Happy new year!

May 2025 be as good as it can be for you

The family I cat sit for invited me to spend new year with them and it was glorious. The child was allowed to try to stay up until midnight. She and I both made it although we did lay on the floor for a tiny bit. 

This is the mom and dad holding hands.

They are off to Canada for a month. They both telework. If someone decides to close the borders they’ll be on the safe side. 

Europe has bought less oil from Russia because Russia invaded Ukraine. Russia continued selling oil to India and China, blunting the effect of the sanctions. India became the largest buyer of Russian oil. One of India’s largest oil refiners looked for new oil supplies. They’ve announced tenders (they are offering to buy) more expensive oil grades from the Middle East. They have secured new supplies from countries like the United Arab Emirates. 

There were at least a dozen explosions at the Yartsevo oil depot in Smolensk Oblast, Russia. Note that Russia says they suppressed the Ukrainian drone attack but there were still a dozen explosions. There were also explosions in the Kozacha BAy in the occupied Black Sea port of Sevastopol, Crimea. 

Ukraine used their HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) to strike the Zap[orizhzhya Oblast and successfully ended a meeting of officers front he Russian 4th Guards. 

Ukraine captured a village in Kursk Oblast and discovered North Korean soldiers. The Institute for the Study of War said that when intelligence reports indicated in October that North Korea was sending soldiers it became sclera they were sending some of its best trained. It is now clear Russia is sending them into very difficult circumstances without proper planning, coordination, or equipment. They are being used for human wave attacks which are not effective. There are accounts that some of them are killing themselves rather than be captured, possibly because of fear of reprisal against their families. Yes, Russia has a manpower advantage, but they are sacrificing their men and the North Koreans so badly that the North Koreans aren’t game changers. North Korea provided 10,000 soldiers. Russia is having 30,000 casualties (includes wounded) a month. 


May all the hostages be returned. May there be a ceasefire in Gaza. May Putin lose power and Russia leave Ukraine. May Sudan find peace. May we thrive, not just survive. 


Love, 
E