Out With the Old--In With the New

Happy New Year!! But if you've ventured out to any stores since Christmas, you've discovered that Valentine's Day is not so far away. So check out the updates for Glitter and Grunge; and while you're there, be sure to see what all the other artists are offering too.

But before we leave 2007, I was thinking of some of our fun family memories of Christmas pasts. Of course there's always the "Christmas Tree Fell Over, and Broke All My Favorite Radko Ornaments" story. You can probably guess who was responsible for that memorable moment. Yes, it was our infamous outside cat, Friendly (and no, he's not) who found his way into the house yet again and discovered a prime scratching post which happened to be our tree. (no poo this time; just broken glass, water, pine needles, and yellow and orange cat fur.) Apparently our tree stand was not designed to withstand 18 pound cat ornaments.

Another fun memory was what I call my "Norman Rockwell Meets Nurse Ratchet" story. One Christmas Eve several years ago, I was finishing up my last Christmas preparations. I'd ushered my husband off with the oldest 3 kids to deliver some home baked goodies to neighbors. My youngest, who was about 4 at the time, was quietly playing in our den with her newly acquired doctor kit which she'd received from a neighbor. And I was merrily baking a few last batches of Christmas cookies. (As a very astute and now experienced mom, I'd already warned my daughter that only the REAL vet can take the cat's temperature--a preemptive strike, so to speak, against any pre-schooler veterinary malpractice.) Anyway, as the radio softly played Christmas music in my snug, sweet-smelling kitchen, I put the last batch of cookies in to bake. "Ahhhh," I thought as I sat down to savor the moment. "All is right with the world--I feel just like June Cleaver--what a Norman Rockwell moment." Reality came crashing in along with flailing arms and a toy stethoscope, and I heard, "Get outa my hospital!" as my daughter's baby doll came flying through the door into the kitchen. Apparently, the doll was uninsured. This is probably one time Friendly was glad that he remembered that he is an outside cat.

Happy New Year!