The old mayor is up and about early planting allium bulbs in the flower border in front of the church. ‘ Bonjour M’Ongoose ‘ he says breezily. Sophie wanders over to greet him and gets her ears scratched. She looks at the mayor with pleasure tinged with disappointment that he’s not carrying a supply of biscuits for moments like this. I ask after the old mayors wife. She’s had five hip operations , each one a little more desperate than the last. ‘Is the pain any better ?’ I add, although the answer to this is already obvious. The mayor is out at first light planting bulbs because his wife has had another ‘difficult’ night. He makes her breakfast then lets her doze in the arm chair by the fire. As soon as she’s asleep he’s out of the front door doing all the things he did during his 47 years as mayor. “ She doesn’t complain “ he replies. He smiles in a way that says there’s much more to tell, but not today. I like the old mayor.
The post lady stops to tell me she's taking the next two weeks off. ' There should be someone to cover the round while I'm away' . This said in a tone of voice that suggests we shouldn't expect any more post until well into the New Year. I pass this information onto 'The Font' who is waiting for a delivery of Lingonberries from a supplier in Norrkoping. Angus, who thinks Lingonberries taste like soap, will be able to survive a festive season without them.
And today a more modern Christmas Carol - # 17 :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-iOwh74mf0
14 comments:
All our previous dogs knew and understood this rule. The current incumbent looks and laughs at a' that.
Having had a succession of Labradors, we were unaware that there might be dogs whose every thought doesn't begin and end with food! No chance that they will stay out of the dining room or kitchen. We have never fed any of our dogs at the table, so they content themselves to lie underneath in hope that some crumbs may fall their way!
With Cherry, we were happy if she just followed the "don't stand on the dining table" rule, but even there we often failed. Now, we have just acquired a much smaller dog, a little brown poodle named Charlie who currently weighs in at 1.43 kilos, and I am hopeful that, in addition to complying with our building's new rules, he may also be more amenable to management (and I may be a better trainer). This is the first time I have ever owned a male dog, and I will freely admit the choice was inspired by your tales of Bob, the affable family fellow. Charlie's pretty feisty for a little guy and has commandeered both Cherry's bed, which would hold at least 20 of him, and all of her toys, however large, but he is also easy-going and the kids are having a wonderful time with him. I think the toys are the real reason why we moved so quickly to add another dog - I just couldn't bear the thought of throwing them away, and I am grateful that Charlie clearly treasures them in all their chewed up, destuffed and desqueaked glory. There is still a PON in our future, and I think Charlie will be up to the task of being a (small) big brother.
Meanwhile, the vet's office has returned Cherry's ashes to us, in a tiny urn wrapped in silk brocade, a miniature version of what they do with people here in the Buddhist tradition. With people, families keep the ashes in the family altar for 49 days before the souls rise to heaven and the ashes are interred. In this case, we will carry the ashes down to our house by the ocean on New Year's Day and spread them in Cherry's favorite hidey hole. Hopefully, Charlie will take advantage of the same trip to learn how to pee in the grass, without waiting until he is 11.
I enjoyed today's carol, but it also made me realize what a strange year this has been. We saw the Philharmonia orchestra perform in Tokyo on January 23. Esa Pekka Salonen was the conductor of the symphony in LA when we lived there, and we wanted to see him again - it was great, with a completely wild "Rites of Spring". Even at that time, we were aware of the virus, and I remember looking around the hall and wondering if it was OK, but obviously we had no idea what was coming. No tickets under the tree this year, unfortunately, but maybe next year . . .
Bertie and I both, for perhaps different reasons, love the picture of Sophie in the dining room. Bertie thinks Sophie would be impressed by his achievement yesterday. I left him with neighbour Kirsty when I went out cycling for the day (or at least for the few hours of daylight....) He wangled an EXTRA MEAL at lunchtime as Kirsty thought he "looked hungry". He is especially proud of this as Kirsty is a vet who is often heard complaining about how many of the dogs she sees are overweight!
Charlie sounds like a great addition to the family. 'Feisty' is good. Love Cherry's ashes in a silk brocade wrapped urn. The perfect accompaniment for this stage of her journey !
Well done Bertie.
PONs would / could never sit still. Diner guests would find shaggy dogs rubbing against their legs as a reminder that they should have a fit and drop their plates on the floor.
The 'current incumbent' has got it just right.
Will you be posting a picture?
Our first dog together, Arthur (an Akita/Australian cross from someone's oops litter), was not allowed in our tiny (60 sq ft) kitchen in Sausalito, CA. Instead, he would lie with snout over the line between the living room and kitchen. Since we've lived in larger spaces, dogs tend to lie under the table....Today's carol is lovely. Thank you.
Your interior hall reminds me of Andrea Palladio's design scheme...central hallway with rooms leading away...a perfect design for Sophie to make the rounds.
So sorry about Cherry. It's so hard to lose a friend. So good to hear Charlie joined your family. Congrats
I am excited for all of you that Charlie has joined your family! How old is Charlie?
He's just about ten weeks old, still quite a baby.
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