
Photo by Diane Taylor
Have you ever danced with your dog….when your dog is an adult? I did just that a couple days ago. The dog was flummoxed – wondering if we were about to go to the vet or worse yet…. were headed for a bath. When I picked up my little chihuahua, she struggled, but after a while of moving with the music, she relaxed. I danced in the kitchen and family room. I was listening to Amanda King’s Christmas album and the spirit moved me. Two other dogs followed the action, wondering if they were missing something or if Mom had just gone crazy.
I may not have many holiday visitors, but I have decorated several Christmas trees with lights. I like holiday trees, for me. It’s not that I’m a rabid decorator, it’s just that Christmas trees add warmth and … when the weather cools, I’m all about the warmth.
The other day I was about to do some ironing in my office. I have a small TV in the office and thought I’d turn it on – though that TV hadn’t been used for quite a while. The TV powered up, but no channel appeared. Then suddenly the screen said “DVD Player”. I had forgotten that the little office TV had a built-in DVD player. So I went to my DVD storage box and recovered a few DVDs. There we were, my husband and I in New York almost 20 years ago. He was strong and handsome, and we saw a couple shows I had forgotten all about. Then there was the trip with friends Tom and Diane Harman and Alice Andreos to Tunica, Mississippi; we were having a great time together. A golf outing in Michigan featured lots of greenery, rain and tours of the area. I could hear the voices and laughter as we once were.

Photo by Diane Taylor
I patted myself on the back for years ago having invested in a video camera. Instead of now feeling sad that time had passed, I was glad to remember.
I’m a QVC shopper, as my friends know. This year, one of my orders included five kinds of chocolate candy that came in five cute tins painted like toy soldiers. I intended to use the tins as hostess gifts. The tins were great, as cute as advertised. I love chocolate, but the candy sent for the tins was terrible. I can only describe it as tasting old and common, not satisfying at all, and certainly not the “gourmet chocolate” promised. Not to worry. I called QVC with my complaint. They gave me a full credit. (With QVC food items, one does not return the items. I just tossed the candy in the garbage.) So now I have an excuse to go over to Ethel M and buy real chocolate for the tins.
Maybe that was my plan all along.

I was finishing up my holiday cards and watching TV when a gal on one of the shopping channels mentioned that she and her husband had watched a cute holiday movie, “Mixed Nuts”. The title meant nothing to me, but on a whim, I searched for the title on Amazon, found it and downloaded the movie. The movie is 24 years old and a number of well-known actors (Steve Martin, Adam Sandler, Rita Wilson, Juliette Lewis, Madeline Kahn, Anthony LaPaglia) are in the cast. Liev Schrieber who plays the rough and tumble Ray Donovan these days, is also in the movie dressed in drag….and he’s great! The movie gave me a smile throughout my card making. I’ll still watch “A Christmas Story” again this holiday, but “Mixed Nuts” was a great diversion.
I know holidays can be sad times….but thank God for music, sweets, movies and memories. I am actually enjoying thus holiday season and it’s just started!
Ain’t life grand?
Happy holidays! Glad you are finding joy in this season. Sometimes we must look harder than others. We, too, don’t have many come to look at our holiday decorations, but someone does see them – us! And these “light” holidays are all about brightening up the dark days of winter. Sometimes it’s the little things that make us happiest – like dancing with your dog!