best guesses

It's the day before Christmas Eve and I'm thinking about... Henry.

Henry came to live with me on October 19th -- memorable because it was the day before Ed's birthday and our "anniversary." I knew so little about this dog. I read and reread the shelter's description, latching onto their assessment as if it was the ultimate wisdom about this life that would suddenly be my responsibility. "Good with kids." "Crate trained." "Shy initially, but affectionate once he knows you." "A playground rock star!" "Active but with a good 'off' switch." And that's all that they told me. I based my decision on it and on a visit with him Just five or ten minutes, but he seemed, well, calmly friendly. Not shy with me at all. 

They were correct in four out of five assessments. That is amazing, given that he'd been there for just about a week and had had no foster parents before to really get to know him. The streets of Dallas, to shelter, to another shelter, to my home. I wish I could reward the staff of Shelter From the Storm for all the wisdom and care they bring to their work with abandoned animals.

They did get the "crate trained" bit wrong, but I think I contributed to Henry's anxiety about the crate by leaving him in it too early, when he wasn't at all ready to be left alone anywhere. He panicked and though the crate stands open in the spare room, he wont go into it for anything. The blanket inside is snuggly and eminently chewable. He wont even look at it.

Which makes the "playground rock star" assessment extremely important. Doggie daycare has saved me, and more importantly, it has saved him. He is intensely happy there. It is his safe haven away from home. And it is, I hope, the portal to ultimately making him comfortable in other settings away from home. I wish I could reward the staff of Happy Dogz for all the wisdom and care they bring to their work with dogs.

*     *     *

Henry overslept today. Up at 6:45. Normally I would be thrilled, but today I knew that I would have to whiz through the morning routines. Like one of those vinyl records that should be played at 33 rpm but you put on 45 rpm to drive yourself crazy.

It's inching up to be an above freezing day. Snow, what little is left, looks like it wants to slink off into the sunset. It's seen better days.

When kept to a schedule, Henry is extremely efficient with his outdoor business. I had thought that a big dog would require long walks, twice a day. And here I am, never venturing out for long walks with him. Not even once a day. He gets his exercise at dog parks -- where I suppose I do walk, albeit far from his side --  or at day care. This is a little dictated by where I live. There is so much salt on sidewalks abutting commercial buildings that I feel like we're walking on hot coals every time I stray from our apartment complex. Walking a dog in the winter here is just plain awful. And of course, it's hardly enough exercise for him. This dog needs to run!

I wish I could reward the animal rights advocates who pushed for dog parks in our county. They are not a panacea for every dog out there (a pooch really needs to be good at canine signals to fit into the rough and tumble of a dog park), but they have saved Henry from a destructive boredom. Especially because Henry lives with just me. I am not nearly interesting enough for him to keep him stimulated and happy. 

This was something I learned in my months with Henry: the fewer people you have in your household, the easier it is for you to focus on caring for your animal, which is great, except that it is then also harder to keep your animal stimulated and engaged. 

 

 (my wee pup!)

 

My daughter's dog, Goose, has three kids, two cats and two grownups to track. Unpredictable movements, lots of interesting sounds -- he is so stimulated that he, in fact, likes to retreat into a rest quite often, just to shut off all that is around him. Henry? Well, me sitting with a book or at the computer is about as boring as it gets. I am so grateful for the floor to ceiling windows in the apartment's bedrooms. Henry loves to sit by them and watch the action outside. There's really not a whole lot of action outside, but it's better than staring at me reading. 

*     *     *

Yes, breakfast too is rushed today. 

(for once, the grocery store tea roses are a real winner...) 

Back in October, I found a place that would bathe Henry on short notice. After his life as a street dog and then a shelter pup, he needed a bath. I asked how often I should bring him in -- they suggested every month or so. Since then, he had to have another bath when the vet recommended it for a parasite he had picked up (he's been clear of it for a while now). Today then is his third bath, over at EarthWise Pet, where the dog bathers are genuinely sweet to the dogs, and good at their job of getting them bathed, dried and trimmed (for Henry, that's just nails), and back to you in an hour's time.

*     *     * 

One of the challenges for me is living in an apartment with an elevator and having a shy-with-strangers pooch to transport in it several times a day. It is especially hard to juggle him and carry all the things I need to take down to the car with me. Today I was overloaded with foods I needed to bring to the farmhouse (think: pot of soup), in addition to the usual doggie treat bag, purse, camera and today -- also my laptop. Usually I hand out treats when Henry "hangs back" in the elevator when the doors open. Today I just hoped we would not pick up additional passengers.

I realize though that I am working against the grain of Henry's instincts. Elevators are crazy things for dogs who aren't comfortable with the sudden, crashing appearance of strangers in their close space. The door opens and you peer to see -- am I safe? Or will someone come in to attack me and my human? Sometimes I think I ought to just ride up and down to get him used to the unexpected. At other times I can't wait to move to a place where there will be no elevator.

 *     *     *

His appointment is at 8 in the morning, which gives me a chance to sit at the coffee shop next door and think some more about Henry Bean.

I pick up a bathed Henry. His coat always glistens -- he's just your shiny dog! -- but after a bath, it really sparkles! I watch other dogs walk in for their appointments. Some of them are shaking out of fear. I wont say that Henry comes in tail wagging, but he is quick to settle once he smells the familiar. The bathing person said he was reluctant to walk over to the tub, so she picked him up (!!) and put him in it, and then he was just fine. I cannot believe any person of regular stature can pick up Henry! 

(done! clean and beautiful, my sweet pup...)

 

 

Our next stop is doggie day care. I ask the staff there -- can I go get you some Clasen's cookies or danish or treats for the day? As a thank you for all that you do for Henry? She tells me -- please, no more cookies! We are flooded. Maybe some healthy veggies?

*     *     *

I stop at the farmhouse for a short while. 

(shorts weather?)

 

 

My food delivery for Ed. A brief visit with him. He's off to play pickle ball at the senior center. A new activity for him and of course, he immerses himself in the ins and outs of it, as only Ed can. 

Pick up mail. Pick up my original fondue set for the beef. Print out recipe for cheese fondue. I am still hopeful that there will be a fondue pot delivered tomorrow, albeit the Home Depot Store backed out of its promised timely delivery, and Walmart said theirs would come before 8pm tomorrow, which will de quite funny, as we will have finished dinner by then. Just in case, I ordered one more from Amazon -- it appeared out of the blue on their site, with a promise of an arrival tomorrow. By the time I am done with all this, I will likely have three extra fondue pots, all delivered too late.  

*     *    *

More errands. For a person who did her shopping early and all online, and who really dislikes driving (so boring),  I am spending my last possible shopping day... shopping. Or perhaps the phrase errand-running would be more apt. I counted up NINE stops I had to make today. All that time in the car! I switch back and forth between radio stations and though I generally like holiday music, I feel like that person who works in retail and has to hear the loop of holiday songs all day long. One more round of White Christmas or Jingle Bell Rock and I'll shut the whole music operation down until December 2026. (Though I do like my quiet jazzy stuff at home and these days, instrumental numbers really are just about perfect.)

So where to? Well, let me just list these ridiculous run arounds: 1. To the pet grooming service, 2. To doggie daycare where I drop off Henry, who unfortunately cannot go to any of the shops with me, 3. To the farmhouse as noted above, 4. To get gas, 5. To drop off an Amazon refund of scotch tape, as it went to the farmette and I needed it at the Edge, immediately, two days ago, 6. To the pharmacy, 7. To pick up a bakery item at Bloom's for Christmas breakfast -- a stollen, made by a person who spent a lot of time in Dresden Germany. This bread-cake is actually protected by EU law so I'm not sure we can keep calling something baked on Monroe Street in Madison a Dresden stollen, but for now, no one is suing, so there you have it. Fun fact: did you know that this yeasty cake is supposed to represent a swaddled baby Jesus? Okay, back to my list, which is getting increasingly less interesting: 8. To the grocery store that promised me that they have plenty of prepared veggie trays. I lectured myself going in: now Nina, dont get impatient with the crowds, the lines, the ridiculousness of this whole project. The people love your dog, just remember that and keep smiling. In the end, contrary to what I was told, the store (Metcalfe's) had not a single veggie tray left, but they had a fruit one with chunks of cheese added to it and I figure that would temper the cookie munching just fine. And the clerk at the register was so fast that I worried she may have a cardiac event by the time her day was done. 

If you wanted to count the Clasen's cookies I delivered to the management at the Edge, I guess I would call it an even ten stops on today's list.

*     *     *

A black-capped chikadee and a house finch are vying for access to birdseed on my balcony. I have to say, birds seem to me to be very territorial. Like cats, only higher up.

*     *     * 

As you may recall, I found myself buying a winter coffee cup. I had an excuse -- my sheep mug cracked, the handle fell off. I needed a replacement. It struck me that a winter or even holiday dish would also be nice. On the one hand, I am not at the stage where I want to acquire stuff, on the other hand, there was a super sale at Crate & Barrel and the dish was at such a low price, and, too, the store was selling ornaments, at a discount, and I thought it would be terrible to let the year pass without adding a dog ornament to the tree.  

The plate and tree ornament came today. 

 

 

A Jewish friend told me that reindeer on a plate or a card is messaging Christmas in the extreme, but I am adopting what I imagine to be the nordic position: reindeer are animals that live in the Arctic regions of the northern hemisphere. That they happen to be trimmed with red on my plate speaks to the fact that we need a little whimsy in the bleakest days of December. And January. And February. I am not putting this plate into storage after December 25th!

 

Nor am I putting away this Kindle cover that arrived today, despite the wreath on it. It has a dog that's nearly the spittin' image of Henry on it!

*     *     * 

Evening. Time to pick up Henry. You're with me, my sweet pup, for five days straight. I promise I'll have you run every day. I even bought you Purina Pro Puppy Sport chow, because I think you would qualify, as the French would say -- as a sportif animal. I may no longer be an exceptionally sportive woman, but hey, somehow we manage! Right my Henry Bean?

(underneath the Christmas tree...)

 

 

with so much love...

 

lost to the world

I really do not like finishing a good book. I hugely do not like finishing the sixth and final book by an author whose work carried me through most of December. Where do I go now to lose myself to the world? Oh, and to top it off, I finished the dog puzzle, so I no longer have pieces of this pooch or that one to look for. No funny and clever book, no poochie puzzle -- is it time to face the reality of the everyday? So long as there's a Henry to come wake me in the morning with his gentle and wet snout, I will not complain. Too, I haven't run through my list of stupid (but not totally asinine) holiday movies yet, so there are plenty of hours to indulge my inner escapism.

But back to Henry: it's just at freezing this morning. You can tell, right?

I am very glad I live in a place that strictly enforces clean-up-after-your-pet rules (if they find your animal's excrement anywhere near the building you get fined $300 -- they use DNA testing to prove who is the culprit). There's nothing worse, aesthetically speaking, than the sight of melting dirty snow and ancient mounds of dog stuff on the ground. Here, people are scrupulous! It's much more pleasant to greet the morning without the strips of grass looking like a public loo for pooches. And it's easier to walk your dog too. I remember when I lived in Poland in the 1960s and had to walk the family dog in the month of March. I hated it. The city of Warsaw at her worst, before the rains washed things up a bit. 

Here, I do really love going out with Henry. And I hope one day I will calm him down enough so that he wont have to bark at approaching strangers. (Luckily there aren't many approaching strangers before 7 a.m.)

Breakfast. Still finishing up the book. Winter gives us permission to read more. What's there not to love?

Ah, Henry! I'm coming over for a hug and a snuggle. 

 

In between the delightful stuff, I spent hours, hours searching for a fondue set that wouldn't break the budget and, importantly, could be delivered before Christmas. Putting in a search of "fondue set near me" yielded bizarre results, but I pursued every single one of them. It's my fault, really, for not thinking of it sooner. We do fondue on Christmas Eve. Everyone has their traditions and this one has been ours for decades, even though it makes no sense -- beef, on the day you're supposed to eat none? 

I have an old trusty fondue pot, but last year I bowed to the pescatarian among us and bought cheeses for an additional cheese fondue. Unfortunately, there was no second workable fondue pot, so I'll admit that this was just one big disaster. I had thought that the absence of a second pot had been remedied. I don't know why I thought that. Last night it struck me that I should ask. Nope, no second pot. Why didn't I check earlier? Because I was too busy reading books and doing jigsaw puzzles. 

I called every imaginable place that might carry such pots and I visited in person Macy's, Target, Sur la Table, World Market, and Michaels -- this last one only because it was next to the World Market. Sold out everywhere. 

The Home Depot website (but not the store) had a cheap one that they claimed could be delivered on the 24th. I ordered it without any confidence that it will come on time. So I ordered a second one from Walmart -- also with a promise of free delivery by the 24th. I'll let you know which, if any of those two big box stores will meet their obligation. I do not want to waste all that Gruyere and Emmentaler. 

And yes, I went shopping for cheeses and potatoes and other such accoutrements, trying not to think too much about the possibility of a second Eve of failure. 

Do you wonder why I felt that it was imperative for me to lose myself in my novel after my mad shopping dash? Henry is in doggie daycare of course. He is not welcome in Macy's, Target, Sur la Table, the World Market, or Michaels and certainly not in the grocery store. Sigh... this isn't France, Henry. Besides, you still tend to bark at strangers. It tends to wreck people's holiday cheer to have a big dog (and I mean big) bark in a deep baritone voice at them. You're no soft soprano, you know.

Other ambitious projects? Well, I vacuumed the balcony. You should see the mess the birds made out there! And I have a message for the bird store that sold me a "clean seed brick:" it's not clean. I see sunflower seed shells. Birds do not eat shells. Even I know that.

On my way to pick up Henry, I stop to say hi to the young family, back from their family trip to visit other grandparents. 

And I pick up a joyful Henry. He is the last one to leave (sorry, Henry!), so I have a few minutes to chat with the daycare staff. The way they talk about my pup is just so heartwarming. I know they love him. I can see that. Henry's circle of love is widening and that makes me so happy.

(am I the only one thinking that the couch is getting to be too small for Henry?)

 

And all is good with my small world again. Just Henry and me, and a pot of simmering veggie soup on the stove.

with so much love... 

 

hello winter

Sunrise in Madison Wisconsin is at 7:26 a.m. Sunset comes at 4:25 p.m.  This is our "shortest" day of the year, though you probably know enough to understand that minutes don't tell all, as, for example, yesterday's sunrise was also at 7:26 and sunset at 4:25. But the sun is with us for one second less today and so we have ourselves a winner: today we turn around and start the march (more like the slog) to spring!

Henry, this is your first winter solstice. Let's celebrate in our own way: how about greeting the sunrise from Squirrel Hill?

 

 

 

My pup, my prince... 

 

 

No squirrels today, but Henry does dig up a dead mouse. Which reminds me that I haven't done enough training on the new commands. Like "leave it!"  Workin' om it!

 

 

 A breakfast of oatmeal. Doesn't that seem more seasonal than granola? 

 

 

 

Good morning, finches! 

 

 

 

Henry, are you checking my email? 

 

 

 

Oh you sweet, loving dog! I'm so glad you like winter. I do too, you know. At least at its beginnings! 

 

 

 

I was to have a quiet day with Henry. No family, no Ed. But we changed things around a bit because I needed to make a delivery of Christmas stuff for friends of his, and so long as I was doing that, Henry and I may as well go for an off leash walk in the dog park close to the farmette. Ed comes with us. Henry is overjoyed.

 

 

 

 

 

There is almost no one else in the park. Why? Because everything is frozen solid. If yesterday there were rivulets of ice, today there is one huge sea of slipperiness. I have studs in my shoes, Ed has ice cleats and so we manage just fine. Henry is nimble and delightfully unbothered by it. 

 

 

 How he stays upright is beyond me. But he does. Fast as the wind!

 

 

The one bad fall we had was Ed's and it was not his doing: a big dog rear-ended him. Possibly not able to stop himself, he barreled into Ed and toppled him. We think Ed did not break his elbow, but for a few minutes we were not at all sure of this.

Ah, but it was a glorious walk anyway. So much so that we did the loop along the perimeter twice.

And then it is time for me to get home. So that I can finish my puzzle. Yes, my life seems very dog themed right now. 

 

 

 

Good afternoon finches!

 

 

A wintry welcome to the new season. Icy and cold. Not for long though. On the second day of winter I'm shedding my spiky ice shoes and reaching for anything that's good in mud. 

with so much love... 

Saturday funnies

Do you remember the days some of us used to watch Saturday morning cartoons? Often called the funnies? When I was a kid, the one TV in our home was in my parents' bedroom. Sneaky of them, wasn't it! They kept the bedroom door shut when they were in bed and so the TV was basically off limits weekend mornings. No funnies for us. In those days, Sunday morning TV was loaded with game shows for kids. You know the type -- picture Price Is Right or Wheel of Fortune, only with kids filling in as contestants, with challenges that are geared toward a younger set. My school friend's dad was in some way connected to CBS -- a network that had its share of these shows. The taping of them took place on Saturday and there was one such Saturday where a snowstorm kept many of the scheduled contestant kids home. I happened to be sleeping over at this girl's house and her father asked if the both of us could come to the studio and take part in the show. They were desperate for contestants. My parents gave their very reluctant permission. 

I was chosen to be in one of the games -- a stupid one where my eyes were covered with blinds, and where I had to find a big round ball. If I'd succeed, I'd be showered with some toy gifts that Mattel or Ideal or one of the big players dumped on the network for advertising purposes. The thing is, I could see from underneath the eye cover. So I found the ball quite easily. And then was tormented afterwards by the fact that I won the loot dishonestly. Of course, the game hosts wouldn't have cared had they known. They just had a show to tape and air the next day. Just rewards were not at the forefront of their thinking. And in the end it didn't matter, because my parents, no fans of capitalism, did not allow me to take the toys home (and they were indeed dumb toys -- lots of plastic, little value). But there was still the thrill of appearing on that Sunday's TV program! At around 9 I believe. My parents' bedroom door remained closed, but I pounded on it and again reluctantly, they let me in. I was excited: my TV debut! My parents slept through it. To their credit, they often kept late hours due to receptions and diplomatic functions, so there as that. Still, as they dozed, I sat on the floor, watching myself move toward the ball, seemingly blinded, but also dumbstruck, as I drew nearer to my "big win."

*     *     * 

Wild weather swings! Warm two days ago, Freezing yesterday, warm this afternoon, chilly as anything tomorrow, warming up again Monday. So, where do we fit in this morning? Well, just below freezing, with a gusty wind. But the cut off point for me is clear: no sweater for Henry. I can't be making such difficult decisions before breakfast, so I stick to my 25f (-4c) rule. And we are not below 25f.

I'm thinking we should walk up the block just a little, but this proves to be a mistake. My apartment building is extremely pet friendly and so they keep the sidewalk salt to a minimum. The businesses and hotels around us are quite the opposite: salt abounds. I quickly retreat to our usual up and down and all around our building.

(oh those rivers of ice...)

It's so windy that a warm shower seems absolutely blissful afterwards. And breakfast? Even more so! 

Henry eyes me suspiciously afterwards. Are you gonna do those timed release photos were you run back and forth between me and the camera?

(my big hound...)

Yes Henry. Because I love you so much...

*     *     *

Here's a funny thing: I'm waiting for my lesser but probably better smart bird feeder to arrive. As I noted, the original one went back to Slovenia. Or somewhere. Hopefully not the dump. (That's the trouble with sending things back -- the items you reject often wind up in a landfill.) In the meantime, I scattered some seeds on the balcony table. And I have a flood of birds coming to it. Finches, sparrows, and a couple that look awful much like woodpeckers but I am not smart enough to tell you for sure.  (Ed had commented -- why do you need to see videos of birds at your feeder? Isn't the purpose of a feeder to get the birds close, so that you can to see them with your own eyes? Otherwise, why not just watch bird videos on your computer? But of course, it's all an exercise in learning about birds -- their habits, their song, and their identities. This is where a smart feeder becomes very helpful. It's your teacher.

Henry is fascinated by this sudden onslaught of feathered friends out there. 

(that cardinal is not on the tree -- it's a visitor to the Edge balcony!)

 

I'm not sure he expects to ever chase them, but he is definitely on the fence as to whether they require a woof or not. So far he is on the side of no woof. The apartment remains a place of quiet for him.

*     *     *

Ed comes over soon after. We are to take a walk with Henry. It's weekend exercise time! But first, a few essentials.

Like, Henry's greeting of Ed.

Then, I have an errand to do: I want Ed to help me take over the big packages to my daughter's house. They are ridiculously cumbersome and it's impossible for me to imagine carrying the stuff over on Christmas Day, with Henry pulling at the leash.

Ed is not a Christmas guy, but he is a great helper when asked to step up.

The young family is away and indeed, they have a house sitter staying there with the animals, but I am determined to do this while I have Ed's help. I leave him to carry in packages while I manage Henry and their dog Goose.

I have the worse end of the stick.

Henry has always played with Goose off leash and indeed, this is what they do when they spend the day together at doggie daycare: they are free to saunter, jump and tumble. My pooch does not like being tied to me and he tries every which way to free himself. In hanging on to his collar I accidentally unsnap it, sending him flying across the yard in total abandon. 

So now I'm holding on to Goose and trying hard to regain control over Henry and I'm thinking -- these dogs are way stronger than me! 

Eventually, both dogs are where they should be, the presents for the young family are under the their tree (well, next to it, as the boxes are crazily large), Ed and I get into the car with Henry, and let out one big exhale. Or I let it out. Ed is in a perpetual eye roll mode during this project.

 

*     *     *

We drive over to Prairie Morraine dog park. The big one with the long trails. Henry, of course, loves it to pieces.

Ed and I have a tougher time: there is ice everywhere. Slow going for two elderly types who do not wish to crack their bones on it with a fall.

If you stick to the main path, you can avoid most of the ice. 

 

We do not stick to the main path. 

And neither does Henry.

Despite the ice, it's a beautiful walk! A happy walk! 

*     *     *

At sunset, Ed returns to the farmette animals. I'm left with my usual triangle of feelings: I love my space at the Edge. I love living so close to school pickups and to my daughter's place. I do not love living 13 miles away from the farmette and Ed. Those sixteen minutes each way (so long as it's not rush hour) is about fourteen minutes too long. Funny how much a cliché fits the moment: life is full of compromises. The hope is that you make the right ones at the right time.

with so much love... 

dogs, birds, holidays

Well, Henry is the best dog on the planet, the holidays are fast approaching, and here I am, minding not the dog, nor am I tending to the gift-wrapping, instead, I am consumed by a bird feeder. (Yes, there's a pun in there, not a very clever one because honestly, I am not feeling very clever this morning.)

I wont bore you with the bothersome details that lead me finally to disassemble the birdfeeder, pack it up, and take it Kohl's -- the only place from where I could send it back to Amazon without a printer. Needless to say all this took time.

Ironically, when I got back home, I noticed three birds, Finches all, sitting on my balcony railing and table, wondering what happened to the birdfeeder. 

 

Worry not, little birds. Another one is coming soon. A cheaper one that perhaps wont pose the same challenges the other one did. In the meantime, let me contribute to the incredible mess on my balcony and scatter some seeds for you on the table there. I want you to think of it as a happy place for birds! 

 

My dog presents no such feeding problems. Indeed, he is a model pup this morning. Up at 6:30. It is ridiculously cold outside! Rain yesterday, 6F (-15C) today. Of course there will be ice. With a fierce wind added to the mix. On goes his warmest (I think) sweater. A real pain to take on and off for a dog with very long limbs, but worth it (I think). 

Once again, he is not in a hurry to extend the walk today. 

 

 

 

Still, I give him an A- for his behavior: he caught himself and did not woof at the children getting on the 7 a.m. school bus. And he did not woof at the person in the lobby who was fixing himself a cup of coffee. (The Edge has a coffee and tea station for those who do not care about the quality of the caffeinated beverage, nor the fake milk product as long as it gives a pazow hit to get you moving in the morning.) Why only A- ? Well, I went to my storage closet outside the apartment where I kept the box for the bird feeder and Henry ran to the door and jumped up on it after me. That's a real no-no. He could easily scratch the door and leave me with a $$ bill for repairs.)

By breakfast time, all is calm. 

And afterwards, Henry and I play.

And snuggle.

 

I take him to doggie daycare, pick up a few items at the grocery store and go to Kohls to do my return.

I'm not sure what the relationship is between Amazon and Kohls, but they do have a designated Amazon returns station and I was lucky enough to have zero waiting time. But to get to it, you have to make your way to a rather remote corner of the store, passing very many aisles of merchandise. It's been a while since I've been in the clothes sections of a big box store. To say that I don't miss it is the understatement of the year. It's true that after a couple of years of online food purchasing, I've gone back to in-person grocery store visits. The grocery store is closer to my new home and in any case, I do like to check expiration dates and the quality of produce. Clothes? Give me online shopping any time. 

What's missing from this day so far? Holiday prep. And this is getting serious, as doggie day care will be mostly closed next week and I just dont see myself hitting the big packages with Henry underfoot. Ah well. No need to stress about it. Instead, let me start in on a new 500 piece puzzle. It's all about dogs!

 

And then it's time to pick up the kids. Last day of school! PJ day for Sparrow! Holiday garb for Snowdrop! Hot chocolate and movies instead of work! All good stuff. And yet, they appear just a little fragile. 

 

 

 

Nothing that a couple of weeks of later wakeups wont cure. And of course, by the time we settle in at the Edge, they relax, unwind, exhale.

We dont pick up Henry together because they have something to attend to back home. Tonight then, it's just Henry and me, settling in for cozy time by the tree.

with so much love...