As you may know, Elwyn is our cat and one of our dearest friends.  Since we don’t have kids…he tends to be our test subject for pictures and new lenses.  Mike got a new lens from my Dad that I used (50mm, how fun)!!

SUPER SCRATCHER!!

It is a really neat lens because it doesn’t zoom (what a concept!)  You have to position yourself (gasp!)

We are really looking forward to the New Year.  I have a head cold since Christmas Day and a moderate ear ache since (yes, I went to the doctor today, I never go to the doctor. I will be ok.) And am really looking to feeling better and normal.

I have been thinking a lot about my mom and continue to miss her everyday.  I still can’t believe it has been 3 years this coming January 2nd since she passed.  She helped me so much to be the woman I am today…I see so much of her in me.

My thoughts and energy go out to many of my family and friends going through challenging times with health, money, loss, distance and change…and would be interested in helping any way we can.

Hope that good things will come in 2012!  Best wishes to our family and friends in the New Year! See you all soon!

So, last summer we visited two of Mike’s good friends Steph and Matt who live in Schaumburg, IL. They had snails in their bathroom (who live there, who are supposed to be there). Now, I think this is the coolest thing…snails and moss in a glass container…and a grow lamp, in the bathroom!

Ok, this might sound strange to most folks…but how cool is that?

We went back to Chicagoland for Thanksgiving to visit Mike’s family and made a stop up to Schaumburg to visit Matt and Steph.  And again the snails were there!!

Steph decided to give me some snails to migrate back to NH with me…now was the dilemma of how to transport them on a plane.

She put them in two small ziplock bags alternating…in a plastic teeth mold case.  But, it began to leak…plan B.  Mike’s mom had a 1/2 cup tupperware container.  Then I got scared! 1/2 cup = 4 oz!  One oz above the approved volume for the TSA!!  I had to make a snail life and death decision…do I carry them on and risk the possibility my snails may be taken OR do I risk the journey to checked luggage?  I decided upon the latter. Mike’s mom found a small cooler back to assist in insulating the snail tupperware.

The snails have lived with us for about 3 weeks and are doing well.  There were initially 1 large snail and at least 2 small snails…they have multiplied!!  I was going to make them my bathroom snails too…but I don’t have an outlet near the place I would like them to live so right now they are living room snails.

Here are a few pictures from this past weekend (don’t worry I recently gave them more water):

Becca's living room snails

Baby snails!

Big snail and baby snail together...aww