While feeding sparkling rope lights through the greenery hanging from the ceiling of the bunker, I stepped into the fruit cellar and pawed around looking to see what Christmas things Mother might have stashed there. I found her Christmas cards – so to speak.
There is some controversy about the Christmas lawn decoration that is inside. In defense of the bear interpretation:
Note the pointy nose.
Then, again, while searching to no avail for a picture of my bear in a labeled advertisement, I found this:
Say hello to Mary
Mary is new to our group and like the song George M. Cohan, sweet and old-fashioned. She did go to the Ohio Redoubt to visit, however, and Der Bingle reports she has been hanging out with Alien Poo, who is introducing her to “new attitudes” aboard the Mother Ship. We shall see how this turns out. Heaven help us if she returns and starts calling herself Marie.
And here is our polar bear who Summer believes looks more like a mouse. I found the box and it definitely says “BEAR”. I got him a couple of years ago a few days before Christmas when he was on a mega-sale. It was an impulse action . . . but he seemed to be calling my name. This year was a little traumatic – I had to stabilize his head on his body with floral wire. Oh, that was probably too much information.
He is supposed to be a lawn ornament, but we keep him inside – Do you know how windy it can get here?? Besides, he’s a good conversationalist, full of stories about life at the North Pole and elves and reindeer . . . and the Big Guy himself.
I guess that mystery box was a double secret mystery and is only now just a single mystery because I FORGOT TO PUSH PUBLISH when I wrote it last Friday. But that’s okay because I had to USE GLUE and it will not go out until Monday morning. Maybe that adds to the mystery.
This is the season of earphones* for me; I am listening to carols and tuning out the negativity in my house. It will the also be the season of elfing and concentrating on sharing good cheer with others. I think I am going to devote each day to some little endeavor aimed outward – let’s see, maybe I will start with this mystery box to Glenda. Hint: It will contain nothing new, just refugees . . . so I guess I’ll have to punch air holes in the box. I’d ask for volunteers but they would all want to go, so I will probably have a lottery. Yes, I think I will do that tonight/early tomorrow morning. I’m going to have fun with this. Oh, yeah. Maybe I will rig the lottery and, well, you’ll see.
* Another reason for earphones is that Der Bingle does not like The Irish Tenors and I could listen to them ALL DAY – LOUDLY.
Shane and I – our little down in spirits period last night? – well, guess what, one of us opened the Kindle for comfort reading and the screen was an abstract black and white painting. Yes. Bummer. Fortunately, Shane still had a Wubba to hold close to him as I felt my body and spirit just right out sag.
I’m getting a new one. I contacted the company for troubleshooting and was instructed to call and did so. It’s out of warranty and I figured as much, and they offered me some refurbished options. They didn’t have the model I already had and liked so I said I’d buy a new one.
The girl told me to hold and, after a minute, offered me a one-time price reduction on that model and started to tell me about the next time I was on my account when all at once she paused and said, “Oh, it’s in your cart and you’ve clicked to buy it . . . I’m adding the discount now . . . and she did.” With free shipping it will be here Friday.
So . . . I got what I wanted cheaper than I would have had to pay – thus avoiding the question of “If you’re going to pay X, then maybe you should pay X+some more money and upgrade.”
It’s better than it could have been.
Shane and I are feeling morose tonight – thoughts of those not here seem to have settled on us like an evening fog. I suppose we will come round, but right now, we will rest a bit first.
A few minutes later
I had to come back to say we are not wallowing in low spirits; we are just not letting Our Sad build up until it has to burst out. Every now and then, we open the door a little and let the balance adjust. Just before I snapped this picture, we were staring at each other – and perhaps into each other’s soul – and I think we found comfort in that.
Well, I am back from my multi-step journey . . . and I did not win big in Las Vegas. Yes, it is true – what happens in Las Vegas, stays in Las Vegas. My money stayed there. Sigh.
But I did have a very good time at the Planet Hollywood; we stayed in the Bruce Willis Mercury Rising Room. I think the guest right before us must have felt their mercury rising from the excitement of drinks and winnings or the heat of anger at losing because when I went to adjust the shade, the chain came off in my hand . . . and the light at the desk had to be fixed.
The beds were soooo comfortable and, of course, were not lumpy from winnings stuffed under the mattresses, but that’s okay. We had good fortune in just having the trip itself.
The Gnome Ambassador went with us – I have a picture of him and the Bruce Willis shirt. Yes, yes, there will be some stories to come.
You did not see a picture of the Cow Tree yesterday because I took an initial one with my phone and emailed it to myself. However, the email did not process and I got caught up trying to figure out what I had done wrong. And, then, BAM, I realized my phone was losing charge and failing to recharge. This happened once before – a week ago and Quentin told me to let the battery sit out all night; I did that and it worked.
But one week ago was not a day before I am to leave for the Ohio Redoubt and onto Las Vegas . . . and even if I have got it charging now, is it going to happen again and again? Is it? I could. Yes, it could. No cell phone. Imagine that!!! Oh, I don’t have to imagine, I can remember. But never mind that – I spoil easily.
This morning I am going to the Sprint store to get the phone tested and hope they will tell me it is just the battery and a new one will be the cure.
That brings me back to the Cow Tree . . . Can I not take my camera and take a couple of pictures and transfer them to my computer . . . well, yes, but I have a full phone fret going and I don’t know how many deep breaths it would take to go through that process. What if I hyperventilate and pass out and drop the camera and it breaks or what if it is worse and the computer falls off my lap.
Here comes Sophie with her sneakered feet. . . THANKS, I NEEDED THAT.
Another Sophie incident
So, I was supposed to post a picture of the cow tree and I have not. I have a reason: I am tired. Too tired to even go back and capitalize the title of this post. But I am probably not as tired as I will be on Sunday when we fly from Las Vegas to Dayton, Ohio. Oh, let me be clearer. We fly from Las Vegas to Dulles on THE VERY EAST COAST and then fly back to the WEST SIDE OF OHIO.
Of course, we could charter a jet if I win at the same ratio I did last year at the airport. Less than one dollar got me 24 of them. Now I just have to bet a million and voila, I can have a massage while on the charter home.
I guess I will suck it up and take a picture and post it tomorrow. You know, that Cow Tree is getting to be a nag so I will get a mooove on. Acccccckkkkkkk!