After a day of cooking, baking, cleaning, running about, and taking an extra-special hour out of Christmas Eve to pile in the car with the Thriller and hunt for Pax, who’d decided to have a Home Alone: Lost in New York-style adventure, I collapsed on the bed at 9:30 last night, after our traditional family Christmas Eve celebration. What a great day.
So, of course, I’m up before dawn, even earlier than usual, thinking thoughts (3:45 this morning). But no regrets; it was a wonderful day and evening. Was Santa good to you and yours? I hope so.
I’m writing two arrangements this week for my choirs. One should be easy enough to pull off for 5th/6th grade (Great Big World’s beautifully sad “Say Something“); the other, for high school choir, will take a bit more work (“Africa” by Toto). After those are in the books, I’ll start on one for my advanced ensemble (“The Girl is Mine,” a cute duet recorded in 1982 by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson, minus the stupid banter at the end). So, the creative muse –should she be found– looks to be busy for the rest of the “vacation.” Seems like I can’t wait for a break like this, but once I’m at home and not setting alarms, all I can think about is going back to work. Go figure.
Still, we’re going to make some time for fun before I go back. Our standard trip to Cleveland on Christmas morning (after the Thriller gets up and we have coffee) is still on, and we may yet go to a Star Wars showing after having dinner at the Outback, courtesy of our friends BoomR and BluVox down in Dallas. (Thank you guys!)
Do you like to play around with photos? At the suggestion of someone who posts on an Australian Shepherd group I’m in on Facebook, I downloaded SuperPhoto on my phone, and boy is it fun. This is one of the hundreds of effects you can apply to an image to make it look cool or funky. I applied the “painting” filter to a picture of Jailbreak Boy, and it does fancy him up a bit. There are lots of other neat effects, too.
And now it’s 5:48. I love looking at our Christmas lights while it’s still quiet and dark in the early morning, and the beautiful Frasier fir in the living room still smells good, looking stately and peaceful as the only light on in the house right now. Peace: I love it. And I wish it for you this Christmas Day and into the new year. Much love.
Merry Christmas my Friend!
Celebrated as usual on the Eve, this year without my sons and D-I-Laws. It was a fun evening filled with lights, laughter and love… Oh yea, and lots of food!
This year was sad for me because a HS classmate died on 12/22/15 finally succumbing to the Agent Orange caused cancer. He was one of the really good guys that God blessed this Earth with; we would see each other every time I went back to Wisconsin…now no more! Gotta really hate a war that keeps on killing! Spent the better part of that day weeping and/or filled with anger! Finally went and sat at our National Veterans Cemetary and let the wind and cold wash my heart.
All I have…Peace!
The war that keeps on killing … what a terrible and true statement. So sorry you lost your friend, Dave — I’m glad you were able to sit for a while and breathe the air. And I’m glad you had a fun Christmas despite not having your “Js” and their wives there. Hopefully next year!
Did you see Star Wars, how was it? H and I might go see it during our vacation if it’s still in the theater.
So how did Pax get out and where did you find him?????
We are going to see it this very day! I’m sure it’ll still be playing everywhere all through the rest of the year, and probably into next year.
I had Remy on the leash, ready to take him out, and as soon as I opened the back door, he saw Blue, our neighbor’s huge retriever mix, and jerked the leash. Not that he’d ever actually *go over there* because he’s such a scaredy cat, but it still yanked my arm out the socket and pulled me away from the door, which I had not yet pulled shut. So of COURSE, Jailbreak Jimmy takes that as a perfect opportunity to make a run for it. haha
We searched all over the neighborhood by car (and our neighbor, Nancy, set out with her son-in-law on foot…she felt so bad, although it wasn’t her fault!) for 45 minutes or so. We looked and looked. So we drove once more through the park, and on our way home, approaching our house, we saw him dart across the street, almost right in front of us! All we had to do at that point was pull over and ask him if he wanted to go for a ride (his most favorite thing in the world). Didn’t have to chase him anymore. lol
Gotta teach that mongrel to look both ways, though!
Happy vacation, Suz — you’re almost there!
OMG that could have been a disaster! I am so glad you were able to find him in one piece. Silly boy!!
We don’t let the Ragdoll Coalition out but each one has gotten out at one point or the other. They fortunately can’t get far and get scared by a bird or blowing leaf and are easily brought back in. But I fear greatly that sometime one will get out w/o us knowing it and that could be a disaster. Ragdolls don’t have a feel for what’s dangerous, they will go up to anyone or just flop down where they want. Like in the middle of the road!
Yes can’t wait for vacation! Harold will have one week off with me and we will probably make a day trip or two but nothing to extravagant. I really need to clean out shelves and closets and take stuff to the second-hand store. Doesn’t that sound exciting? Almost as exciting as doing scores haha
I’d have to check with you here. That is not a thing I generally do!
I love reading a post which will make people think.
Furthermore, thanks for letting me to comment!