Tag: holiday

Last Seen

Deadly cold sucked the heat from my bones’ marrow as I surveyed my surroundings.

“Here,” she said.

Here? Here was a sloping field of snow glistening like icing in moonlight. Here was a field edged by elderly pines draped in snow. Here was a starry black night and the pond of a moon staring down on us. Here was a wind slicing through my gloves, shearing off my ears, and paring down my cheeks.

“Here?” I said.

I looked at the traveler. Smiling like she knew Mona Lisa’s secret, she pointed past me into the sky. As she did but before I turned, I caught sleigh bells’ tinny ringing.

Distracted by the famous sound, I turned so quickly, I slipped on the snowy field and would have fallen, had the traveler not caught my arm and kept me upright. After thanking her, I gazed through my breath toward the sound and spotted the immortal silhouette of reindeer pulling a sled commanded by a pudgy elf.

I gasped. “Santa.”

“Yes,” the traveler said.

“He was real.”

“Of course. It was on this day that he was last seen, long before his existence trickled into your dimension’s awareness.”

I nodded. Then this was was where my story begins. “I shall find him,” I whispered into the silent night as the sleigh bells faded and the wind nuzzled me. “I shall find him and bring him back.”

 

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Corny Thanks

Sitting down at the coffee shop to write on this Thanksgiving Day in America, I pause to give thanks for how lucky I’ve been. I frequently complain but most of these are first world blues or the general venting against how the world functions in this life-experience-reality-existence.

I could enumerate the many ways that I’ve been lucky, but I don’t think that’s needed. Little of it has been within my control. I’m thankful for the strokes of luck that made and keep me fortunate. That doesn’t mean that I’ve not had bad times, but that I’ve always been able to recover. I wish others the same sort of luck, and that you have the security and health to pursue your dreams.

Now, I have my coffee. With that brief word of thanks, it’s time to write and edit like crazy, at least one more time. Sure, it’s a holiday, but the muses gotta write.

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Floofgiving

Floofgiving (floofinition) – an observance to show affectation and gratitude to housepet(s).

In use: “Every morning when he got up, again when he returned home, and again before going to bed, he showered his pets with kisses, and gave them treats, making everyday Floofgiving in his home.”

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Flooftivus

Flooftivus (floofinition) – annual secular holiday that housepets established to celebrate living with people. The holiday, observed over a nine-day period, is structured to include auspicious routines. These include days dedicated to vomiting, washing and grooming, napping, gorging, dashing around the dwelling, shedding hair, hiding, shredding objects, and being needy. The holiday culminates with a visit by Santa Paws, and the giving of gifts.

In use: “Although he loved his pets, he dreaded Floofivus. The Day of Vomiting was not fun, but The Giving of Gifts struck him as worse.”

 

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Floofoween

Floofoween (floofinition) – annual holiday when people dress up their pets and request tricks in exchange for treats. It often doesn’t go well.

In use: “Having dressed his black cat in a devil’s outfit for Floofoween, Teddy kept trying to coax the cat into doing tricks in exchange for treats, but he set the bag of treats down, and Sebastian the cat seized it with its teeth and dashed into another room and under the bed with his prize.”

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Flooftober

Flooftober (floofinition) – a celebration dedicated to pets and animals. In some places, it never ends.

See also: Flooftoberfest

In use: “Raising a sweaty mug of sudsy beer, he shouted, “Happy Flooftober. Who wants a treat?” As the dogs and cats trotted forward, tails wagging or up, as was their style, he opened bags and began giving each a treat.”

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Flooftoberfest

Flooftoberfest (floofinition) – an annual festival that emphasizes celebrating pets.

See also: Flooftober

In use: “Every year without fail, the Richmond home began the ten day celebration that became known as Flootoberfest. As was their practice, they began by giving their cats and dogs a bath as the bird watched and made comments.”

 

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Floofster Sunday

Floofster Sunday (catfinition) – a holiday celebrating cats, normally observed on the first Sunday in April.

In use: “For Floofster Sunday, he filled small cloth mice and birds with catnip and treats, and then hid them around the house for the cats to find.”

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A Solstice Teaser

Don’t have the energy to post a recap of our solstice celebration. That’s because I forgot my laptop’s power pack. (Accident? Self-sabotage? Discuss.)

Here’s a teaser – the bûche de Noël served for dessert. And yes, it was delicious. Yes, there was some leftover, but we’ve given it away to friends.

Except for one last piece….

 

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Friday’s Bumper Sticker

I figured I’d put this out there, since stores have begun playing Christmas music, and the formal launch to the holiday shopping season is looming on the calendar….

 

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