Sunday Musings 14 Days Before Christmas

~ beetleypete

The tree is decorated and shining its lights in the side window. The presents are all wrapped, and stacked around the base. Julie wrote some Christmas cards, and they are posted. With two weeks still to go, that’s pretty good, by our standards.

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The weather is the main talking point this week in Beetley. With the wind coming from a northerly direction, it got cold very quickly. Very cold. Ice on the cars, on the ground, and in the freeezing fog. There is no mistaking we are in the grip of winter, especially with the chance of snow forecast for next week here.
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Ollie finally succumbed to an ear infection, and began dropping his ear and shaking his head. Luckily, we still had some of the antibiotic gel left, and I squirted that into the affected ear. Fingers crossed we don’t have to visit the Vet before Christmas. But I never say never, not where poor Ollie’s ears are concerned.

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Julie made two trips into Norwich this week. One to take her oldest son to dinner for his birthday and go around the shops with him, and the second to accompany one of her friends who wanted to get everything in one trip. She was worn out by both trips; walking around the city, and having to stand still in shops for ages as they chose things. Now she has a very painful back, and is using her heat pads for pain relief.

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I hope you are having an enjoyable festive season so far, and that the stress of it all is not getting on top of you.

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52 thoughts on “Sunday Musings 14 Days Before Christmas”

  1. You are well ahead of most, Pete. Good for you that you’re keeping up a Christmas spirit for Julie. I hope her back is feeling better, and I hope Ollie’s ear infection is on the mend. Hang in there, Pete. Only 10 days to go.

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    1. Julie’s back improved after using stick-on heat pads. Ollie’s ears have to be monitored carefully, as he is prone to regular ear infections. I want to spare him a trip to the Vet though, so I am using what I already have in stock to help him.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  2. Yeah for heat pads they work wonders I do hope poor Ollie doesn’t require a verts visit and the gel works quickly…Christmas is more low-key here as it’s not celebrated by Thais but saying that I am not in the spirit this year x

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  3. ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas (a 12-beat poem by LividEmerald)

    ‘Twas the night before Christmas; we’d both gone to bed
    Not one creature stirred, save Ollie, shaking his head
    The wood-burning stove played night games, crackling its flame
    “It’s too hot in this room!” I heard Julie proclaim
    My eyes remained closed as I whispered in her ear
    “I’ll go open the window a little, my dear!”
    Poor Ollie, ears twitching, made me sad with his moan
    The infection he got would not leave him alone
    And as the night wind rattled the dark window pane
    Ollie’s moaning got spooky; it rattled my brain!
    I crawled out of bed, saw the window, ran to it
    While telling myself, “Come on, Pete! You can do it!”
    So I threw up the sash, and let in the cold wind
    And then I looked out, caught sight of the moon, and grinned
    Across the face of the moon there flew a red sleigh
    Pulled by eight wrinkly dogs, every one a Shar Pei…
    Christmas Morning, the sun woke me up from my dream,
    Ollie was fine; Julie smiled, her face all agleam!

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  4. Oh no, Julie’s back and Ollie’s ear! I’m sorry to hear about that. I’m down with a cold, more annoying than sick, and nothing is ready for Christmas because I’ve lost the spirit! I still have time so I’m giving myself a break. Hope your crew recovers soon! Hugs, C

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  5. Pete, you got the freezing ice and fog before us! We’ve been on the warmer side to start out December, but I suspect more seasonable (cold) weather is imminent. Got the tree Wednesday and decorated it yesterday. That was the “final” piece to put in place. Ready for the holidays. Have a good start to your week!

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  7. Pete, our trees are both cutup and decorated…all gifts purchased and all travel plans in place…now to sit back and sip a nice glass of red wine and watch some of our “awards consideration” screeners for films like “The Banshees Of Isherhan”, “Women Talking”, “Living”, and “Babylon!”

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  11. Ho Ho Ho . . . wooops, you can’t say that now.
    Sorry retailers, but I gave up the “go into town and shop till I drop” years ago. It creates impulse buying for starters. I get my gifts when i see a big special during the year.
    Pete I suggest you speak nicely to Santa for earmuffs for Ollie as I wonder if that cold is affecting his ears.
    The weather here is getting warmer, lots of various directional breezes, the odd warm shower but temps in the late 20s.
    You can’t beat the old artificial tree. You can even get a smelly spray to give the traditional smell.
    Anyway the barbies all cleaned and rearing to go unless its too hot and a fire ban.
    Pete, I applied for a job as a mall Santa . . they told me to come back when I grow up!

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  12. I can relate to Julie’s misery; I hope she works through it quickly. I’ve gotten very unaccustomed to actual shopping and am not very patient about it any more. I do enjoy it when we’re traveling in interesting places, even if we don’t buy anything. Book stores excepted. Have a good week!

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  13. Best wishes to Ollie! Ear problems can be so painful and uncomfortable both in dogs and cats. My aunt spent a lot of time cleaning Cocker spaniel ears. Ollie is lucky to have such an attentive person and I hope your swift action sees good results. How noble and kind of Julie to do those shopping trips! I gave up that sort of thing decades ago! Keep war!

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    1. She didn’t need to buy anything, so just kept the others company around the shops on the way to restaurant meals. Just as well she didn’t have to carry any heavy bags too.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  14. I wish Julie a speedy recovery. And for Ollie, that it doesn’t get any worse.

    I still have to buy the tree and then it will be decorated for the weekend before Christmas. It is usual in Germany to do this on the 24th.
    The presents are given here on the evening of the 24th. The two days of Christmas are then spent with the various relatives.
    I put up the tree a few days before Christmas. Then on the 24th I won’t have any stress with it. And I have a few more days to enjoy the tree.

    I wish you an very nice time before X-Mas.
    Best wishes, Irene

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  16. Hi Pete, Iā€™ve been watching the weather and see itā€™s turned very cold. Weā€™ve postponed our trip to the UK. Between the weather, the illness, and the strikes, I just canā€™t face trying to travel after Michaelā€™s long illness.

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  19. I hope Julie’s back gets better soon and Ollie’s ears clear up. Shopping is a pain especially when I get older I hate crowds….on-line shopping is for me.. Have a great Sunday my friend. chuq

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    1. We can rule out dinner shopping, as we go to a restaurant. Everything else is done. But our boiler broke down overnight, so now we are relying on the wood-burner until someone can come out to fix the boiler.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  21. Sorry about Ollie (fingers crossed he doesn’t need to go to the vet) and about Julie (heat packs do work quite well sometimes, and I speak from experience. At least, this time of the year they are pleasant as well. Not so much on a hot summer’s day). You are doing well in the readiness department. We don’t do much here, as it’s only my mother and me, and we’ll have a cousin over on Christmas day, but that is, more or less, organised. Take it easy now and I hope the weather doesn’t turn too nasty.

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