Well, we need a little Christmas. Right this very minute. Seriously.

[trof]

Candles in the window,
Carols at the spinet.
Yes, we need a little Christmas.
Right this very minute.

When our dear daughter moved to Massachusetts we made a deal.
We'll come up there (from waaayyy down on the Gulf Coast) this year, and y'all come on down to Sweet Home Alabama the next.
And so forth.

And then a few years later our grandson arrived and that kind of complicated things...hauling all his prezzies down here AND back, on the airplane, plus the prezzies they received here and...so...

For the last three years we've gone there.
This year I said "OK, dammit. A deal's a deal. They. Come. Here. Period."

And then they ran into some unexpected expenses last month.
And the airlines have REALLY jacked up the prices for holiday travel.
And she called and said "Dad, it's really gonna be a stretch for the four of us to come down there."
Oh yeah. We now have a granddaughter, too. And a lovely child she is. But I digress.

"Well gee, shug. I'm really sorry. We'll miss being with y'all."
(Bygod, a DEAL is a DEAL! SOMEONE has to draw the line here. Harumph.)

And two days ago they had to have their cat put down.
Old age and diabetes.
(Please don't give me any unasked for advice about what to do for feline diabetes. She gave that cat insulin shots for three years. I've been through it for 4 years with our old Ace. This ain't a cat thread.)

Now that cat was a total asshole.
It would climb into your lap, lull you into a false sense of security, and then it would bite you.
Draw blood.
Or you'd reach over to scratch it and it would hiss and claw you.
It was the cat from hell.

But...it was THEIR cat and they loved it. And I have to say, it never harmed one of the kids.

So now they're really down.
Going into the Christmas season with a fresh death in the family.

So they need a little Christmas.
Right this very minute.
So we're going to drag our tired old asses up to Massachusetts.
One. More. Time.

Because I cannot think of a single thing that would make them happier.
And I'm so glad that our mere presence will make them happier.
And that makes me very, very happy.

Merry Christmas
:-)