Hi folks! Would you believe that Christmas is just around the corner. After our super duper fall weather, I guess we can adjust to staying inside during the winter. At least we will be toasty warm that is with exception of my required trips outside. By the time you get this letter I'll bet my paws will be frozen stiff, but I can't stand those four-footed booties. Put on one...shake it off. Try again; nope. When I have a chance, guess what? They will disappear. Don't tell, but the wastebasket is still within my reach.

One compensation which makes up for the cold weather is that the holidays are here. Wow! Just the thought of it makes me chase my tail and jump for joy. Although the inside decorated tree is off limits, I always get a present to add to my stuffed toy basket... And the turkey plus all those wonderful smells give me reasons to stay close to the kitchen and under foot. Can I help it if the cooks call me a four-footed walking nightmare?

I'll never forget one Christmas when a favorite smell got me in heaps of trouble. It was Christmas morning. A box was pulled out of its hiding place and inside was lots of fancy wrapped packages. Now what should a guy do? Rather than search for my toy, I found one that smelled delicious.

After waiting for my family to leave, I dragged my loot to a favorite hiding place and chewed my way through a box of luscious Marshall Field's Frango Mints. Enough said. That Christmas was a bummer. I certainly found out the hard way that chocolate wan't for dogs.

And then there was the year that I was given the most unusual gift ever. A kind neighbor, who was also my baby sitter, bought a wicker basket with a hood over my head just like a baby's buggy. The mattress, coverlet and pillow were handstitched and done in red and green flowers...how embarassing!! And on the outside of the top, she attached tiny tree lights. They were connected to a small square box and when touched, all the lights blinked on and off.

Of course I thanked her with lots of kisses, but deep inside I couldn't help but giggle. But on the other hand it was sad to spend so much time making a gift that would never be used. There's no way I'll ever spend one night in it. Remember, I'm a big boy.

Well I'm sure I can think of other gifts that were either good, bad or ugly, but now it's your turn to remember some of yours. But in the meantime,

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Love, P.D.

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