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Wednesday, December 27, 2017

time off to recoup...


me with daughter and grand daughter


It's 2 days after Christmas and DH and I are taking time off to recoup. You might wonder why we need to take time off since we're retired, but that's the great part: We can! 

And it's a good system as while everyone else (meaning my kids and their spouses) have to hurry back to their respective homes in order to be at work the next day, we (of the older generation who have already put in all those years of work) can take as much time off as needed to recoup from weeks of cleaning, cooking, and Christmas shopping... which is all great fun and worth the effort to have the family home again for Christmas.

However, we do find that we now need at least a week to rest and recoup - sitting by the fire, reading, finishing up Christmas goodies, etc. before even thinking about 'putting away Christmas'. We will keep all our Christmas decor up with the candles and fires burning through New Year's day.  

We don't party on New Year's Eve. We used to go out to dinner that evening, but since the weather is almost always awful, we stopped doing that. Now we simply make my mother-in-law's wonderful home-made eggnog and either sit by the fire-place and/or watch the crystal ball on TV come down (and that's if we can stay awake that long). 

New Year's day I always cook the traditional pork roast, cabbage, and black eyed peas!  Then, once 2018 is officially here, we will start taking down Christmas.

I also have a cute little Christmas story to tell involving our outside feral cats. Actually, it's cute but tragic and magical all at the same time. We have a mama cat that brought her 2 kittens to our yard a few weeks ago. These kittens weren't tiny, but maybe about 8 weeks of age when they appeared with her. 

We were amazed at how good a mother she was as she watched these 2 rambunctious kittens like a hawk... went after them if they ever ventured too far from her and had them by her side each night under the heat lamp.

Well... about a week ago, we found her howling one morning and carrying on and no kittens in sight. She carried on this way for days, searching up and down the front, back, and sides of the house, even going off by the creek in the back. We felt so bad for her... worrying that the worst had happened (there are coyotes about).  But she continued to search. I secretly prayed that she would find them as it broke my heart to see her so distraught.

Well, lo and behold... but on Christmas morning she returned to our backyard with one in tow! We were amazed and overjoyed. She spent the day cleaning and caring for this precious kitten (whom we assume was one of hers... unless she found herself another while searching for her own???) Whatever the case, both mama and baby are extremely happy. DH and I call it our Christmas miracle.

That's my bit for the week. Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas (and most did from the blogs I've read).  I'm going to close now with a few pics of Christmas at our house.  There was so much going on that I forgot to take a family pic... but did get a few shots here and there.


Oldest grand daughter with DH




Youngest  grand daugher!







Wishing everyone a very Safe Happy 2018!








18 comments:

  1. looks like you had a wonderful xmas!
    awww sad about the mama cat, though i would've been right out there with her searching, poor thing, hope she stays there as i know you feed your ferals, so she'll be well looked after if she stays.
    thanx for sharing

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    1. We keep hoping the other kitten will appear, but are very happy that she found one!

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  2. I love your pictures and description of your next week's plans, or lack of them. That is a sad and sweet story about your feral and the surviving kitten. Life is hard and I wish everybody and everything could work out, but that's not nature's way. Thanks for the picture of you, I enjoy seeing you and your family. :-)

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    1. It is sad and sweet.. and I too wish nature wasn't so harsh sometimes. But life goes on - although not always as we had hoped. Still mama and one kitten are home and safe and there's always the *chance* that the other may return.

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  3. I am glad to hear I'm not the only one who enjoys some quiet days after Christmas. Yay retirement. That poor kitty momma, glad she has a kitten again.

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  4. oh we've both had a Christmas miracle, these glimpses of life are the best aren't they; we have been recovering from vacation for a good long while, lol.

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    1. Yes, they are, Linda, and living around nature as some of us are blessed to be, gives us happy as well as sad glimpses - but I wouldn't trade it for anything.

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  5. Christmas can be so chaotic that down time definitely is needed! I'm glad you had a wonderful celebration with your family.

    Very sad about the mom cat and her kittens, but I'm so glad she found one of them, anyway. Definitely a miracle. I won't think about the other.

    Enjoy the rest of your holidays, your time relaxing, and a very Happy New Year to you all!

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    1. Holiday family times can definitely be chaotic, but it's worth it to have everyone together again even if just for a little while.
      And there's still hope that the other kitten will turn up...
      I hope you have a wonderful 2018, Kim!

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  6. It is good to spend time with family . . . and good to have that recoup time! I stopped celebrating New Year's Eve some time in my early 30's. Much easier to toast in a new year in the warmth and safety of home.

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    1. I definitely agree, Olga. Home is best... safer and warmer!

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  7. Phew, glad she found at least one, that would have been on my mind all of the time.
    Your family look lovely and you deserve some down time.
    Enjoy.
    Briony
    x

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    1. Thanks, Briony. I know... about the kitten, we keep hoping he will show up, but hope is fading.

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  8. It's a wonderful time to spend holidays with the children and grandchildren, I always feel a little guilty, knowing everyone has to return to work, and I get to enjoy Christmas a little longer.
    What a lovely family you have, so sweet.
    A Christmas miracle indeed with the kittens, how heart-warming.
    Wishing you a blessed and healthy 2018 !
    Hugs dear friend,
    ~Jo

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    1. I no longer feel guilty... especially about being retired. Felt guilty for years when I had to stay home when my kids were sick, or I was... because I knew it put the people at work in a bind. Now... no, not guilty about having this time. We earned it, so enjoy! And wishing you a wonderful safe healthy 2018 too!

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  9. Love the family pictures, everyone looks well and happy 😂
    Wishing you and yours a Happy and Healthy New Year, stay safe and warm !
    Hugs,
    Jo

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