I listen to music. Right now, I’ve got an album of piano and violin duets playing.

@Hawaii_Jake – Who’s playing?

Maria and Nathalia Milstein

The album is La Sonate de Vinteuil. It’s a imagining of exactly what sonata inspired Marcel Proust in In Search of Lost Time.

@Hawaii_Jake – I’m gonna search for it.

Do they do any songs about dogs or cats?

Not on this album, but surely they have on others. It’s such a vitally important topic.

@Hawaii_Jake – Yes!

At least I hope so…

I don’t have to find one, I homeschool my youngest grandchildren and happily watch my adult grandchildren, and great grandson in their thriving lives while my retired husband and I sit in our wonderful (almost paid for) home and plan our trip to Portugal to visit my first born son who lives in a villa with an ocean view.
My dad once said to me “I’ve lived through a great depression, a world war, more political nonsense that I can imagine, and here I am celebrating the birth of my first grandson. It’s a wonderful world,” I remembered that when I celebrated the birth if my first Great-grand son.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS, AND, especially, HAPPY NEW YEAR.

@YARNLADY – That’s a good life ;)

I used to recount all the difficult stuff I’ve made it through and think “If I can survive that, then whatever this is will be fine too.”

Recently though, this tactic hasn’t worked and actually now makes me depressed.

I realize that those dogs and cats lick themselves in front of those very idiots as a sign telling them to “lick me”

I am trying to remember all the cycles of terrible times that have occurred in history and how personkind has survived them and take a more Buddhist approach to the horrors of today. But it is hard.

I try to stop thinking of all the reasons to despair by going for a walk in the hills with a dog. Dogs are always full of hope.

My friend’s dad is dying of cancer. 6 of us just made the trip to Cleveland from all over the country on short notice to support our friend and to give his dad our love. I think that says a lot about the potential in the human spirit to love and support each other. That gives me hope.

I stay focused on our many blessings. Not everyone has a home, food or even feels safe. Helping those in need reminds us and renews our strength.

“Dogs are always full of hope.”

True that @flutherother. Thank heavens for dogs.

@gorillapaws: That is wonderful how you all came together.

I really like @YARNLADY upbeat attitude. That said, for me it’s bah humbug, and is it over yet? Oh, and a business-as-usual New Year. We’ll be lucky if we aren’t at war again. Seems Mr. Putin is trying his best.

I’m never without hope; it’s part of faith.