January 1, 2016

White Dog laughed at me. "Admit it, momma, you stalled writing this post because you are embarrassed that you will accidentally write the wrong year." "I did no such thing!" "Really? Is that why your did not put a date on those notes you sent out even though you usually do? Or why you have delayed writing the first of the month checks that need to go out?"

"All right, you got me! I hate having to think about it for the next eight weeks as I get used to writing the new year on things. By December it is kind of automatic to just write December 31, 2015, or whatever and then bam! overnight it is different...and I forget then have to correct it which looks sloppy or start again or worst, it goes out WRONG!"

"Whew! Momma! You humans get so fixated on this time and calendar thing. It is so stressful with Daylight Savings Time then back and changing the years, and which months have which number of days. Why do you do this to yourselves?" I shrugged, "It would be kind of hard to refuse to accept the new year since everyone else in the world does it." "Sure, but there is the Jewish New Year which is a different number...and the Chinese New Year which is different again. Just make up your own system that you are happy with. How about January 1, 06?"

"What system would that be Little White Dog of My Heart?" "The first day of the first month of the sixth year since the formation of the White Dog Army."

I stopped and thought about what my wise White Dog had just suggested. I kind of like the idea.

Happy New Year from all of the White Dog Army...whatever numbers you use to represent it!