Friday, November 17, 2023

Mom and Cats at Christmastime

When Shauna got home from work on Wednesday, she was delighted to see that Danica and her beau had set up the Christmas tree. It is one task that Sha can checkoff her list in the busy Christmas season. The tree is pre-lit, and we will be invited to help to hang the ornaments in due course. Gathering the family to trim the tree is our long-standing Christmas tradition. 


Sabine was quick to claim a spot on the tree skirt that my mother made many years past. Mom has been gone for 20 years, but she still has a spot under the Christmas tree, which I think is a wonderful touch.

Trees and cats  remind me once again of the year that Shauna was born in the Christmas season of 1972.  They didn't rush to send mothers and babies home in those days, and of course, moi, the proud new papa, would frequently go to visit them.  I swear, and I am not exaggerating, that every time that I got home, the cats had been busy, and I had to set up the tree again. In later years, we would tie the tree to hooks to prevent a reoccurrence.

22 comments:

  1. Beautiful tree skirt. How nice for Danica & beau to put the tree up. We have been fortunate in that none of our cats have really bothered with the Christmas trees; OK maybe a swipe or two at a dangling ornaments on the lower branches. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your mom's tree skirt is a work of art.

    ReplyDelete
  3. A very homey setting that, wine rack, beautifully crafted tree skirt, black cat, and tree on auto lighting! Thanks for reminding me that you were a young father at one time...seems strange that I know so little of that part of your life that led to your being blogger AC!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Beautiful tree! I hate cats. They make me sneeze and they tear the leather sofa.

    ReplyDelete
  5. My mum always tied the tree to hooks after it tipped over one year. The cats all looked innocent of course.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Cats and Christmas trees are a nasty tradition, I fear. We have not had a real or even imitation full size tree for decades. Judy has several tiny ceramic ones that she puts around, along with miniature toys that she places with them.

    ReplyDelete
  7. There are two nails in the corner where our Christmas tree goes; they are there to hold two wires to hold the tree up in case of cat climbs. There are no cats at present, as they are resident in Europe. Their owner will be leaving them with a sitter over Christmas, as she is planning on being here. And I am planning on having her put the tree up.
    So, good for your grandkid and beau. I am envious. MY grandkids are all in Montreal living busy lives.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Her tree looks a lot like ours - skinny.

    ReplyDelete
  9. What a cute history. Our golden retriever used to constantly remove the felt Disney Cinderella mice ornaments from our tree. She never chewed them up, but she just wanted them off the tree. Linda in Kansas

    ReplyDelete
  10. I love that tradition! We used to do so when the girls were younger. Mari likes the dangling ornaments so I make sure that none of the ones I put on are breakable. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Wishing you a beautiful holiday season!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Great that you can carry on traditions.

    ReplyDelete
  13. How lovely that your Mom’s handiwork is a part of Christmas every year! It is beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  14. That tree and cat make a good picture

    ReplyDelete
  15. A lovely tradition to carry on.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Happy Holidays, Anvilcloud. I am just not ready for the holidays. I feel like it snuck up on me. It sounds like you are definitely ready. Your tree looks very pretty just waiting for its ornaments.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Well that is just gorgeous and I am all about a pre-lit tree. My own flocked, pre-lit tree is up and decorated. So I'm all out ahead of that. The tree skirt is stunning and what a wonderful memory of your mother. Now, my tree used to be put up in our sun room which is in the back of the house but which opens by French doors into our TV room, so that when everyone was assembled for presents in said room, the tree and all of the gifts was just a few feet away. THEN in the summer of 2019, I got Sweetness the tuxie cat, and ever since then I have placed the tree in the window of the front room (at the front of the house). Sweetness is not allowed in that room, and in fact she rarely leaves the sun room because that's her domain and I don't want her walking on my countertops in the kitchen (and yes she would). I somehow knew that Sweetness and a Christmas tree would not mix but I do miss my tree being in the sun room. Ah well. Sweetness just this week let me put lights along a ledge in that room, and so far she's left them alone. So that's something. xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  18. It is great have kids to help out. I'm not sure what we're up to, since Isabelle has COVID.
    We'll put up our Charlie Brown tree again.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I've had more than one tree fall down -- the worst being ON CHRISTMAS DAY about five minutes before company came for dinner! (And THAT was Stimpy's fault!). He knocked down another too. And yes, I've wired to the wall!

    ReplyDelete
  20. That is the thing that I love best about Christmas. The old and the new all blend together and Christmases past become part of Christmas present. Christmas present slowly becomes yet another Christmas past. It is beautiful, isn't it?

    ReplyDelete
  21. That is so nice about the tree skirt. Great memories there, AC.

    ReplyDelete