Friday Flotsam

Frrrrrrrrrrrrr! More like brrrrrrrrr! Am I right? Sorry. Awful.

I’ll just dive into the heavy part of this post. We lost Charlie on Monday. Our beloved dog, who we’ve have for 18 entire years. We said goodbye to her Monday late afternoon at 4:22pm. She’d been sick-ish for a while. Nothing that we knew of specifically, but mostly blind, mostly deaf, very slow. We knew it was coming. But when it came, it was FAST. Friday she stopped eating and drinking water. By Saturday she’d stopped going out to use the bathroom. And by Sunday she’d dropped down to TWELVE pounds and could barely stand. It was heartbreaking to see. We knew.

I made the call Monday morning for later in the afternoon so the kids could be there with us to hold her one last time and say our goodbyes. And while it was heavy, awful and devastating, it was also gentle, peaceful and kind. She was giving us the signs. We had to listen to her. Turns out, it was severe kidney disease that came on suddenly. Something about toxins and organ failure and old age. Now we know. And she’s at peace.

We miss her. The house feels weird. The daily rhythm is off. I swear I hear her nails on the hardwoods. I swear I see her little black and white nuzzle at the back door. She’s still here. But . . . she’s not. Like Joni Mitchell sings, “the frying pan’s too wiiiiiiiide.” Same feeling. Except with a dog. Ha!

So that’s that.

Anyone have a cute idea for an ornament I can make the family? A photo in a little frame maybe? This is our first Christmas without her, and I have to do something that will make us all cry like babies. What chew gawt?

Okay, turning things around a bit because I DO have a funny story for you all.

Parents of tweens, you will love this.

So on Monday I was driving Natalie and a slew of her friends to a girl scouts meeting. Had six gals in the van. Small trip, but still enough time for me to humiliate the crap out of her, which is a parent’s ultimate goal, right?

I was telling the 6th grade girls about my recent trip to the grocery store, and how the total was $8.67 cents.

Can you see where this is going?

You can.

You should.

I told them how I told the cashiers in the moment, “I think what you mean is eight dollars and . . . “

(Okay, in real life, in that moment, the two cashiers were probably 9th grade boys, so they looked at each other, died laughing and did the hands thing. It was perfect! I won the moment! They thought I was so cool and hip! They did! I swear it!)

But in the van . . . as I retold the story to the girls, the words “six seven” came out sort of cracked and awkward and a little disjointed and I looked back and you guys. Silence. They all just sort of halfway looked at me, then away, then at each other, with these semi-painful grins oozing with cringe. I glanced over at Nat in the front seat of the van and her literal right hand was up to her forehead and I heard this little sigh and IT WAS AMAZING.

Hahahahaha!!

Parents, this is what we live for.

Don’t tell Nat I said that.

POOOOOOOOLLAAAAAAAH!::::

I’m thinking I might do some mini gift guides in Stories over the weekend. Maybe three in total, different themes. Would you be into that? And tell me what the themes would be. Ha! Oh.

I could even put them here on Tuesday if that’s helpful. Something extremely simple but thoughtful. What do you think?

No to gift guides or hard yes?

Weekend plans?!

We have a bit of soccer, a Christmas party, a Holiday Homes tour, a bit of shopping, a lot of wrapping and a girl scouts event tonight. I’m tired.

I did post a Rosemary No-Knead Bread yesterday. You should start it today and have the best bread ever tomorrow. Seriously. Here’s that video.

Also, wanted to thank you all again from the bottom of my heart, for the sweet ways you’ve shown our family comfort this week. From the hundreds of messages to the delivered flowers and cookies to the neighborhood thoughtful goodies, we feel it all. Thank you. Losing a pet is so, so hard, but you all helped soothe us. So thank you.

Okay – gift guides and pet ornaments. Spilleth!