Now we write 2009. Like always, this particular time of year fills one with hope that the new year will be a good one, peace on earth etc., but judging from what is already taking place that hope is pretty well shattered. Why will politicians never learn, has there ever been a time when bombs and guns have solved anything at all? My experience is that a common enemy will fuse people together against the "aggressors", people who maybe earlier did not give each other the time of day. Why not use all the money spent on rockets etc. to provide something positive for the people they are fighting, maybe then there would be a lot fewer people to fight? People are the same all over the world, when they have a roof over their heads, a job, and food to feed their families - I strongly believe their priorities would change! But of course, who are listening to us normal people, politicians will do what they do for their own strange reasons and their "chairs".

Anyway, here things carry on as normal. The "boys" are not interested in politics, all they want is their dinner, so it is now cooking in the kitchen. I grate some carrots, some courgettes, or spinach, let it boil up and then finely chop chickenlivers to boil with the veg. When that has cooked for a while I add bulgur (cracked wheat) and after another ten minutes or so, their dinner is ready. A friend of mine has a daughter with eating problems. They were here one summers day just as I was finishing the dogs' dinner, and when it was time for the "boys" to eat, she wanted some too. To her mother's delight, she sat down and ate a big plateful!

We have had quite a lot of rain lately, something we badly needed, but as a result the garden was soggy and of course plenty of the mud and lumps of earth was carried into the house. İt has been a fight to try to keep the floors clean, mainly a loosing fight, but at least I knew that underneath the latest layer of dirt the floors were clean!

Today the weather is nice, have been outside to try to do a bit of tidying up after the storms, and in a little while I will make myself a nice, big mug of herbtea, take my knitting, feet on the table and sit and watch the skijumping from Innsbruck. İt is always a bit of a problem, I only have one lap and all four want to be there, so I normally end up with one on the back of the sofa, one on the lap andone on either side! Let's hope they stay quiet, with no arguments, so I can watch TV in peace. They have been "helping" me in the garden, so maybe they will fall asleep?
May the best man win the skijumping, and should he happen to be from Norway that would not be bad either!