Deep Freeze

Dear Readers,

It is brutally cold today. The actual temperature is 15 degrees, and the windchill is zero. Some people have even lost their power. I can't in good conscience expect my blog staff to come to work in these conditions.

I'll call my blog interns, Dizzie and Alfie, and tell them not to bother coming in to work today.

Ring, ring. Ring, ring.

(The phone goes unanswered at Dizzie and Alfie's house.)

Hmm, no answer. I hope they haven't left for work already!

I'll phone my boyfriend Frank and his sister Ceecee, and see how they are getting along in these frigid temperatures.

Ceecee: Frank, your phone is buzzing.

No answer there, either. I hope they are okay!

Well, Dear Readers, it looks like there won't be any blog posts today. I might as well go back to sleep.

I hope you are staying safe and warm wherever you are!

Love,

Lilly Faye

Situation Normal

Ceecee: You know Frank, lately every other day has felt like a Sunday. I'm glad January has arrived. I'm looking forward to being back on a normal schedule.

Mr. Frank: I agree. The holidays were great, but the pressure of finding the right gifts, doing the fancy baking, and all the extra celebrating really wore me out. I'm looking forward to a nice long, quiet spell, with no obligations.

Meanwhile, at the back fence...

Lilly Faye: Cali, guess what? I was just at the store, and it was full of pretty Valentines!

Cali: Oh that's right, this will be your first Valentine's Day with Frank.

Lilly Faye: And you know how romantic he is. I'm sure Frank will do it up big. I can hardly wait!

Sunday Evening

(Dear Readers, this post mentions major plot points from the first four seasons of Downton Abbey. --LF)

Mr. Frank: What's up, Doll Face?

Lilly Faye: Season 5 of Downton Abbey starts tonight! Do you want to watch it together?

Mr. Frank: Isn't that a soap opera? 

Lilly Faye: No, it's a period piece, a high-quality British drama. You can tell because it's on PBS. 

It begins with Lady Mary's fiance dying on the Titanic before he can save Downton Abbey from financial ruin. Later Mary marries her cousin, and now she's widowed with a baby. Two men are pursuing her, and she can't make up her mind.

Mr. Frank: Uh-huh.

Lilly Faye: Mary's sister, Lady Sybil, marries the chauffeur and dies in childbirth, and their sister Edith falls in love with a married man and has his baby out of wedlock!

Mr. Frank: You don't say.

Lilly Faye: Lord Grantham is always about to go broke, and Anna and Bates are suspected of murder!

Mr. Frank: So it is a soap opera.

Lilly Faye: It's good, Frank. You should watch it with me.

Mr. Frank: Uh, no thanks. I've been so busy during the holidays that I've neglected my tuba. I really need to practice before I go out busking again. Sorry, Doll Face. Duty calls.

Lilly Faye: You don't know what you're missing, Frank.

Later, next door at Frank's place...

Mr. Frank: Ceecee, I just dodged a bullet! Doll Face wanted me to watch Downton Abbey with her. I told her I had to practice my tuba.

Ceecee: Oh my goodness, Season 5 starts tonight! It's a good thing you reminded me, Frank. Warm up the TV, and I'll fix us some tea and biscuits.

Mr. Frank: What ever happened to a fellow being king of his own castle?

My First New Year's Eve with Frank!

Lilly Faye: It's New Year's Eve. I hope Frank hasn't forgotten our date.

Lilly Faye: Frank, you remembered! Happy New Year!

Mr. Frank: I could never forget a date with you Doll Face, especially on a romantic night like this.

Lilly Faye: Let's sit out here, so we can see the neighborhood fireworks.

Mr. Frank: We can make our own fireworks, Doll.

Lilly Faye: Giggle, giggle. Why don't you open the champagne.

Mr. Frank: Let me put on my party hat first.

Mr. Frank: There, that's better.

Mr. Frank: Sniff, sniff. Smells like a good vintage.

Mr. Frank: I'd like to propose a toast. To us, may 2015 be our best, most romantic year yet!

Lilly Faye: I know it will be a good year with you by my side, Frank.

The champagne is tickling my nose.

Lilly Faye: I bought some mistletoe for the occasion, but now I can't find it.

Mr. Frank: Was it a bunch of green stuff tied up with a red ribbon? I ate it.

Lilly Faye: Oh, no! Mistletoe is poisonous, Frank! You need to have your stomach pumped right away!

Mr. Frank: Nah, it didn't taste very good, so I hurled it up. You might want to avoid your side yard for a few days.

Lilly Faye: Good to know.

Mr. Frank: I don't need mistletoe to smooch on my girl.

Mr. Frank: Pucker up, Doll.

Lilly Faye: Oh, Frankie! Kiss, kiss.

Mr. Frank: Smooch!

Lilly Faye: You're a good kisser Frank.

Mr. Frank: I'm one lucky fella.

Lilly Faye: I wish the whole world could be as happy as we are right now.

Dear Readers,

May 2015 be your best year yet!

Happy New Year!

Love,

Lilly Faye

New Year's Resolutions

Dear Readers,

2015 is almost here, which means it's time for us to make our New Year's resolutions here at the blog.

Lilly Faye: Dizzie, as my longtime blog intern, you go first.

Dizzie: I resolve to stop eating things that make me sick and drive up my medical bills, such as rotting squirrels, tree branches, and impossible-to-identify items I find in the woods.

Lilly Faye: Do you think you can stick to that, Diz?

Dizzie: What do you think?

Lilly Faye: Right. Moving along...what about you, Alfie?

Alfie Cat: I resolve to be even more awesome in 2015, if such a thing is possible.

Lilly Faye: I think you're missing the point of a New Year's resolution, Alfie. You're supposed to give up a bad habit, or develop a healthy new one.

Alfie Cat: All right, then. I resolve to stop leaving three-day-old squirrel corpses around for lead-butt to find.

Lilly Faye: How about you, Cali?

Cali: I resolve to do my best to keep the neighborhood safe for another year.

Lilly Faye: Thanks, Cali. You've been doing an excellent job. Keep up the good work!

Ceecee, how about you?

Ceecee: I resolve to be more outgoing in 2015. Also, now that I've perfected my knitting skills, I'd like to learn to crochet.

Lilly Faye: Frank?

Mr. Frank: I resolve to stick to my diet and weight training, so I'll be a better, fitter bulldog, and you'll be proud to be seen with me.

Lilly Faye: Oh, Frank, I'm already proud to be your girl! I think you're perfect, just the way you are.

Mr. Frank: Really Doll Face?

Lilly Faye: Almost perfect.

Lilly Faye: Thanks everybody. Good luck with your resolutions!

Dizzie: Wait a minute, Boss. What about your resolution?

Lilly Faye: I resolve to work even harder to make the blog the best it can be in 2015!

Dear Readers,

Thanks for reading and sharing the blog. The best is yet to come!

Love.

Lilly Faye