Time again for the annual Tree-Trimming and Cat Tossing Party. Tree trimming, a bunch of party foods, good beer, eggnog, and all of our friends. It's always a wonderful evening.
Cat tossing because the cats spend the entire evening trying to eat the candy canes, climb the tree, sleep on the sausage rolls and sneak off with the hot wings. Every time a cat grabs a strand of lights we have to untangle it once again, and that's usually the first cat toss of the holiday season.
So far, #3 has made a dump cake. #4 has grated approx. 1/4 cup of cabbage out of the 6 cups needed for coleslaw before collapsing into an exhausted little heap. He's watching Bugs Bunny on TV and complaining about the state of his aching back, arms and wrists. #2 has made his famous Jack Daniels barbecue sauce for the BBQ wings, and predictably, the walls, stove and even ceiling have drips of barbecue sauce. Forget the chocolate fountain, I want a Jack's fountain for the party tonight.
Now- the tree. Last year- last January, actually - I found a cut-your-own tree farm. They have a petting zoo, horse rides, a zipline slide, a giant slingshot you can use to shoot snowballs ("away from your brothers, please remember!") a hockey rink made out of hay bales and a giant climbing wall made of hay. Along with room for 100 fires- the coolest placce ever. So, we set out at 11 yesterday after the Horsemen fought over who could hold the axe in the car (that would be none of them), who got to cut down the tree (that turned into who had to lay on the ground and saw, and there was only one volunteer for that) and who got to choose the music for the 2 hour trip (me, and it was Bonnie Raitt and Mary Chapin Carpenter. It was *not* Metallica.)
After tramping all over the snowy fields in search of the perfect tree, we finally found one we all liked. We vetoed the 12 foot monster that #4 chose, didn't like the closest one to the car that #2 wanted, and the really wide one with lots of strong branches that I picked- #1 pointed out that all we needed was a sign saying "Kitty stairs- this way to the top" and hilarity would ensue. So, we finally got a tree, got it strapped to the roof, and headed home. We had to make a stop at a blueberry farm for chicken quesadillas with blueberry salsa, but after that it was a straight shot, and no blood was spilled.
Today. we set up the tree. I almost cried. Somehow, we picked a tree that has huge bare spots all over, no usable branches for the bottom 2 feet, and somehow grew curved, so that it takes a rather alarming bend in the middle. It is the tree which the last tree on the lot would not want to stand next to. Even the cats haven't tried to climb it. Apparently, though,another dog visited it before it came to live at our house because Dixie tried to mark it and peed all over her own feet and the tree skirt.
So, about that Jack fountain...
When Poe ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.
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