Author: boomingbanter

Poor Dad is feeling under the weather. He doesn’t want to go to the doctors so we’re tending to him at home.

Ma and the Bro left me in charge yesterday when they went to see The Christmas Spectacular at the Marion Palace Treater.

It was their fist time.

The building is absolutely beautiful and the show was swell.

All put on by local talent.

Many it would seem tread these boards on their way to the big lights of broadway.

It was a long show though and I thought I was going to have to cook Dad’s dinner but they eventually showed up and Ma made him a chicken curry to wet his appetite.

Blessing#1905-Sugar Plums and Spice

When do you hang your stockings up?

Here it’s part of the decoration so ours are up already.

We use to put them by the chimney but since Jaws arrived we haven’t enough room for them all there so they’re in the dining room along with a gazillion snowmen!!!

See we have two each one is a giant thing that can accommodate pressies and the other only is suitable for an orange or a milk bone.

I don’t know what Santa thinks when he comes to our house.

Are we greedy? Or are we just crazy? Let’s hope he fills them.

Blessing#1904-Optimism

Ma has been decorating at the tearoom in preparation for the « THIRD ANNUAL » Victorian Christmas that’s next week!!!!

She was done in on Wednesday when she got home but had rallied by Friday evening.

If you know anyone who is interested in mince pies and spiced tea let them know. There’ll be shortbread and scones too and it’s only $5. The hope is that the people who come will do some shopping too. The place is coming down with Christmas cheer! Not an inch of space unfilled!

Here at home we took the decorating slower than usual to preserve her sanity. Rather than handling it in one fell swoop we did it over several days.

I took care of keeping « Trouble » out of the way and we finally finished this morning.

Jaws tried to eat the tree skirt but apart from that has yet to ingest a bauble or a stocking. It’s early days though but who can believe it’s already December. This year was in overdrive. I hope Santa remembers all my hard work!!!

Blessing#1903-Tinsel Town

Long long ago when Ma was not making tea and washing dishes she was on her way to Switzerland from Connecticut for work and had a lay over at Heathrow.

Being on business she was a simple Belfast gal among the wise and wonderful in the comforts of the British Airways very BEST LOUNGE .

Guess what happened?

She quite literally walked into Henry Kissinger. BUMP!! Bounced off him!!!!

What she remembered was that he was very short. Maybe even shorter that she and that he was gruff and ungracious.

Why do I know this? Well she told me today when this famous diplomat passed away.

She had only one chance to meet and greet with him and it was not a great impression!

Mind you he did a lot for her future in opening doors to China and for that she is very grateful!!!

Blessing #1902-Encounters

Is your tree up yet?

Usually Ma can’t wait to get ours up but this years she’s so busy decorating at the tearoom that she’s neglecting us.

In the past we’ve put the fir up the day after thanksgiving but this year it felt too early. Well that was her excuse.

The bro has got us rolling by hauling the main matter out of the garage where it hibernates.

My duty is to guard it and ensure Jaws doesn’t do it in.

We may be behind Rockefeller this year, they lit up last night, but we’re going to get going on the decor after our morning trot.

Blessing#1901-Glitz

We’re getting a taste of winter. It’s 20F that’s -7C and when you add in the windchill it’s a lot colder too.

We had a few snow flurries but nothing stuck.

Up by the Great Lakes though near Cleveland they got 13 inches.

Trucks and cars were slip sliding all over the highways but thankfully no serious injuries.

Walking in this weather takes it out of the system so it’s important to fuel up before heading out.

Ma doesn’t doctor the kibble in the morning so I like to play around with it. Ma doesn’t mind as long as I eat it.

Blessing#1900-Fun Food

Mom had a busy day yesterday. She took us for our trot, did the colors and the whites laundry made a million (to be truthful 14 dozen) shortbread Christmas trees and stars went to the dentist to get her gnashers cleaned and then met Aunties Lori and Punam at the Cheesecake Factory for lunch.

They had lots to chitty chat about and it was Punams birthday too.

Of course Auntie Lori asked about me. Longtime followers may recall that during COVID lockdown when Lori wasn’t teaching at school we went walking each morning.

So as you can imagine she is very attached to me. She loves me more than anyone else!

After lunch, which was three on my watch, Ma came home to fold the laundry, put it and the cookies away while the other gals went shopping at Von Maur. It’s the poshest place at the mall.

While there what did Lori find but treats for her one and only hound dog. That’s me!

She left them in a fancy Von Maur bag on our door step. When the bro came home and saw it he thought Santa had come early for him but it was a parcel for me.

Well OK I concede Lori bought some of the delicious delights for the Demonic presence too. Jaws didn’t see them though so I might claim them as my own after all I’m the main man in this setup!

Blessing#1899-Aunty Antics

Facebook memories can be wake up calls.

A few days ago Ma was reminded that 11 years ago we had a lot less plants.

She is to plants what Dad is to books.

They may be the scrawniest specimens but she just cannot part with them.

This is just part of the collection I think we need to seek therapy because she’s convinced they add appeal to the atrium!!!!

Blessing#1898-Jungle all the Way

Precious Peeps it’s Pits Perfect here once more to defend my self and seek solace.

I am much maligned by the stinking Gizz and he has always got Grandpa on his side.

Thank goodness Granny is gracious and my Dad loves me regardless of what that scheming stinker says.

See unlike him I practice perfect dental hygiene.

After eating you must always floss to remove particles stuck between the pearlies.

Never ever sleep with grubby gnashers

Find a sneaker and work it till ever pout is perfect.

Blessing#1897-Dazzling Dentition

So as I was telling you after the BIG Lunch we all decided we needed time to digest.

Ma was feeling particularly mellow so she said Jaws could come sleep with us in the master bedroom because she was being such a good girl and looked like she needed a nap too.

Of course what she didn’t realize was that Jaws was not satisfied with her snacks and kibble she needed more.

So while we slumbered she got busy.

When we woke up the demolition unit was fast asleep.

We didn’t see what she’d done. It was Dad who made the discovery and that went down like a lump of lead.

She’d totally shredded Ma’s trainers.

Worse the small bits were all over the bathroom.

If you’ve never seen the inside of a trainer here’s your chance to discover.

Let me put it this way Dad is unlikely to forget this!! I’m definitely his favorite!!!

Blessing#1896-Memory Foam!