Do they know it's Christmas?

Hello Gentle Readers,

Again it has been a long time since we corresponded. In fact, this, I believe has been the longest gap- over a year. For that there is no excuse except that Mommy and I have been busy. That's what she says, anyway. But I say, aren't we all? I'll try to give a recap as best I can...

Last Christmas passed in the usual fashion. I went home with Mommy but had to stay out at Dogwood Kennels near home. Apparently there are two Jack Russel Terriers there who have not heard of my legions of fans and value of cuteness to the world at large. They are of less than a, shall we say, equitable spirit when it comes to sharing turf, toys, and humans.

After that vacation, it was back home to Chicago where the rest of the school terms passed into Summer fairly uneventfully. I deeply enjoyed having Mommy home for several months when she didn't have to go anywhere for classes or do any teaching. We spent a great deal of time walking and reading together on the sofa.

The weather was lovely, but turned unexpectedly hot in August. It was so hot that Mommy went to Ace Hardware and bought me my own doggie pool! It was a large plastic enclosure that she filled with buckets of cold water and placed in the living room. I did appreciate her efforts, but being born under the sign of Taurus I am a decidedly land loving individual. I am not prone to amphibious cavorting and fits of unseemly splashing that retrievers and labs enjoy. I like to lounge poolside. Mommy didn't understand this, and try as she might, she could not interest me in the little tub. Her efforts were not in vain, though, as she found it was nice to soak her feet in during the evenings.

Neither of us experienced much relief until she cleverly installed a window A/C unit. The latter was provided mercifully to us by Mimi and Papa, grandparents extraordinaire. Many said the unit could not be placed in our apartment, but Mommy solved the engineering problem and we were at last cool and comfortable. With her opposable thumbs, Mommy's flashes of brilliance generally lead to amazing results. People often mistakenly think that we canines are not so quick minded. What they fail to realize is that many of our theories and concepts remain mere blueprints in our brains, as we have not the physical capacity to manifest them with our flat paws. But I am digressing.

Later in the summer, after the heat wave, Mommy and I moved to nicer quarters. We are still in Evanston, but have taken up residence in a newer apartment building with oh so much window space. It is a much quieter building on a quieter street. No more constant passing of trucks and yelling of the postal workers out back during all hours. No more city bus idling for 20 minutes at a time under the window. As a result, I have found it unecessary in this new home to spend my time underneath the furniture, with my delicate temperment disturbed. I can still howl at sirens, but there are fewer now so my voice can rest. When the trucks do pass within earshot, I can hit some much higher notes and I know that with the rest my range is increasing. Perhaps my stage career will include a stint in Phantom of the Opera or some such respected production.

Time passes with greater ease in our new home and I enjoy myself here greatly. Mommy has taken to leaving NPR on for me to hear during the days, and I'm boning up on all the issues. I enjoy listening to "Fresh Air," while Mommy's favorite is "This American Life." We try to catch the latter together on weekends. Sometimes when she comes home, I am in a bad humour. She is confused at this, and I wish I had the words to tell her that it was due to me having to be stuck at home with no way to get away from "Prairie Home Companion."

We were soon back to the Yuletide season and Mommy was on her way to many places during her month of break. I myself travelled abroad by auto-car to visit Poppi in Rockford. I stayed with him there for several days while Mommy was off to the Big Apple. We did guy things, which included eating fried chicken out of buckets and drinking beer while sports competitions were played out on television. While I was not much for this part of the visit, I was greatful to have morsels of food falling from the table that were something more exotic than Mommy's usual fare of carrots, lettuce, and the like.

Poppi and I also watched Caesar and his dogs each morning on "The Dog Whisperer." Some of these canines were wholly undignified. Because of this, I initially reacted poorly to the show as I felt it represented dog kind in a most stereotypical and negative light. However, as I saw that Caesar had quite a knack for healing these animals and teaching thier humans how to behave correctly, I relented and enjoyed myself. I have put in so much hard work with Mommy, you really have no idea. I tell everyone- she did not come out of the box this way, I had to train her! And you know, I get so little credit for my opus. But Caesar publicizes the need for human teaching and training and for that I have a certain affection for him.

But, moving on to more news...

When Mommy returned from NYC she was so delighted to see me as I was her. We went immediately to the park where I attempted to corral some noisy geese. Unfortunately, they were across an ice covered pond. I attempted to cross it, but lost my footing as my bottom cracked a large hole in the surface. Mommy helped me out and laughed heartily at my condition. The woman finds the most inappropriate things to be funny, she truly does. Anyway, we got back home and things returned to their normal routine for a few days before the 21st, when Mommy celebrated the Solstice. I recieved a toy soldier that squeaked. A noble warrior, he lasted about 2 hours with me before I removed his insolent head. I still carry him around the house as a trophy.

On Christmas eve I accompanied Mommy to her parent's home where we repeated our usual holiday ritual. The one exception this year was my visit to Mimi and Papa's house. Oh, what a time I did have. Not just one, but two people to dote on me at once! And not distracted people like Mommy, no no. These people were able to give me total attention. Twice the affection! Twice the laps! And, twice the house space for me to sniff and explore. It was truly a paradise for the overnight stay I had with them. The kitchen there held such wonderful smells, and Mimi was forever sneaking me nibbles of carrot and cracker from the Christmas platters of a couple of days before. Papa bought me a rawhide bone, which I have kept hidden in the manner of pirate booty in various places ever since (I am not ready to chew my souvenir just yet). I did miss Mommy a bit. However, the thought passed quickly when I realized her absence also meant the absence of the killjoy "no more treats" attitude she can have.

In short, it was a glorious holiday, and for the first time I felt I had truly had my own festive vacation. My previous sojourns had certainly not been unpleasant, but this...THIS was really a holiday treat. Hopefully I will be back to visit again very soon. When Mommy picked me up, I remember her singing to me and giggling (again with her own silly humour) "Do they know it's Christmas time at all?" Well, I can safely say that this year I did know it was a holiday, and I did have myself a refreshing, relaxing, if not slightly debaucherous time.

Here's to being spoiled by loved ones, and here is to you, dear reader. As we move into a new year I wish you light, love, and peace.

Faithfully yours,
Magnus

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