All of us at Rattlebridge wish you a very Happy New Year!  This is an election year and change may be in our future.  We have so many issues to work on in our country that sometimes it might seem hopeless to tackle them all; but there is always hope that our country can pull together and address the critical problems that face us as a nation and put the welfare of our country and its citizens before the welfare of the corporate world and our elected politicians.  One can always hope . . . 

The Ohio State vs LSU football game is on tonight.  I have always disliked sports, except for horses and dog showing;  I became an elementary school principal instead of a secondary principal because middle and high school principals must attend a myriad of sports activities;  I wanted no part of Friday Night Lights!!!  However, I am now a big convert to Ohio State football and especially Jim Tressel, our awesome coach.  I still do not understand football, but I am fast becoming an OSU zealot!!!!!

For anyone interested, we have a couple of darling ruby puppies for sale–puppies I normally would have kept, but with moving, it is impossible for us to keep all the puppies that we feel may be for the show ring.  So we have decided to offer them as pets.  We closed on our new house next week.  We have become good friends with the former owners who are trying to help us prepare the new house while they are still in possession. Cavalier yards must be created; fencing must go up, and of course the house must be readied for the onslaught of the patter of multiple feet.  We all will adjust.  Al and I are truly in love with our new home and can’t wait to move in, although he is quite pleased that he will be in residence before I as I stay here to raise puppies and prepare our house for sale.  I do get a break in January as I go to Charleston, S.C. to judge.  I am taking an extra day there to enjoy the warmth I hope as we are having a taste of real winter here–snow and all.  We are in no ways as badly hit as the east coast, but we do have quite a bit of snow on the ground.