Saturday, December 27, 2014

Last Christmas

I've been thinking a lot about last Christmases this week... I guess because the previous two were my very last with two of the dearest souls in my life.

I didn't realize that last Christmas would be Mabel's last. I didn't even take pictures of her opening the tennie ball and cookies I'm certain she got.  We had such a quiet and laid back Christmas...just the two of us. Mabel was clearly not into any toys any more but her inner labradork still loved "tennie balls."

The only photo I took anywhere near Christmas was this shot of Mabel and Sue greeting one another with a kiss the day after Christmas... Hank is in the background...his last Christmas too.

I was so relaxed and happy... I don't know what would have been different had I known.

The Christmas of 2012 was the last with my sister.  This is my sister's last Christmas tree. My brother in law and I struggled to get it up and get the ornaments just right to please my perfectionist sister. In the end, she got out of her sick bed in the middle of the night and rearranged everything to her liking just in time for Christmas Eve.

I didn't take pictures of my sister...she looked too frail and I might would have had to admit it was our last Christmas, even though some part of me certainly knew.

This Christmas, my 91 year old mom joined Macy and I for the holiday. Macy's first Christmas ever apparently... 


She clearly had no idea what gifts were...


Or what to do with them... 


I had to open it for her... Then, she was a happy girl! 


Mother brought swine flu with her...coughed everywhere and got me sick two days before surgery... Yes my second shoulder surgery date...and still no surgery! Macy just loved on us both.


We took a two plus hour hike on Christmas Day...Macy has spotted her Otto and her auntie RottRover here.

This Christmas was pretty nice... But I keep having that nagging feeling…like there something I should be paying attention to...just in case it's another last Christmas.



6 comments:

Millie and Walter said...

Merry Christmas! I'm sure it won't be your last with Macy Blue but you really never know. That just reminds us to live life to the fullest and like every day could be your last.

rottrover said...

Ahem...I have some very nice pictures of Mabel Lou in her QBOE scarf with both Bart and Ruby and again with Otto. But I do understand. We did a lot of that kind of thinking this year looking at our old pups...

Happy New Year!

RR

Scott Harbison said...

Merry Christmas my sweet friend! I hope you are feeling better. Wishing you and Macy Blue a Happy New year! I'm heading out to Irvine on Jan 12th for a few days to do some training. Maybe we can catch up one evening!

Snowbrush said...

The lasts come to out number the firsts. I was thinking just this morning that my life is different in ways that I never would have imagined. I had, somehow, with no good reason, imagined that life would be mostly stable, but now I've lost more people than I've found new ones. My parents, my sisters (though they're still alive), so very many friends, three elderly neighbors just last year...

The Adventures of the LLB Gang said...

Live each day to the fullest is the motto in our house :-. Merry Christmas!!
Smileys!
Dory, Jakey, Arty & Bilbo

KB said...

I'm so glad that Macy Blue knows what presents are now! That's something to smile about.

I, too, have learned that you never know about when you're at a "last time" for something with someone you love. I'm so sorry for the heartbreak of recent years for you.

You and I have something in common. My shoulder surgery, almost a year ago, was postponed twice. The third time is a charm! I'm *still* rehabbing, trying to get back that last little bit of my range of motion and strength. But, it was a success, and yours will be too!