Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Had a lovely Christmas Day at my Mom's apartment with sister's family. Took turns choosing Christmas specials to watch. Niece and nephew liked their gifts of slippers/gloves/gift card. Mom loved her chocolate present.

Back to work the next day and rest of the week. We had a cubicle decorating contest and the top manager's kids were the judges. Our section was Santa's Workshop and I was Mrs. Claus. On my desk, I put down black paper to create stove and made a tray of gingerbread cookies from construction paper. I should have brought cookie cutter for the gingerbread men cause my free hand figures were less tidy. Since I brought treats for coworkers and gave a Christmas specials/movies quiz to get the grand prize Champagne cupcake, I left a few cookies and piece of fudge for the judges. I think they might have tipped the scale in our favor. Anyway, we are getting chicken strip lunch as a reward. Took down everything today. I grabbed a couple boxes to use for storage.

New Year's Eve I'm getting kittens from a friend. I commented how empty the house feels with my cats gone (ferrets spend most of the day in their room) and friend offered a kitten from her cat. I said I would take 2. So I will have a very Happy New Year.

Christmas Story 2018

Twas the night before Christmas and I could hardly bare it

Not a creature was stirring, not even a ferret

The stockings were hung on the bookcase with care

With hopes of St Nicholas soon would be there

Mama in bed taking a long nap

As Eowyn, Luthien, and I waited with the Santa trap

Visions of red toys and dangling Christmas balls

Filled my dreams of what this Christmas thing befalls

When all of a sudden there popped such a spark

Eowyn jumped up to find it was all dark

A streetlight went out and trees covered in ice

No longer dimly sparkled, which was very nice

The moon glowing upon the new fallen snow

Covering the mushy leaves unraked below

When what to my wondering ferret eyes should appear

But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer

With a little old driver so bright red and quick

I so badly wanted give that toy a lick

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came

And he whistled and shouted and called them by name

Now Jingles Now Jangles Now Ivy and Holly

On Snowball On Sparkle On Tinsel and Jolly

To the top of the porch to the top of the wall

Now dash away dash away dash away all

As right before Luthien yawned the wild flurries whirled

Our hearts danced and us ferrets twirled

So up to the rooftop the coursers they flew

With a sleigh full of toys and St Nicholas too

And then, in an instant we heard on the roof

the scratching and pawing of each little hoof

As I drew in my head and jumped over a ball

In the door St Nicholas tripped over the light cord to fall

The sprung trap lit the tree and Santa let out a yell

And the vibrations shook the decorations to ring like a bell

He got up and placed the decorations back

And I took the opportunity to crawl into his sack

I had drunken all the milk so Eowyn got more

He ate the sugar cookies we had set on the floor

While Luthien heated the cocoa in a wag of a tail

I gave him a napkin from his bag without fail

His face was red like a cherry as he went Ho, ho, ho

And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow

The stump of a pipe he held in his teeth like a charm

And the smoke blew up to set off the smoke alarm

To unplug the battery he swiftly rushed

Then took a look at us and rightly blushed

He was chubby and plump a right jolly old elf

And I squeaked when he petted us in spite of myself

All over his boots we rubbed our fur

Then I heard mama beginning to stir

Santa spoke not a word, but finished his cookies

He filled up the stockings, even for us rookies

Then laying a finger aside of his nose

And giving a nod, out the door he rose

He sprang to his sleigh to his team gave a holler

And away they all flew as we furbabies got taller

But I heard him exclaim ere he drove out of sight

Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night

Christmas Letter 2018

Merry Christmas to my dear friends and family. Slept in the New Year and enjoyed the next day off. Drove Mom to my Dad's cousins’ reunion at a pizza place. Attended a baby shower for my cousin having her first child, a boy she gave birth to a couple months later. Started volunteering for VITA again (my 4th year) answering newbie questions and checking their work. Celebrated ferret Boromir's 1st Birthday. Had fun shoveling the driveway from all of our snowfall the old-fashioned way. A snow blower would be just another machine I don’t know how to use, plus got to gas up and fix when parts break. Spent Valentine's Day at work and then doing taxes for VITA. Sent Mom a Heart shaped pizza and brownies. Watched the Winter Olympics on TV. Celebrated cat Precious's 12th Birthday. Celebrated ferret Luthien's 2nd Birthday. Missed the St. Patrick's Day parade because it was just too cold outside to enjoy it so spent the day at home doing house chores.

In the spring, I enjoyed the blooms from the bulbs I planted the prior autumn. I hosted Easter dinner with Mom and sister’s family in attendance. Celebrated cat Frodo’s 12th Birthday. Attended my niece's confirmation. Two neighbors’ trees fell into my yard and crushing the fences so had to keep cats inside until fences were fixed by the neighbors (and one tree broke my glass birdbath). Had Mother's Day dinner with my sisters' families with Mom at a restaurant. Hired a lawn care company since nephew wasn't out of school yet and they ran over my Miniature Roses and Dutch Iris so no blooms from them this year. My male Beta Pontus died after a year from getting him full grown and became first fish to be buried in backyard. I visited cemeteries on Memorial Day with family.

In the summer, I got a baby male Beta named Erebos. I snaked my first drain. Ordered a new birdbath via internet since it was sold out in the store and it arrived broken so returned it to store. I will have to wait to get a new one next year. Visited Dad at the cemetery for Father's Day and played Taps on my smartphone for him. Had a chipmunk in my house a couple weeks before it left. Got a trap for the rodent, but all I caught was Luthien licking the peanut butter. Some coworkers got hit with Floods of 2018 and I was happy to be living on a slope. Plus, happy my sewer didn’t back up into my basement and drown my ferrets (ferret room is in the basement). Enjoyed 4th of July Urbandale celebrations with sister's family and Mom. My male Beta Helios I got last year as a baby died and got a baby male Beta named Atlas. Dryer broke so hung wet clothes up outside on a clothesline. Thank goodness the prior house owner left behind clothes pins or would have been screwed. Took the heavier items to Mom’s to dry and then brought over all laundry every week until the dryer was fixed. Had ferret Eowyn and cat Precious catch the sniffles and after a couple weeks got better. Had panic attack when getting cats back inside from the backyard when noticed an owl (it hooted) in my walnut tree. Had another panic attack when Frodo disappeared from the yard squeezing through a gap between fence post and gate. I found him a couple hours later in the front yard bush. Celebrated my Mom's 79th birthday at her apartment. My great-niece was ready to jump out the window to swim at the water park next door. During my Staycation, went to the local amusement park, zoo, and pool swimming with sister's family.

Nephew celebrated his 14th Birthday with his father's side 90 miles from us so we got together later at Mom’s place to give him presents. And then, poor Precious with a lung infection making him cough became worse from not eating compounded by fleas to die in August. Frodo took Precious's death hard and stopped eating. I had to spoon feed him for a month. Then started walking strange so took to the vet for an arthritis diagnosis. Took nephew and sister out miniature golfing as a thank you for helping me with my yardwork. Female Beta Eos I got last year as a baby died so got a new female Beta Metis. Celebrated my 43rd birthday with family at at a restaurant. My Metis lasted 5 days before dying so got a baby girl Beta named Ananke who is getting bigger and now a young lady. Went to niece’s and nephew's piano recital. Taught nephew how to remove a bush, he loved using the axe.

Autumn arrived celebrating Eowyn's 5th birthday. Got hired on to a Tax prep company so will earn extra money next year. Carved Jack o' lanterns with snoopy ferrets ready to poke their heads in the holes. Beggar's Night was fun with 9 kids coming to my door. Last group of 4 petted Boromir. I picked him up to prevent escape out the door and kids thought he was so cute to ask to pet him. He was a good boy. Next, Male Beta Atlas died. I got him this summer as a baby and he was growing up to be a beautiful male fish. Shortly after, got a new male fully grown and named him Atlas Jr. Through the fall Frodo lost weight and finally died in November when I was at work. Celebrated niece's 15th birthday at a restaurant. Commenting how strange it is sleep without a cat and no longer have the cat alarm waking me up demanding breakfast, a friend offered a kitten born in November to me. I replied I could take two. So I will have to wait a couple months to collect when they are weaned from their mother. My heart is healing.

Went to brother's house for Thanksgiving and went out with sister's family for Black Friday specials. Put up my Mom's Christmas decorations for her. Ferrets are happy to play in the boxes and under the tree skirt as I put out my own decorations. Had a friend help with new icicle lights on the roof shingles. I think I’ll leave them up there all year and just put away the yard decorations. Will celebrate Christmas at Mom’s place, both Christmas Day and Extended Family Christmas. Now aren’t you glad I keep an online journal to remember all this. Have a Wonderful New Year,

Jordan Harvey Eoywn (ferret) Luthien (ferret) Boromir (ferret) Nyx (fish) Erebos (fish) Ananke (fish) Atlas Jr. (fish)