Things Happen
My dreams led me into the unnatural world of Bær participating in the Winter Olympics as part of the United States hockey team. I wondered just how well this would go. Never did find out. But I sort of thought he might make a good goalie.
“Quit whinin’ like a baby. You’re a grown-up. You’re a grown-up cat.” Puck placed an authoritative hand on Snuggles’ back. The “whining” stemmed from the scrambled cheese eggs on Carrie-Bri’s breakfast plate, his paws already perched on her shoulders, waiting for bites. The cat who begs like a dog.
Francis emerged to reality from the basement, backpack on back, ready to join Creole and Gaston for frisbee golf in the snow. Much white fluff still remained. And while Puck packed more of it into the ground for speedier tobogganing, I helped Mom and Carrie wrap up the Christmas letter. Carrie woke from a much-needed nap (the Lyme medication takes a toll) to amend the letter’s introduction …
“Dear everyone … stay out of the woods.”
Puck informed me half an hour into his snowy adventures that …
“I’m going to go out and chip more black ice so no one hurts theirselves.”
He also wrapped chunks of it in tin foil to freeze for later. Never sure what that means, but I let him do it anyway. He finally had enough after forty minutes and hit the TV for a little Disney and some Dutch cocoa. Francis joined him, then crashed on the couch for another nap before his next shift at the pool. What can I say? It’s technically Christmas break.
Grandma called. Actually, Francis called me (he was already driving to work) because Grandma called him to call me or Mom about the news. Things just tend to work like that around here. Anyway, Grandma had booked the band for the wedding. The same band from my wedding, actually. Who knew ten years later they’d be doing the same thing.
“Puck,” Carrie threw her arms wide open. “How about a snuggle nap?”
Puck thought carefully. “Only if you tell me a fake story.”
“Okay.”
“And it has to have a pyramid and a lake and a little girl in it.”
“I already told you that story.”
“I know,” he grinned, as he snuggled in, “but I like it.”
Then she told him a story about Linnea once being as tiny as Earnest’s tooth and being stuck inside a light bulb. I think Puck almost believed it. Then he helped clean out the bunny room.
Mom and Linnea were picked up by Mrs. English and Eleda for the traditional Old St. Charles Christmas shopping with Annamarie and Rose, and Cracker Barrel desserts, right after Lucia called. She had been in another auto accident. While she had the stomach flu. Some times …