Wasn’t I just writing about how many holidays there were? How funny is that?
I would have preferred that WordPress ask me about one or two holidays, rather than lumping them all together. Why?
Because, holidays, the main ones at least, are vastly different from one another, and each carries its own significant meaning, traditions, and ceremonies.
If I were to attempt in sharing my celebratory habits for each of the holidays that I recognize, we’d be here til the cows come home, as they say. And, not only that, but we’d never get to the cookies that I leave down at the bottom of the page!
I suppose at the heart of it all, it doesn’t really matter which holiday anyone chooses, as long as they are celebrating with friends, family, and loved ones, ya know?
That means YOU, just in case you weren’t sure who I was referring to. I may have inadvertently given that secret away, with all the “Hugs”, the bucket’s of cookies, or possibly all the Monday Messages harassing you for Christmas lists.
I guess I could say that all that effort put in with idle threats, affection and sugary bribery is my way of celebrating the holidays.
Now, some might not agree with my list being a valid form of Jolly activities, but it bothers me not! You know why?
Because, just this last Sunday I made my first successful Gluten Free Banana Muffins… and they tasted good! In all good conscience, I shouldn’t be serving you cookies that I haven’t tasted myself, first. How am I to know if you’ll like them?
I start my holiday celebrations for November and December, here, right now. I know that it’s only September, but I need the time to practice, taste, and even sample what I wish to offer you during the holiday season.
So, what does all this blather mean? Let me shorten it up a bit…
Can you believe that we’re already halfway through September? Summer is rapidly dwindling, as the cooling winds of the fall season begin transforming the lush green foliage to all those differing shades of glorious reds, yellows and golds.
I think that it should be a law that the moment the fall arrives, everybody has to put their Christmas lights up! Well, think about it for a moment! There’s far less lighting in the fall and winter months, so it would make things far brighter.
I think Halloween and Thanksgiving can still do their own thing, but just work around the lights, that’s all.
I mean, come on. All the stores put all their holiday products on the shelves at least two months before the actual holiday, so I say we fight back!
From the moment the stores start piling up candy and pumpkins all over the place, we should all put up our Christmas lights as an act of defiant solidarity!
Maybe I want to celebrate Valentine’s Day in December on my birthday, I don’t know. That way I might get an actual gift. Honestly, I feel sorry for anyone who is born on or near a holiday. Everyone just figures they can do a twofer… no fun! I am praying my granddaughter is born on or near my daughter’s birthday in November, because her due date is the day after Thanksgiving.
Also, why can’t we just combine Mother’s day with Father’s day and just call it Parent’s Day. You know, I asked Google how many holidays there were. First of all, it has to break them down into categories. That should be our first clue that we humans have far too many holidays, memorials, tributes, Month long celebrations for nearly every nationality out there, and special events commemorating this or that! Seriously, we should really think about extending our 365 day cycles to like 600 or so, just to really have recovery time in between parties!
Remember watching Little House on the Prairie, when they would celebrate Christmas? They gave each other handmade gifts and items needed for survival, and they didn’t have cars to drive to and from their festivities… they had to risk life and limb to travel through the wilderness in six feet of snow, just to bring gifts!
I don’t know, in a world where time waits for no man, as they say, we sure do have a lot of time to waste on all these “pat yourself on the back” parties. Now, I’m not saying that everyone behaves this way, so don’t go there! I’m simply basing my findings on what I see, hear, and experience from where I’m sitting. You wouldn’t believe the immense pressure that is put on folks living in poverty. It was so humbling for me to attend my daughter’s baby shower on Saturday, with no gift to offer… nothing.
Of all the things I’ve ever done wrong in my life, the people I’ve hurt, and the pain I’ve caused others, namely my children, God tells me I did something right. You know how? In the character of my children. My youngest daughter, who turned 30 this year, pulled me aside, and produced a gift for me to give her sister. Maybe it was for my sake, or perhaps it was her sister she was thinking about, but I don’t suppose it really matters.
Why am I rambling on about all this silly nonsense about too many holidays and celebrations? First of all, everyone is already seeing the stores gear up for cavity night, so I know you are feeling the beginning birth pains from your wallets… and the parties haven’t even started, yet. And, secondly, because I am fairly confident in saying that many of you already purchased holiday items for this year, but at the close-out after holiday sales from last year. Don’t panic, nobody will call you out on it, most of all myself. I get it! A bargain is a bargain, am I right?!
I suppose that I wanted use this mid-September Monday Messages just to start prepping you for what’s inbound for these upcoming months, so nobody can say they DIDN’T HAVE ENOUGH NOTICE to get me their virtual Christmas list, which seems to be very difficult. This will be our third Virtual Christmas, and I have plans! So suck it up, Buttercups, and get it together!
I mean it!
If you don’t, it may spoil the whole thing. I know I’ve probably said this in the past, but this time, I’m being fully serious! I have some major surprises, not to mention my third installment of Tilly and Santa’s adventures. Oh, and there’s so much more, but I can’t say a thing, yet. So, now do you see why it’s so important that I get your lists ahead of time. I need time to put everything together.
So, your jobs… virtual Christmas lists mailed before Thanksgiving, and, show up for the party on Christmas morning. Last years idea of a bag of puppies was exhausting! I had to hand deliver most of them, since there were too many absentee guests… holes in the corners of my couches, poo doo on the floor, and somebody peed on the Christmas tree, shorting out the lights!
So, if a puppy is on your list… you better show up this time, or it won’t be charcoal that Santa leaves in your stocking! Tilly has quite a bit of influence with ole Saint Nick, seriously. If I were you, I wouldn’t risk it!
Today, the girls are out picking pine bows from the forest near the barn. Dinky makes a path with her chubby little tail so that Miss Tilly can travel without being buried underneath the snow.
You may be wondering why on earth they want pine bows if we’ve already put our tree up inside the barn? Well, I must back things up a bit, to when Brutus and I flew to Pinion Valley several weeks ago, in order to visit with young Squagon.
I haven’t written about our visit until now, for several reasons. The main reason for holding back, quite frankly, is because of Me… and the second being that I have the morale of the babes to think about! It’s been very difficult to keep up a brave face for all the little ones, as well as for you, regarding the disappointing news that Squagon will NOT be celebrating Christmas with us!
I’d seriously hoped that my visit would produce a kingly approval for Squagon to come home for the holidays… at least that’s what I wanted to be writing about, once I got back to the barn.
Epic fail there, I’m afraid!
I spoke at length with Squagon’s Grandfather, the Pinion King, but he would not agree to the visit! The king kindly but firmly refused to allow the young prince’s absence during their valley’s own Holiday festivities.
You see, young Squagon has many duties during the Pinion Valley’s winter season, which are a vital part of his royal education.
It was explained that the young prince must be visibly active in service to the needy, sick, and injured folk living in their valley. Winter can be especially difficult for those in need…
There’s also a lengthy requirement of assisting the caregivers that run the valley’s orphanages, leading the little ones in a great many Pinion traditions, one of which is decorating a holiday tree. Surprisingly, they are very familiar with who Santa is… go figure!
Honestly, I’d no idea there was so much that went into being a royal squirrel! Though I’m quite sad about Squagon’s absence at our barn, I couldn’t help feeling terribly proud of the young squirrel. He behaved so grown up and respectful, it was like he was a totally different squirrel… yet not!
I mean, Squagon still looked like himself, but now he also looked and acted like his grandfather, carrying himself with such dignity and royal bearing. I know this sounds ridiculous to say, but it felt like my baby had somehow grown up without me realizing it, until that very moment!
At the same time, it was a sad acceptance of the reality that the young squirrel isn’t my actual child… he never was, really. I suppose it simply felt like he was mine, after all the sleepless nights, unending bottle feedings, and watching all the little guy’s firsts. You know, the first night of full sleep, first steps, and the first time he called my name. Those memories will always remain, and I would do it all again, even now, after I have to let him go.
I shall cherish the time that we had together and he’ll always have a place at the barn, there beneath my desk. But Squagon is a squirrel… and a prince, no less!
Besides, I didn’t say we’d never see him again… just not until after the holidays are over. This is just all part of growing up! I can assure you that he’ll be back, if only for visits.
Speaking of visits, before Brutus and I flew back to the barn, we spent a good hour with Squagon, just the three of us. It was truly a wonderful little visit, listening to the little prince share all about the things he’d been learning, and then filling him in on all the goings on at the barn. I had to recite all the messages from the babes and then write down his responses to each of them, in turn. By the end of the visit, I knew that Squagon was where he belonged, though I still saw the conflict within his eyes… that bittersweet feeling of wanting to come home, yet knowing he must stay.
I cried the whole flight home to the barn. I still get teary just writing about it, how silly is that?
But, back to this morning, I can now explain why Miss Tilly and Dinky are out in the woods, collecting pine bows. After getting my crying out of the way during the flight home, both Brutus and I put on brave faces for the babes before landing in the barnyard.
Once we’d handed out all the little notes I’d written down from Squagon, I gave the bad news about Christmas. After all the tears subsided from learning that he wouldn’t be coming home, Miss Tilly offered up a wonderful idea to brighten the mood. She suggested we all work together to put Christmas in a box, if you will, and then have Brutus fly it to Pinion Valley!
Now you know why a mouse and a baby dragon are pickin up sticks in the snow. While they’re doing that, I’ve got Lilly helping the boys bake peanut cookies, along with pistachio flavored homemade playdough…
Come on, everyone knows we end up putting some in our mouths… just to see what it really tastes like!
When I opened the barn door this morning, there were babes running around everywhere, squealing in excitement about something, of which I had yet to understand. That is, for all of about 15 seconds!
I heard some very important words rise up from all the chaos…
Above the ruckus, came the familiar names of both Tilly and Squagon, put to song, as they danced about the room. Then the entire barn would switch from that song, over into songs about Christmas, oddly enough!
Looking about, I spied miss Tilly over in the corner of the room, turning in circles with a dreamy look upon her face. As for everyone else, well, they were all taking turns at climbing on a hay bale, for a chance to be flown around the barn… and by none other than, guess who?
Boomer, that’s who!
He must have learned to fly, at some point…
Most probably, while being launched over the pond last week, Boomer has now figured out how to do exactly that… fly!
All I could do for several moments, was stand there in the middle of the barn watching, with my mouth hanging open in surprise. Thankfully, the babes were only being flown around inside the barn, and safely above the hay that’s covering the floor. Boomer isn’t strong enough to carry his friends for long, before loosing his grip and dropping them.
*Note to self* set up some barn rules about flying, especially with each other!
As I got my bearings, what with all the goings on in the room, I noticed both Brutus and our Lilly, sitting quietly in the midst of everything… simply waiting for things to settle down.
Brutus sat holding two pieces of mail, with miss Lilly balanced upon his shoulder wearing my favorite reading glasses. No, ants don’t usually need glasses, but you know miss Lilly, always doing things her own way. She looked adorable, I must say!
Anyway, after untangling Dinky from one of my legs and baby Maurgarite from the other, I made my way across the room to collect the letters that had caused all the morning’s excitement. Taking the messages from Brutus, I saw that the first had come from Pinion Valley, and the second was actually from the North Pole… No wonder the barn was up in arms!
I, myself, was taken aback at the letter from Santa. Not only am I nowhere near ready for Christmas, as of yet, but the letter wasn’t even addressed to me… it was addressed to Tilly!
I hadn’t even considered that Santa would call on my tiny friend again, after delivering her to the barn just this last spring! It hasn’t even been a year since she arrived, and the thought of her leaving already, well, I just can’t imagine it!
Thankfully, after reading the entire letter from Santa, he’s just borrowing Tilly for the delivering of gifts to those chimneys that are too small for him, which does make a great deal of sense, I suppose. Santa made it clear that Tilly would only be gone from the barn for several days, just before Christmas. The elves need to make the final adjustments on her outfit, along with the tiny safety belt being installed in Santa’s sleigh… you know how important details are to the elves. They’re even giving her a quick elf-in-training class, which they offer each year in the workshop.
At the end of the letter, Santa assured me that Tilly would be home by Christmas morning, with plenty of time for opening gifts. Everyone knows that Santa keeps his promises, so I see nothing to worry about, really. Tilly will be in good hands.
Placing the letter back into it’s envelope, I handed it to miss Tilly, since it did belong to her, after all.
The second letter came from Pinion Valley, from the Royal House, itself! Shakily, I opened the letter…
It was an official letter, inviting me to attend Squagon’s first ceremony of Royal Robes (classes on how to behave as a Prince). Brutus and I will be flying to Pinion Valley on Saturday night, so that we might enjoy the festivities of their Royal Nut Festival… it’s the banquet being given in Squagon’s honor!
Sunday, after the ceremony has finished, Brutus and I will have the whole of the afternoon to spend with Squagon, freely. I can’t wait! I miss Squagon so much that I’m not sure I’ll be able to sleep a wink til then…
No wonder the barn has been partying all morning!
If Boomer were bigger and stronger, I would join the babes on that silly hay bale, hoping to catch a ride!
Fortunately, for all our sakes, I won’t be doing that… I’ll just give piggy back rides for now. My dragon ride will have to wait for Saturday night!
Journey With Me! 