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Search RuthAndJohn.com NOTE: click on the link then put your search words inside the quotes on Google

Starting again with the kitties, John is smitten and constantly raves about how cute they are. Tommy's still sick and needy and we cuddle with him a lot. He and the kit kats get kitty crazies at about 3 AM every morning - fortunately I am usually awake then. I usually try to settle them before I start working. Tommy is still having heart and kidney problems. He's eating and drinking well and his weight hasn't changed for months. He's taking meds which have been changed a couple of times.

The cats love to be near the computer monitors especially between the user and the computer. It's at least a daily occurrence.

Tommy enjoying some autumn sun.	Charlie in the new kitty tree.	Buster in his little house.
Buster watching a YouTube video for cats.	Buster's favorite position when Ruth is working on her computer.	Yin and Yang?

The autumn leaves here are lovely. The trees will have no leaves very soon.

I'll put up our Christmas tree in a few days and then we can watch the kit kats taking turns being the shining stars on the tree.

A cold autumn morning in Parc Oberthür	We love our little pond with the large population of ducks.	Autumn colors
There are lots of cozy places for the wildlife here in the park.	This tree lost all of its leaves in a few days.	This grey heron was planning on fish for breakfast.
Work on the exterior of our apartment building continues.

In France the sale of kittens, puppies, dogs and cats in pet stores will be prohibited as of January 1, 2024. These will no longer be displayed in shop windows and their online sale will be better regulated. In the case of dolphinariums in France, which have 21 dolphins and 4 orcas, they will no longer be able to possess these cetaceans within five years. Mink farms raised for their fur will also be banned immediately. Two weeks ago France banned animals in circuses too. Performances of wild animals will be prohibited in two years and owning them outlawed in seven years, under the wide-ranging animal rights legislation that has been under debate since 2020.

French government spokesman Gabriel Attal, speaking after the weekly meeting of the government's Defense Council, has announced that from Saturday all travelers - vaccinated or not - will require a negative COVID test in order to enter France from any country outside the EU or Schengen zone.

Residents in Greece over the age of 60 will be fined €100 a month if they fail to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, under the first general COVID-19 mandate announced by the country's government.

Omicron is a powerful reminder that failing to distribute vaccines equitably is a failure not only of ethics but also of self-protection.

Recently we've had some very good news and some not so good news on the USA political front:
GOOD: Stacy Abrahams is running for governor of Georgia
BAD: Oregon's Peter DeFazio is retiring from Congress

Both are very strong activists for middle and lower economic classes.

Christmas events in Rennes Nov 26 2021 - January 2 2022

These are excerpts from local resources about upcoming holiday events in Rennes. Some are quite spectacular.

"This winter in Rennes": Christmas markets, fun fair, screenings ... The magic of Christmas is back in Rennes with a varied program of activities for the end-of-year celebrations, from November 26, 2021 to January 9, 2022. Christmas markets, city hall screenings, show at the opera, funfair, fireworks show and New Year's Eve ball, Arts of fire, new illuminations, shopping events, free guided tours. Find out what awaits you "this winter in Rennes"!

Le Carré Rennais , the association of downtown merchants, offers various activities and decorations every weekend before Christmas. 130 shops will be adorned with a green decor. Visitors can also enjoy free carriage rides and entertainment. Santa's sleigh will also be there. The festivities will be launched on Saturday December 11 at 4:30 p.m. from Place Saint-Germain with the Compagnie Remue-Ménage. A horde of luminous polar bears nearly 4 meters high accompanied by extravagant dancers, guided by an attractive master of ceremonies on stilts will then leave the square to enchant the streets of the city center for nearly 2 hours.

The Mall François Mitterand Christmas market launches the end-of-year festivities at the end of November. With around forty chalets, a "Belle Epoque" carousel and an illuminated Ferris wheel. An unmissable market which settles in one of the most fashionable new places in Rennes. On the menu: a warm atmosphere, party articles, sweets and delicacies are offered in small wooden chalets. The opportunity to find the ideal gift for the end of the year celebrations and have a good time. Do not forget to take the height on the Ferris wheel to have an unprecedented panoramic view of the Breton capital. The traditional Wednesday organic market in the mall can be found behind the Ferris wheel during the holiday season.

Mail François Mitterrand Christmas market: from Friday November 26 to Friday December 31, 2021, every day from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. (until 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays).

It is a well-established tradition in Rennes, a bit like in Vienna, around New Year's Eve, a great show is offered at the Opera. With a presentation of the White Lady, the most performed opera of the 19th century and a real "tube machine" whose popular arias will inevitably mean something to you. A ghost story that plunges the spectators into an atmosphere of tale, both unifying and festive. Do not miss it!

La Dame Blanche at the Opera: performances on December 28, 29 and 31 at 8 p.m. and January 1 at 4 p.m. Prices: from € 5 to € 60, reservations on the Opera website

Every winter and every summer, a monument of Rennes comes to life with an astonishing projection, free and suitable for all audiences. In winter, during school holidays, the Town Hall is highlighted. The 2021 show echoes the opera presented at New Year's Eve: the White Lady. The Spectacular Company - Metallurgists was inspired by 7 well-known operas for a sound and visual journey entitled "Reines".

"Queens" screenings Place de l'Hotel de Ville: from Friday December 17, 2021 to Sunday January 2, 2022 inclusive. Screenings every 30 minutes, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Free.

Parliament Square is transformed into a Christmas village for the end of the year celebrations with the largest Christmas tree in the city, 13 meters high, gourmet chalets to savor Christmas gastronomic specialties, a lighting of the monument and space and activities with the Carré Rennais. New for 2021, a letterbox is installed so that children can leave their list of gifts which will be sent directly to Santa's secretariat.

Christmas Village on Place du Parlement: from Saturday Dec 4, 2021 - Sunday Jan 9, 2022, every day from 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. (except Dec 24 & 31 from 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., on Dec 25 & Jan 1 from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.). Free.

A nice visual surprise in perspective: 150 kayaks, canoes and oars will crisscross the Vilaine with torches and lanterns, during a nautical parade from the Moulin du Comte lock to the Plaines de Baud.

Nautical parade on the Vilaine, Saturday December 11, 2021, from noon to midnight.

Christmas market unlike the Ateliers du Vent. A new "different" Christmas Market organized by RESO Solidaire and the actors of the Social and Solidarity Economy to promote committed exhibitors and promote the local and responsible economy. About twenty exhibitors are invited to the Ateliers du Vent alongside 10 artists. The event also associates the Inhabited Wall which adjoins this cultural place unlike any other. Also on the menu is music with the Queen of Thugs and a local beer stand. Note the creations are also accessible via the digital platform put online in winter 2020.

Christmas market not the same at Ateliers du Vent (59 rue Alexandre Duval): Thursday, December 16, 2021 from 4 p.m. to midnight. Solidarity market, pop-up store and edition fair at Hôtel-Dieu. At Hôtel-Dieu, The Roof and Origines host several events to experience Christmas differently. From December 10 to 12 it is the pop-up store of the association bonne pioche that opens, the opportunity to discover, over a weekend, the work of designers and artists from Rennes and refuel original gifts (prints, games, wooden objects, furniture, decoration, clothes, etc.) Follow-up on December 18 for the second edition of Shifumi, a small show for publishers in Rennes and the surrounding area. And finally, on December 19, a local and solidarity market for creators (screen printing, textile books) organized by the Rennaise edition, will take up residence at the Hôtel-Dieu.

Hôtel-Dieu (The Roof & Origines) , from December 10 to 12 (Pop-up store), December 18 (Shifumi edition fair) and December 19 (Solidarity market). Christmas at the Inhabited Wall The Inhabited Wall is a breeding ground for local artisans and creators. For Christmas, this is a good opportunity to go for a walk to find original gifts made on site and discover the know-how of craftsmen in a wide variety of fields: plumasserie, decoration, jewelry, linocut, cabinetmaking ... in December the workshops are open during the week and on special days.

Noël au Mur Habité , 3 rue Gisèle Freund in Rennes (Cleunay district) special openings Saturday 4, Saturday 11, Sunday 12, Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 December. Funfair: full of thrills Esplanade Charles de Gaulle Destination Rennes - Franck Hamon Each year for 125 years, it is the tradition of the Winter Festival in Rennes which illuminates the nights until the beginning of January. Installed Esplanade Charles de Gaulle, a stone's throw from the Colombier shopping center, the funfair offers its share of sensations to well-hung hearts. 80 rides, to be found on the 10,000 m2 of the fun fair: the Move in Top, the Palace of laughter, the Showbiz slides, the Top Spin Fresh, the rotor, Oxygen and Power Maxxx. If you come by metro, you can't go miss the station for the funfair, you can smell the good smell of frills as soon as you get out of the train at Charles de Gaulle station.

Funfair, Charles de Gaulle esplanade : every day from Saturday December 11, 2021 to Sunday January 9, 2022. Hours during school periods: from 2 pm to 11 pm Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; and from 2 p.m. to 1 a.m., Friday and Saturday. During school holidays: from 2 p.m. to midnight, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; and from 2 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Like the previous winters, new Christmas lights and decorations are installed all over the city, as well as 40 illuminated Christmas trees in all neighborhoods. Do not miss the lighting of the rue Saint-Malo, and the decorations on the squares where the metro works have just been completed: Place Sainte-Anne and Place Saint-Germain. La Dalle du Colombier also welcomes new light decors.

Launch of the illuminations in the streets of Rennes, Saturday December 4, 2021 at 6 p.m. from the Place de la Mairie.

Book your New Year's Eve to attend the new fireworks show offered on December 31 on Place de la Mairie. An offbeat fireworks display around the theme of "life's little pleasures" , full of references and a nod to the cinema.

Fireworks show, Place de l'Hotel de Ville : Friday, December 31, 2021, from 11:40 p.m. to midnight. Free. Free ball at Liberté until the end of the night To end New Year's Eve in style, dancers of all ages are then invited to celebrate New Year's Eve with music at the Liberty Ball, from midnight to 5 a.m. The Génération orchestra will provide the musical programming with the greatest hits performed live.

New Year's Eve ball, Le Liberté - Esplanade Général de Gaulle : Friday December 31, 2021, from midnight. Free .

The Mall François Mitterand Christmas market	La Dame Blanche at the Opera	"Queens" screenings Place de l'Hotel de Ville
Christmas Village on Place du Parlement	Nautical parade on the Vilaine	Giant puppets in downtown Rennes
New illuminations in the streets and in the squares	New Year's Eve: fireworks show - Place de la Mairie	Funfair: full of thrills Esplanade Charles de Gaulle