Animals - especially dogs, Celebrate

Christmas in February

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After going through two years of pandemic quiet, we recorded last weekend in the excitement column in the Ledger of Life. (Thanks to Tootlepedal for introducing me to this term.) The cause of the excitement? At long last, our daughter Shannon and our son-in-law Mike came for a visit.

With them they brought the inimitable Holly

and sweet Somara.

The title of this post gives a clue as to how we celebrated this weekend. The Christmas tree behind Holly in the first picture is also a clue.

For various reasons, Shannon and Mike were unable to join us in December to celebrate Christmas. But because we knew they would eventually make it to Maine, we decided to keep the tree up until they did come, which happened to be last weekend.

We had a jolly time of gift giving and conversation. We played Christmas music, and outside there was a soft sprinkle of falling snow. Although it was February, it felt like Christmas.

After presents, we introduced Shannon and Mike to the board game Horrified, which they both liked very much.

On Sunday, Shannon, Mike, and the dogs left Maine to head home, and we bid them a sad farewell.

On Monday, we got up at God-awful o’clock—3:45 a.m.—to bring our eldest daughter Dee to Portland to take a bus back to New York, where she has various things to take care of.

Now it’s just Clif and me, and, yes, it’s more than a little lonely.  Yet I can’t help but think how grand it is that we so enjoy being with our kids. Both Clif and I feel that there is no better company than Dee, Shannon, and Mike. We are lucky parents, that’s for sure.

When we returned from Portland, we each took a little nap. Getting up at 3:45 certainly isn’t our thing. Then, down came the tree.

The living room is now back to normal.

As soon as her business is taken care of, Dee plans to return to Maine for a while, and in March, we will to go to Massachusetts to visit Shannon, Mike, and the dogs.

And maybe, just maybe, we’ll be able to play a game we bought Shannon for Christmas—The Big Book of Madness, recommended by Carol Ann on her fabulous blog Fashioned for Joy.

More good things to record in the Ledger of Life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

74 thoughts on “Christmas in February”

  6. Such BIG doggies!! I’m delighted you had such a fun time with your family. They really do make a house a home, don’t they?!

  7. The red, white and blue ornaments on the tree were perfect for presidents day! Glad that you finally had this time with Shannon and all the family.

  9. I’m glad you had good times. Your story reminds me of a bar I once wandered into in Manhattan. Don’t know if it’s still there. Their schtick was to have their Christmas lights and decorations on display all the time.

  12. What a joyful post! It’s so great that you were all able to celebrate Christmas together. Leaving the tree up was the PERFECT touch. Nothing soothes the soul like being with your grown children and, afterwards, knowing that you just love their company. ❤

  14. Absolutely wonderful that you were able to have the whole family there for a belated Christmas, and those handsome dogs look quite at home in your home! Isn’t it great to wake up to the chatter of family and the padding of dogs around the place. We were all together at Christmas too, after many months of lockdowns, and it was wonderful! Yes, definitely in the excitement column of the Ledger of Life.
    However, it sure was quiet when everyone went home.

  15. I love the idea of celebrating Christmas when family arrives, whatever the date! Love knows no calendar, and I enjoy seeing the tree and presents. So glad also to see the photo of Horrified. I will need to get it soon. You and I both enjoy collaborative games!

    Did I also mention “Fox and the Forest Duet?” It’s a small, engaging collaborative game (no monsters!).

    Finally, thanks LOADS for you kind words about my blog. And I’m thrilled you gave Shannon the Big Book of Madness. I’ve been playing solo (too much?) recently. Glad to share the love! Let me know what you think. Buon Natale!

    1. “Love knows no calendar.” So true!

      We are a family who loves collaborative games. I don’t recall you mentioning “Fox and the Forest Duet.” Love the name! I have noted it in my desk diary and will soon be looking it up.

      Can’t wait to play The Big Book of Madness. We plan to visit in March and take the game out for a spin.

      Joyeux Noel!

  18. The Great Ledger of Life has been kind to you and Clif with an extended Christmas season and family visit! Wishing you many more checks on the plus side to come.

  19. This sounds like a grand time. I hope to go visit my mother in March and I think I have Christmas presents there as I was meant to go home then…but I doubt she has any decorations up yet!!!

  20. You had a perfect setting for your celebrations, and I know that the memories will linger long after the snow melts. I’m curious about Holly; what breed is she? I suspect she’s not Basenji, but she certainly reminds me of the Basenji dogs I knew in Liberia; they were the ‘village dogs’ and quite common. That’s a beautiful blue water lily on your wall, too!

    1. Holly is a rescue dog so we are not sure about her breed, but it seems likely that there is a lot of Basenji in her. The water lily is a gift from a friend. He took it while kayaking in a local pond. I love it, too. Even though it’s a photograph, it has a very painterly look, all aglow from within.

  22. WHAT a delightful post to read early in the morning as the sun is rising on what is to be yet another blisteringly hot day here. This post is filled with love and joy and long awaited celebration – enough to lift the spirits of all of us who can share it from afar!

  25. So fun! I miss playing board games, but I think my oldest might finally be old enough to start playing some simple ones with us. Thanks for the inspiration!

    1. We’ve always been a gaming kind of family. When our kids we young, one board game we really liked was Fantasy Forest. It’s still available for purchase in all the usual places. We had hours of fun with that game, and it put them on the path to folderol and fantasy. Lord of the Rings, anyone? 😉

      1. Fantasy Forest looks fun! It’s also for sale for $900 on etsy!! Wow! (There are choices for $50-100 on ebay as well, but that $900 one jumped out at me).

      2. Fantasy Forest is fun, but it’s not $900 worth of fun. 😉 It can also be purchased new for about $30, and you should be able to get $30 of fun from the game.

  26. I think Christmas can be celebrated at any time of the year. I am so pleased you all got together at last even though it was for such a short time. I hope that, as the pandemic slowly leaves us we can all resume our happy family gatherings whenever we need to.

  28. What a treat! So pleased for you! And more get-togethers to look forward to. I think we all appreciate them more for having been wihout for so long – no taking them for granted any more. I love the idea of Christmas in February and snow must have helped. The ‘Ledger of Life’ is a great idea and filling it with memories is an even better one.

  30. What a lovely post to read. I’m so glad you all got to celebrate Christmas together. It’s funny how we rarely think outside the box, even a little, and what we’re potentially missing. Your Christmas tree with gifts reminds me of my mother’s except for the tissue paper tops in some of them which seemed a good idea. Almost all recycled, as in our family, I imagine!

    1. Thanks, Susan! Often we use recycled bags, but in this case, Shannon bought new ones for the occasion. But you can bet they and the paper are folded and tucked away for future use.

  31. How wonderful to have everyone together for a very special and beautiful Christmas in February!!!🙂 Felt like Christmas just reading about your weekend and so wonderful that you’ll all be together again soon!🙂

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  34. I thought I had commented before but didn’t see itso here I go once more.

    So happy for all of you. Even the weather helped you celebrate Christmas with your kids. The gift bags around the Christmas tree look great 😁

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