A True Friend

DD's oldest friend (her mother was in Labor & Delivery and I was in Recovery at the same time giving birth to KS and DD) stopped yesterday with a package. She had read last week on the blog how I felt bad about not putting Fifi, my 9 ft. tall flamingo lawn ornament out this Christmas but just wasn't in the mood this year. In her package was this--







a 3 foot tall flamingo made of wire, garland (pink!) and lights. I'm calling her Fifi Jr. and next Christmas she won't be alone out there. Cross my heart.


KS, you are one in a million! I love you. (Your mother sure raised you right.)



I got all the gifts wrapped yesterday. It took a lot longer to wrap what isn't really much of a pile but I enjoyed it. Do you put bows on your gifts? I didn't put them on, it seemed wasteful somehow, but maybe I'll take a minute and bow the presents today. I can use all the festive I can muster and bows are festive, right? Today DS is off work so we're all going to Kroll's for lunch to stuff ourselves with burgers on hard rolls with a pat of butter on top. Hey, don't knock it 'til you've tried it. Come on up and I'll make the sacrifice to take you there. They have fried cheese curds too. Mmm, fried cheese. They're so good you can feel your arteries slowing down with every bite Anyway, DIL1 will be off in the evening so we'll have family dinner of meatloaf, and I'm still hoping to pop into Friday Night Knitting to show off my family for a few minutes. And I just realized that I have to go get Porter's Christmas gift. I spotted it a month ago at the birdseed store; it's a giant rope ball that she can chew up to her heart's content. I'm certain DS & DIL1 will love cleaning that up. Maybe we'll leave it here for when she comes to Grandma's house... (OMG, I'm turning into a dog person! No, this can't be happening! *gasp* At least I'm a one-dog person--so far. *whew*) Can I get some extra days or maybe a clone, please? It's not that I have a whole lot of stuff that I need to do, I want to do a bunch of things, with people and without them, and there aren't enough hours in the day or days in the week. And not just during the holidays either, I'd like extra time for the rest of the year and into 2012. I don't want to age faster, you understand, I just want time (and money) to do all the stuff I want to do when I want to do it, and without having to quit my job, get a divorce, or go on Welfare. Is that too much to ask? I don't think so.

December 22--Paul Gauguin, A Farm in Brittany. At this time of day the farm looked deserted. Lucas stood beneath the beech tree in the field behind the creamery. He watched the light change from yellow to red-gold as the breeze dropped like someone shut off a fan. He felt the sweat trickle down his neck and reached in his pocket for his handkerchief but it wasn't there. He frowned and looked back toward the orchard where he and Toulon, the hired man, had been clearing brush. He thought he saw it flutter on a branch but there was no wind. he whistled for his dog, Kip, to come as he turned toward the house. As he walked downhill he heard the shrill ringing of the telephone. His wife, Martine, should get it. She would be in the kitchen making supper for him but the thing kept ringing. Why hadn't Martine answered? Where was Kip? He broke into a run, reluctant to call out in the suddenly eerie silence.

Ooh, the hawk just zoomed through the backyard chasing some poor bird. I call the feeders "the hawk buffet" because he/she uses it as a hunting ground. In the winter the little ground-feeding juncos are its preferred prey. The hawk chases them into the patio doors so they flop stunned onto the cement and it can scoop them up. The juncos aren't as clueless as all that and usually get away. It's amazing to watch, especially when the hawk misses because it looks around to see if anyone noticed. Happy daze!
--Barbara