Two nights ago, freezing rain turned into ice on the trees, rooftops and roads. Branches from trees burdened with the weight of ice could be heard snapping like gunfire far and near. Icicles had formed at any opportunity where gentle melting had occurred during the day with continuous refreezing. Last night, we had just returned from the last round of grocery shopping, with more than we could store in our home freezer and our thoughts full of delicious ideas about the dishes we would prepare for Christmas. Some of the frozen items would need to be stored in a freezer at another building. As we opened the gate to drive through, light from our headlights caught the rows of frequently spaced icicles suspended below each rail of the steel pipe gate. The light passed through and bounced off the icicles at different angles, creating the feeling of enchantment and wonder that should be a part of any Christmas season.
This afternoon, the day before Christmas, was quiet. Roast was seared and slow-cooked. Vegetables were cleaned and sliced to add to the roast. I pulled the carrots out of the refrigerator drawer and realized that I hadn’t done a good job of inspecting the bag before adding it to the cart. Usually, I would look for slender, uniform carrots. This bag had a small carrot, less than half the size of the others, and an unusually large carrot, more like a carrot log. Then I realized that whether it was kismet or serendipity, that was meant for Parker! And the small one for Banner. A tender carrot was also selected for Jade, and sliced, as she prefers to eat crisp fruits and vegetables in smaller pieces. The grocery store had stocked unusually large apples for their Christmas sales, perfect for Newf Christmas bags, and we got a couple of extra ones for pre-Christmas. As with the carrots, Jade prefers her apples cut into smaller pieces. While the Newfs enjoyed their healthy snacks, Greg made caramel for caramel popcorn.
Greg and I spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying caramel popcorn while playing two hands each of Settlers of Catan. We talked about travel plans for the upcoming weekend. We listened to Kenny G’s Christmas CD. At some point in the afternoon, the doorbell rang. Our mail carrier delivered a box to our back door that wouldn’t fit in our mailbox. The Toy Master has once again thought about the Newfs for Christmas!
Packaging is an important part of any present, and the Newfs, probably sensing the season, have been looking for packages to open. Jade has been particularly interested in every box that arrives. Today, she was so excited that she could barely contain herself. I gently told her that it was for tomorrow morning, for Christmas. She made a minimal effort to contain her exitement, then slipped back into the excitment of the new package. As she danced around me, reaching her nose impressively high while all four feet were on the floor, Greg commented that she may be able to smell the difference in this package. Aha! He is probably right! Our Toy Master is a very special person, and to the Newfs she must smell like a part of heaven.
Tomorrow morning, heads will be emerged in goodie bags for quite a while. Then there will be a toy parade – noisemakers, stuffies, and other fun toys. There will be great four-footed delight as we celebrate our greatest joy.
Merry Christmas to all from the BigFoot Club!
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