or tree decorating)

I love Christmas 90% of the time. I am lucky to have very giving family members and friends. My husband and I love the shopping for the right gifts ...especially for the kids in the family. I love the smell of the tree. Mostly, I adore getting together with people I care about and sharing time with them. Here is to a wonderful Holiday season!

Weekend Fun

Friday night was a gathering of the younger section of the clan at Brannydoon... We had all of the Regan's in the NY/CT area to the house for apps and champagne (and beer). We departed for a fund raiser for the New Milford Hospital's Mammography Fund. I hope everyone had a blast and it was for an excellent cause.

I apologize for everyone having to find the house out in the sticks in the dark. We should have had everyone up this summer in the daylight. The rest of the weekend was a bit lazy with the horrid weather on Saturday. It was a great day to spend watching re runs of movies and napping. The house was already clean. Went out and grabbed an early dinner in town.

On Sunday, we did some yard work... planted bulbs vacuumed up the leaves with lawn mower and watched the Pats squeak by the Colts. I wonder what the score would have been without the gift of all those yards of penalties! We also discovered that Annie had broken a molar. It was disguising! Yesterday she had it removed. Poor thing. It was badly infected. I thought she had an issue with her teeth back in August. However, I am just the mommy not the vet. I think this was causing her pain for the past couple of months. I pick her up from the vet this morning. I hope this is the last of the vet trips for a while.

I am starting to do my Christmas shopping... Here is my request for lists!

Science .. That is like Art Right?

I was sent a link for a recent article in the SF Gate about how 5th graders are getting less than an hour of science on a weekly basis.(link at bottom of post) There are some great points about how this will impact the future of the career choices down the road without an early understanding of the subject.

"Fewer than half of Bay Area fifth-graders (47 percent) scored at grade level or above on last spring's California Standards Test in science. (Only fifth-graders are tested in science at the elementary level.)"

Why is this the case in Bay Area High Schools? Supposedly, the teachers are spending all their time on meeting the requirements of the "No Child Left Behind Act".

I read this article about a week ago and thought about it as an issue. Yesterday, it dawned on me. When did the Act go into place? I knew it was passed during President G.W. (43rd) Bush's first term. My quick research found that it was enforceable July 1, 2002. Um.... My math equates 5 years or school terms ago. Where is the catch up with the fifth grade class? They shouldn't be in the fifth grade if they can't read and add!

I will add to this a comment Gov. Mike Huckabee said about the importance of having Art and Music taught in schools. It is important to open children's minds to art and music at a young age. It is also a way to keep artistically minded children in school with subjects that interest them and they can excel at because of their talents. Yes, he is a conservative Republican running for the Presidency. See, they all don't have horns.

I have a good friend that is teaching music and chorus at a high school in NY. She recently was bubbling about a student that is not well liked by other teachers because he causes trouble. However, he is a great kid in her class. Oh, did I mention the kid can sing? He was terrified to try out for the lead in their musical because he thought the panel of teachers would never give him the part. I look forward to cheering him on as he has one of the male leads.

Science, Art, Music, Reading/Grammar(English), Social Studies and Math... are very important. I will also add gym and a foreign language to the list. All should be taught and explored during elementary school.

I wonder if it is not the "No Child Left Behind Act" or more likely the issue of teachers not being allowed to control their classrooms. Teachers have been stripped of all of the tools to maintain order in the class room without fear of being fired or sued.

Parents learn this.... You aren't perfect and neither is your child. If a teacher risks their job to call your kid over the coals, chances are today they caught them red handed. Wake up... The coddling of the youth of this country is terrifying.

Stace, I don't think this was quite what you expected me to write. I would appreciate your comments....

Article link:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/10/25/MNNKSVFOH.DTL

Sports Weekend - Wow!!! Congratulations to Red Sox Nation

I am now just reviewing the weekend in sport....

1) Red Sox win the World Series !!!!

2) Patriots continue to roll over every team .. Spy Gate ?? Go get 'um Bill!

3) Giants beat Dolphins across the Pond. (Mr. B is happy)

4) GEORGIA beats Florida in the largest cocktail party.

5) UCONN beats Southern Florida.

I need to check on my nephew's pop warner football game... How can you get any better besides Mr. B winning the Amstel Gold race.

Meeting at the Blazer

There will be a meeting at the Blazer on October 27th at 7:30pm for the cycling group. Please rsvp by hitting the comment or emailing Mrs. B.

Nike is Just Doing it with Community

Remembering back to the days, about sixteen years ago when Nike launched the “Just Do It” campaign. I was at New England College in Henniker, NH. The Model UN Group I was a member of was putting together a Model Middle East Summit. It was a lot of work. We found each other screaming “Just Do IT” to each other all the time. It became a mantra for the organization and for many of us in our professional lives as well.

I think that Customer Self Service is basically an evolution of the “Just Do It” campaign. In reality, Nike has created a community to let their running/jogging customers AND PROSPECTS to do it together and better. In a recent NY Times article, Nike’s community was highlighted as their most recent advertising genius. They are enabling their customers to interact and find better ways to “Just Do It” all with the trademark Nike Swoosh neatly but understatedly featured. The community member they feature in the article is also 53 years old not 22 years old.

For those of you that are still looking for the hard data on why communities are essential to business, let me clearly talk to your wallet….

· Nike has dropped their traditional media budget by 22%
· That equates to 149 MILLION dollars.
· Members choose to visit the site 3x a week.

How is that for data?

Here is the crucial quote I found from the section on Nike:

“We’re not in the business of keeping the media companies alive,” Mr. Edwards says he tells many media executives. “We’re in the business of connecting with consumers.” Trevor Edwards, Nike’s corporate vice president for global brand and category management.

I will repeat a profound question recently poised by my colleague Derek Showerman:

“When are you going stop preaching to your customers and start listening to them? A community is the vehicle to JUST DO IT for you.”

Here is a link to the article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/14/business/media/14ad.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

I want to thank the Nike Corporation for my Mantra …

Seamus is gonna get it....

Seamus ... my darling nut bag. He has been really driving us nuts lately. The separation anxiety and shadowing has risen to a level that it is compromising both of our health. He is acting out including destroying things that could poison him. I am getting to the point I am scared to leave the house with him alone. That is just the tip of the iceberg.

Today, we have a dog trainer and behaviorist coming over to "work" with him. It should be interesting. Full report tomorrow.

Weekend in Cape Cod

Courtesy of our great friend and pet sitter, Leslie, we were able to get away for the weekend to the Cape. Uncle Bob's services weren't until Tuesday and she felt confident she could deal with Annie's confinement to the first floor (ACL is totally gone and will need Surgery- OUCH).

We got off late given the trip to the vet in the morning and a lot of back and forth on whether we should leave Miss Annie. BUT Leslie assured me that we should go and have fun. She had nurse duty down for her.

Mr. B had arranged a great suite at the "By the Sea" Bed and Breakfast in Dennisport. I think I gave it 4 stars on TripAdvisor.com. (Lacking parking and a hair dryer). Staff was delightfully helpful. Rooms were well decorated and clean. The only other thing is at this time of year the windows are open. We awoke on Sunday morning about 6 AM to our neighbor doing something with Velcro. So privacy, not so much... Oh well...

Friday night, he had picked out a nice little Irish Pub. The food was traditional and good. The entertainment was delightful. Lots of old Irish pub songs including my domestic favorite, "Charlie on the M.T.A"

The next morning there was a cloud burst only over our part of the Cape. I was close to calling my mother and asking her to make it stop raining.... AGAIN! (inside family joke). That blew ...literately off and we were able to get in a 25 mile ride on trails to trail path. It goes through the interior of the Cape by cranberry bogs and a couple of large lakes. Interesting but I have to agree a bit boring. I think I am ready to stick to the roads .. hills and all. The "freddy" traffic on the rail trails is annoying.

Back to the B&B to shower and change for a drive to Chatham to go to the lighthouse, lunch, and shopping. This is when I discovered a lack of hair drying equipment. However, the shower was amazing. I wish I took a picture of it. I think I would like to do something similar with our Master Bath.

On to Chatham ... We drove by the lighthouse and determined that we were too hungry to stop and went to the Wild Goose Inn for Lunch and a beverage or two. Here is a picture I took for Aunt Sue to paint. The lunch was fabulous. http://www.wildgoosetavern.com/ The beverages set us up for a flurry of irresponsible shopping. Let's just say the shoppes in Chatham had a good weekend.

After the appropriate amount of time and shopping to let the beverages wear off... We drove back to the light house and snapped a few pictures of the beach and lighthouse.

We went back to the room for a bit of a nap and then out to dinner at a restaurant Mr. B. went to during family vacations to the Cape in his childhood. The Swan Lake Restaurant was fun. We had a terrific waitress. It is always fun when you can joke with the help... Basically, "it wasn't her first day" after I gave the in-depth description of how I prefer my martini. The last couple I have been served at various places have been 1/2 Vermouth ... I swear! ... Not this time... Perfection. As was the meal.

The next day, we got up went out for breakfast and back down memory lane or Folger Way. Here is a picture of the house Mr. B's parents rented for several summers on vacation. It looked a bit down at the heels. I think he is wondering if it might be for sale. OY!

We got back good season as we were worried about Annie. I also had to do a turn around and drive back to New Hampshire on Tuesday morning for the memorial service. It was a good and memorable weekend. Seamus liked his present as well!

In Memory of Uncle Robert....

The Faithful Sailor Boy .... The Sailor's Farewell

From North Carolina Folklore, 1920

Twas on a dark and stormy night
The snow lay on the ground,
A sailor boy stood on the deck
The ship was outward bound.
His sweetheart standing by his side,
Shed many a bitter tear.
At last he pressed her to his heart
And whispered in her ear:

Farewell, farewell, my own true love;
This parting gives me pain.
You'll be my own, my guiding star
Until I return again.
My thought shall be of you, my love,
While storms are raging high.
So fare you well! Remember me,
Your faithful sailor boy.

'Twas in a gale that ship set-sail,
The girl still standing by.
She watched the ship clear out of sight
While tears bedimmed her eyes;
She prayed to God in heaven above
To guide him on his way.
The parting words her lover spoke
Re-echoed down the bay:

'Twas sad to see that ship return
Without that sailor boy.
He had died while out at sea;
The flags were half-mast high.
The comrades, when they came on shore,
They told her he was dead;
The letter that they gave to her
The last line sadly read:

Farewell, farewell, my own true love,
We'll meet on earth no more,
But we will meet in heaven above
On that celestial shore,
Up in that land, that glorious land,
That land of peace and joy.
Where you'll no more be parted from
Our faithful sailor boy.

Cartoon Caption Contest - The Boston Globe

Cartoon Caption Contest - The Boston Globe

Damon, Damon.... nope... or.... Clemens, Clemens.. Not on the list

Skye and the rest of the weekend

Unfortunately, Skye lost her battle with renal failure on Saturday. I was holding and petting her as we helped the little bugger across the Rainbow Bridge. I know Emmy and Tess were waiting for her. She has two terrific big sisters to cuddle with and show her the ropes in heaven.

That night my cousins were terrific and invited me to go to dinner with them at the Rainforest Cafe in Burlington. If you have little boys, this is a fabulous place to go. Talk about merchandising!!! I sat next to my nephew Nathan. He was struggling with a cold. There is nothing cuter than him with a headcold. Thank God... Because I got it. From Monday night to this morning, I have spent horizontal on a sofa or bed with a clicker. Better today.


As a side note.... Today would have been my grandmother's 100th birthday. Happy Birthday Grandma! Love you!

Skye Update

I just spoke with the Vet and she is not doing well. Her chances are less than 30%.

Say a little Prayer for Skye

I am up here in New Hampshire while my parents are on a cruise taking care of their dog... my canine sister I guess. Skye has been really sick the past couple of weeks. Last night, the doctor finally found out what was wrong with her. Her kidneys are really badly infected and has caused some Renal failure. Please say a little doggie prayer for her today.