Cecil:  So, Lady Alice, it's New Year's Eve.  Isn't this this the time when we pause to name what we are thankful for?
Alice:  I suppose it is, Lord Cecil. And my allergies are bothering me, so I am not sure I am thinking clearly.Why don't you start? You've been here for 1 and 1/2 years now.  What are you grateful for, besides me, of course?
Cecil: I am grateful for you Alice, despite all of your phony attempts to blow me off. I am also grateful for the keeper who opened her door to me when my own family was done with me.  I still feel like I am in heaven, except when I am grounded. I am grateful for treats and the chance to be spoiled and spoken to with such fondness. So, come on Alice, what are you really grateful for?
Alice: Okay, Cecil, you caught me at a vulnerable moment.  My sinuses really are bothering me  But yes, I do like you, and my life would have been very lonely without you.  Our keeper is never home an so you have become my real friend, even though I am more of an introvert than you are. But I am grateful for this lovely home, new cat beds, and food which I can finally stomach.  I am grateful for the brushing and the toys.  I had almost starved to death before the keeper had adopted me, so her  kindness is tops on my list.
Cecil:  It is true, we are pampered and fussed over and over-protected and insured. But it really doesn't  get much better than this, does it?  I wish we had a dog, though.  They really know how to play.The keeper tries, but her endurance is weak. So, Alice, do you have any hopes for the new year?
Alice:  I hope for an end to this sinusitis.  I want to be able to play again with wild abandon.  Then you might not miss your dog friends so much.
Cecil: If that is the case, Alice, then I hope that you start taking the medicine the keeper gives you instead of biting her and spitting it out. I also hope that other pets can find loving homes.  I would hope that we could make gifts to help homeless pets at Whisker City find homes. and that the economy gets better so that people don't have to give up their pets.
Alice:  2012 is also an election year.  Cecil, I hope we can do something to help inject some sanity into this process. I also think the Church could learn some things from us.  I doubt they will ask for our opinions though.I do hear the Pope has a cat, though. Maybe we could work through him.
Cecil:  This is my last thought.  I am concerned about other animals throughout the planet whose lives are in danger because of  bad environmental practices, or war, or neglect. I hope the keeper will let us join a national animal group this year.
C &A:  Happy 2012,  everyone! The keeper is home from her party at the neighbors. We are hoping for a slurp of the bubbly.