christmas greetings

 

Suddenly it seems that December is upon us and therefore towards the end of it lies Christmas. To say that I'm not really prepared for it would be an understatement but below is Nancy getting in there first with Christmas greetings  Meowstle-toe (thank you Chloe for the picture and title)

So I thought a series of warming festive pictures perhaps - chestnuts roasting by an open fire ........

Pocket who normally hogs the fire is waiting for us to put up a tree so he can climb on it and play with the silver balls. This usually leads to the tree being at a jaunty angle and having to be tied to a door handle to stop it crashing down. We deliberately do not put a fairy on the top as this seems to encourage even more adventurous scaling of the branches.

and Billie - who has never had a christmas is holding onto what she considers to be the best cushion and asks when she can open it. Normally she doesn't ask of course and most of our cushions have already been opened, their fluffy white contents scattered across the floor like snow. Rocket was temporarily excited as he said he would make snow angels and did indeed roll around in it though nothing looked very angelic.

Rocket who is not in a festive mood here has found an airline flight cushion and is hoping he can fly away perhaps to Lapland where he might offer to pull a sledge(much to Pocket's disapproval. see earlier remark on you wouldn't get eight cats pulling a sledge. etc etc .)

The paperwhites opened early this year as I obviously planted them too early so won't be around at Christmas (much to Pocket's disapproval) (see pic of him scowling below)

But here a gentle reminder of a Christmas greeting from dear Mrs Magpie (now Mr.Magpie) who liked to pick everything up and fly away with it. I think the nest he might have made with his consort is probably lined with my pens and other useful accoutrements.

Happy Christmas dear Readers and thank you E.E.Cummings for his poem below.

Pocket wants to change his name to E.E.Pocket as he says he has scribed some rather catchy haikus. 

little tree

BY E. E. CUMMINGS

little tree

little silent Christmas tree

you are so little

you are more like a flower

who found you in the green forest

and were you very sorry to come away?

see          i will comfort you

because you smell so sweetly

i will kiss your cool bark

and hug you safe and tight

just as your mother would,

only don't be afraid

look          the spangles

that sleep all the year in a dark box

dreaming of being taken out and allowed to shine,

the balls the chains red and gold the fluffy threads,

put up your little arms

and i'll give them all to you to hold

every finger shall have its ring

and there won't be a single place dark or unhappy

then when you're quite dressed

you'll stand in the window for everyone to see

and how they'll stare!

oh but you'll be very proud

and my little sister and i will take hands

and looking up at our beautiful tree

we'll dance and sing

"Noel Noel"