Four more days...

Christmas comes but once a year..... but it sure does get here fast, no matter how well-prepared you are.

The weather has gotten warmer....... but Gatsby is still loving his little world in the house, instead of outside in the yard and inside the garage. This once-scruffy ghostly-gray outside cat has blossomed into a rich, deep charcoal gray-coated, green-eyed, well-behaved handsome cat. He is a perfect gentleman inside the house... sleeping on a sofa or a chair, but not scratching it with his claws (which he lets me trim). He sleeps the whole night long, not waking me up mid-morning like Mickey or ShadowBaby will.

Last night, Gatsby ventured upstairs and slept on our bed-- much to the dislike of Mickey Kitty, who hissed at him and tried to swipe Gatsby with his paw. This little peanut of a cat, Mickey couldn't even reach Gatsby's chin. And Gatsby just sat there, staring with those lime-green eyes of his, wondering what on earth was wrong with this unusually small black cat. I've just let the cats work it out....... even telling Mickey and ShadowBaby that I couldn't leave Gatsby out in the garage on such cold nights. He's got fur! He'll get used to the cold in no time! Thankfully, all three cats are getting along, aside from the occasional hiss from tiny Mickey.

The weather has returned to its normal state now, and still, Gatsby prefers to be inside rather than outside, and as long as he continues to be a good gentleman cat, that's just fine with me. (I distinctly remember telling my husband I wasn't going to get too attached to "just a barn cat.")

Two of our friends from Clear Lake drove up here yesterday for a Christmas lunch. Even though they got here way before noon-time, the day just sped by on wings, and before we knew it, we were all hugging each other good-bye again.

J had seen the house before, but when she drove up here with me, the entire house was empty. So it was particularly nice yesterday to see her reaction to the house now that all of our furniture is here and in place.... and everything seems to be in the right places because I haven't been moving things around lately. J had gifted us with some of her family's treasured furniture, and those pieces seem to be right at home here as well.

Yesterday was L's first time up here, but I don't think it will be her last. She enjoyed the drive up here with J.... she said they chatted the whole way and had a nice time during the two-hour drive through the city and into the countryside. This morning, L sent me an eMail telling me how peaceful and serene the property seemed to be, and that she felt as if she'd been on a day-long retreat during her visit with us. She would like to come up again with J..... and I told her to just let me know the day and the time and we'd be ready for them.

Everyone we know has had the same reaction to not only this house, but this land. I can't explain it either, but it just has a good feeling to it. I wish I knew more of the history of this home, and more about the families who lived here before the previous owner renovated everything. The renovations weren't drastic-- just enough to bring things up to code without disturbing the vintage integrity of the house itself. I was telling J that I can walk around this house and now wonder why it took so long for me to "get back here." I cannot explain that feeling, but it's just there, and that's the way it is.

Being over 100 years old, this home does have old-house habits-- like drafty doors, and windows that don't open because they've been sealed with countless layers of paint over the decades. Adding more insulation and weather-stripping will take care of those problems, we hope..... and I'm hoping my husband gets those chores done before we have another cold snap. (As my cousin F says-- hope floats.)

Four days till Christmas...... our first Christmas here, but certainly not our last. The big tree in the dining room looks wonderful, as if it were meant to be just in that very spot. Sharing the afternoon with our good friends yesterday was the perfect way to begin this Christmas week. We had so many good laughs during the day... it was just like the old days in the other house, only much better.

Our young friend Miss C will be here on Christmas Day with her parents..... they were going to come after the holiday, then changed their minds and decided to come on "the day." I think Miss C had something to do with their change of plans. She had been so disappointed not to have been here on Thanksgiving that she told me she "didn't want to miss Christmas too."

Missing Christmas. Who in the world would want to miss such a magical joyous day?!