The whole day went by, I realized this morning, and I had not thought of Tim once. Wow. Christmas Eve, Christmas morning, all Christmas Day. Than as I was laying there in the bath… blissfully staring off into space. … I realized, I don’t know what it was, yet something inside me felt joyful. Like a release of wind, as I settled into the warm water, that sense of lugubriousness that had haunted me so often just vanished. It was like an epiphany.

To not feel that looming sense of loss this time, was so refreshing, and welcome. I have so much that does still loom, but I am coping with it, and this Christmas was one of the best I’ve had in years.

Irish and I spent it of course at the Homestead. I’ve spent Christmas in that house for a majority of my 47 years. This year was especially fun as Irish met my sister’s new family dog STELLA. Stella is a Bouvier/King Shepard mix… and she looks like a black version of Irish. They really do look like Canine Cousins…its hilarious.

At six months old, dear sweet Stella gets about the joint with her great big paws holding up these gangly legs and shiny black curly body. She looks like a jet black Irish Wolfhound. I would imagine there will come a day (not that long off) when she will tower over Irish, but not yet. Irish was good, and had quite a bit of patience with her robustious puppy-ness.

Today however she decided to spend some quality time in Stella’s crate, as she was probably by now fairly confident Stella wouldn’t go near the damn thing. Stella does NOT care for her crate, and every night she looks like she’s being dragged off to slaughter as she gloomily lumbers off. She must be coaxed, eventually almost dragged, she WILL NOT go in willingly.

Therefore, Irish decided that crate became the ideal spot to be. When Irish wasn’t guarding BOTH the bones they got for Christmas, she spent either playing or teaching Lil Ms Stella a thing or three about hierarchy in the Canine Kingdom. What she often got for her troubles is a wallop in the head by a big ol’Stella paw. WHAM. She’s like BamBam, from the Flintstones. WHAM !!!

Stella I swear is saying “get over yourself…just PLAY with me ” !!!. :-)