. . . but I have to say that I like these mens take on the single better than the girls:

After sleeping in (thanks, baby Jesus!), and a nice breakfast, opening up some gifts, a terrific nap, and a wonderful Christmas supper, I watched Mary Poppins!

I know.  I know.  

Happy Christmas and a wonderful Boxing Day to you all!

Given the state of things, lately, it seems much appropriate to remind you all of this one:

I wish you all peace, prosperity, and all the best this Christmas and in the New Year.  

God bless.  

Do you all remember Frances from several months ago?

Frances was a feral kitty that I found in the middle of a busy highway.  As would happen, I brought him home and he hung out on our back porch and grew to be quite a lazy fat cat for a few months.  Sadly, Frances didn't come back from carousing one morning.  

A few months ago, a litter of five kitties started hanging around and would perch themselves right outside my study window and stare with their vacant, blue eyes.  They are mostly black, but a few of them have orange markings.  Mama Cat is all black with green eyes.  I believe Frances had something to do with this.  

Anyway, they are as skittish as can be, but since it's cold, we've been putting out some food for them.  To date, there is Mama cat and four kitties that are growing quite big. 

I call them: Mama Cat, Speckles (he has the most orange), Puff (his coat is the fullest), Bright Eyes (he has orange around his eyes), and Boot (yup - one orange leg).  

They won't let us come anywhere near them, which is alright because I have allergies, but it will be good to have them around come Spring when all the mice and voles start invading the garden.   

As promised, here are the pictures of the rest of the completed laboratory.  It took us a whole week and a half to move in, recalibrate instrumentation, and put everything away.  Now, we're trying to remember where we put everything and acclimate to the new space.  

It's been great and everyone is very happy in our new digs.  The lighting is a little off, but come on.  I'm a microbiologist, not a photographer. 

Enjoy!

 We have an opening for a laboratory assistant.  Interested?

Well,  ya'll can go back a few posts and see what we were working with before.  Here are a few pictures of the new laboratory.  I am SO grateful.  The space is terrific and I'm loving it!

Everyday is like Christmas come early for us and we've been working very hard to pull it all together.  There are still some rough spots and some things to clean up and finish, but it's really been worth it.  

Enjoy.

Here is the new Microbiology Laboratory:

(this is a dark room for fluorescent microscopy)

(the hallway where we'll keep the lab coats, server, copier, fax, etc.  Notice the new trash cans all lined up in a row like soldiers)

MY NEW OFFICE!!!!

Yes.  I . LOVE . IT!!

The rest of the laboratory is still in various stages of completeness:

Chemistry

Hematology

 Blood Bank

Specimen Collection

(you'll get a lollipop if you don't cry)

Reception and Waiting rooms 

(furniture is on order!)

Your very happy and grateful Laboratory Director:

I'll post more pictures as the space becomes finished.  It's been an awfully tiresome month putting it all together, and there's lots more work to do, but boy howdy is it ever worth it!