Four Annual Celebrations and a Funeral 6WS

The four  winter celebrations, all crashing about over each other this weekend are Chinese New Year, year of the monkey, Valentine's Day, and Presidents' Day which I count as two because Lincoln and Washington are jostling about having to share.

So the weekly family dinner had to acknowledge all of them, yesterday.  Big bowls of pasta e fagioli, because it's winter, followed by roast chicken (one in every pot, you know) with roast french fries, peas and carrots, and finally cherry and apple crumble. The cherries were in honor of the tree Washington never actually cut down, and the apples because Abe probably liked them. We noted Chinese New Year with an extra dessert of chocolaty wafer roll things from the Asian store, which also brought in the chocolate theme for V day.  And there were a few M and Ms around the place.

No pix, sorry, too much cooking going on!

However, I'm sad to say we had a little funeral today, as you see. My trusty old phone, the one that's been through so many adventures with Handsome Son for several years, then me for several more, is about to be replaced.  Now this is an odd thing, and don't tell me electronic items have no feelings.  

Last week came a note from Tracfone, the carrier I use, to say that they were going to replace my old 2G phone with a free 3G one, since the networks were all going to stop servicing the 2Gs.  Up to then no problems with this phone.  

And the very day the news came, she started to fail.  First she let me text but not send.  Then her navigation buttons stopped steering, so I couldn't call nor answer.  So I thought I'd better copy off my contact list quick. I administered first aid: took the back off, took out the battery and the SIM card, then replaced them in case they'd got jolted out of place in one of our adventures.  No improvement in the patient.  Her screen lights up bravely, but there's no action.

We think she knows her replacement is on its way, will arrive Monday.  Meanwhile, friend lent me a handset from his landline, because he doesn't want me to be without a phone at all, and here you see the funeral for Phone.  She served me well.

Reading clockwise, aside from the phone lying in state  in the middle of the hand crocheted shroud, you see her friends marking her passing.  Bottom left is the fireplace remote, then the Ipod touch, even older than Phone, then the ancient tv remote, then the handset standin wanting to be included, and the DVD player remote.

These are all ancient themselves,so it seemed tactful not to be too heartless about the passing of one of them.  She has a selection of purses which she will leave to her successor, depending on whether they will fit.

Sic transit gloria phoni.