No Wimpy Partridges For The Cowarts’ Tree

Because Donald and Helen removed most of the work side of Christmas off our shoulders, Ginny and I enjoyed the easiest, smoothest Christmas Day I ever remember.

Although they have not even finished unpacking yet, they hosted a buffet breakfast in their newly-purchased home. And we all enjoyed a great time gathered in a circle and exchanging jokes, jabs and gifts.

I made out like a bandit!

Maggie made me a pipe-cleaner crab (in the tree branches photo). Jennifer gave me peppermint candy (an earlier blog mentions the sand casting she and Patricia gave me). Eve & Mark gave me an art book featuring optical illusions. Donald & Helen presented me with some fine quality pipe tobacco and two life-sized black vultures.

With those bright ribbons round their necks, my vultures look just so damn Christmassy! (I think these gift birds relate to my interest in bird watching rather than to my recent medical tests. Although with that crowd, who knows?)

As usual Ginny & I did not exchange gifts. And my three closest friends Barbara, Wes & John don’t exchange regular Christmas gifts either, although all during the year if one sees something the other will like, we give it but we have just outgrown formal gift-giving just because of some holiday.

Patricia did not show up for Christmas with us or call. We expected her and I don’t know what happened so anything I say about that would be pure speculation. But, being a dad, I speculate plenty.

Ginny and I have tried to establish our own home as a Crap Free Zone where people can come and go and do as they wish without having to justify anything to anybody but know they will be accepted (although maybe teased unmercifully by the others).

We seek to live in reality without game-playing.

So I was very pleased to see that Donald, Helen and Maggie are starting that same sort of thing in their new marriage.

Because they had other family things they wanted to do, at 11 o’clock, Donald said, “There’s no place like home for the holidays, so go home. You’ve got your loot. Now pack it up and get out. We’ve got other things to do”.

I taught him that.

We all packed our goodies and left in good will and joy having enjoyed a wonderful Christmas morning together.

Beauty and I retired to our home to nap, listen to Christmas music, gloat over our treasures and watch football.

I understand that later in the day, a van load of the others drove down to Gainesville to see about Patricia, but I haven’t heard back any details yet.

Right now, the most pressing issue in my life is where to display my two vultures to the best advantage.

Should I keep the festive ribbons or remove them?

Decisions. Decisions.

You can click to enlarge the photo if you wish: