The tree is up. Basically. Its skirt is tangled around the base because every time I straighten it one of the cats decides they’re ready to rumble. The angel-less top is flattened courtesy of Seven’s perch and survey his domain style and the branches look kinda beat up. My sturdy ornament selection withstood the onslaught, though, and the kitties have managed to nibble away only a couple of the branch tips so we’re calling it a win.
Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree…thank you for not abandoning all hope and crashing through our coffee table during this holiday season.
We’ve pretty much devoured the cookies my sister brought so if we’re leaving any out for Santa I guess we’d better get baking today.
The creatures are divided. Teens are sleeping late and napping often while fur babies rotate between raucous play sessions and snoozy snuggles. Gracie spends her day fulfilling her golden’s duty to retrieve – an envelope on the table, the cookies cooling on a pan, post-it notes and pencils and chip clips galore. If Santa went hardcore she’d never get anything but coal in her stocking.
Speaking of stockings ours aren’t hung by the chimney with care because the last time I tried that Gracie pulled one down, bringing its heavy iron holder crashing to the floor and leaving a nice gouge to remember her by. ‘Tis the season and all that jazz. The stockings are laid out on the console downstairs waiting for bedtime when they’ll be filled and placed on the coffee table. The trick is to beat the dogs to them in the morning. There’s nothing like starting off Christmas day with a furry footrace, I always say.
It’s not lost on me that we’re in the final throes of 2020 here and true to form Trump’s honoring the Christmas season with more of the usual nonsense. That’s okay. We can do hard things. Like celebrate a holiday season in the midst of a pandemic while vaccination rollouts begin, relief packages are still in flux, and healthcare workers beg us to stay home and be safe. We’re almost to the new year, you guys. We are crawling toward the finish line AND WE CAN MAKE IT. I’m certain of it.
And to my friends who actually managed to get a Christmas card made and mailed in the midst of this madness? I’m in awe of your we-can-do-hard-things spirit, people, I truly am.
For those who celebrate, I hope your Christmas is magical. For those who don’t, blessings on your and yours as we finish out 2020 and head into the new year. I think we’re all hoping to hit the reboot button on this one.
As Trump pardons his sleezy friends and I enjoy having my family around me, with my Shasta not the kind of retriever Gracie is, and our cats prowling, sleeping, and eating, all too old to care about our tiny Christmas tree, I am anticipating that reboot with great pleasure. Perhaps even desperation. Wishing you a safe and happy holiday season, and a wonderful New Year with some sense of normalcy.
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Thank you, Carol. I’m trying oh so hard not to lose the holiday spirit as Trump sells pardons left and right. (Yes, I fully acknowledge that’s entirely without evidence, it’s just a gut feeling based on the transactional nature of his life.) Might have to avoid twitter altogether tomorrow and over the weekend to salvage my peace of mind.
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Laura, Have a Healthy Holiday and am looking forward to more great 2021 posts from Riddle From the Middle.
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Thank you so much! I hope you have a wonderful holiday season as well.
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Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year to you and yours, Laura. 🎄
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Thank you, John. To you as well!
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Merry Christmas.
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Merry Christmas, John!
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Laura, be safe over the holidays. Keith
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Thank you, Keith. You too.
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I chuckled multiple times as I read through your description of the reality of your Christmas preparations, as compared with the nostalgic perfection that we somehow think we are supposed to match. Perfection is an abstract ideal–as you stated so well, we are crawling toward the finish line, slowly and haltingly making progress toward that finish line. Have a wonderful Christmas and I hope that you can enjoy those magical moments of celebration before we turn the page on 2020.
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Thank you, Mike. I found December got a whole lot less stressful once I let go of the idea that we’re supposed to exist in some Norman Rockwell holiday wonderland. I consider making it to New Year’s a success in 2020.
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Amen to that last thought, Laura.
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Merry Christmas. One more week and we can put 2020 behind us.
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I am counting down the days here, Dan.
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and to you and your clan!
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Thank you, beth 🙂
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Hope you’ve a marvelous Christmas.
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Thanks, Sadje. I hope you’re having a wonderful December!
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I am with my kids, so it’s indeed a happy time. 💖❤️
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