Holiday Shenanigans:

Bentley and I arrived at my sister’s place on the 22nd for a few days of holiday spirit. It was mild, rainy and miserable. At least it felt like home!! After being cooped up in the car for 3 hours, Bentley was full of beans and greeted Tiger (the cat) with a little too much enthusiasm, causing the cat to bolt with Bentley in trail. This chaos was a bit stressful for my sister. She was somewhat concerned about the cat’s emotional state and physical well being, having the dog there, and therefore tried hard to keep them separated. After a day or so of some persuasion from me, she realized that Bentley was likely more at risk of being hurt than the cat, and that she should just let them sort it out. As I suspected, after a few warning hisses from Tiger, Bentley approached the cat with a bit more caution, and Tiger soon realized he was the boss. By Christmas Eve they were lying in the same room together, just feet apart keeping a watchful eye on each other. Overall, Bentley was relatively well behaved (well, except for the Christmas ornament that he decided to eat…..oh…..and his overzealous greeting that almost sent Uncle Ray backwards down some stairs). We went for many walks and games of fetch to keep his endless energy in check. I also brought him lots of chew toys and a huge smoked bone to keep him occupied. I didn’t get him a raw bone this time, because his tendency to hide those didn’t go over very well last time we visited in the summer. It seems my sister found it hidden in a closet……a couple of months later! He will chew on a smoked bone for hours, but unfortunately, whatever they use to flavour them gives him gas causing him to let some “room clearers” go! Ahhhh the joys of being a dog parent!!

On the second day we took Bentley to a Doggie-daycare to play and meet some new canine friends, while we drove into Toronto for a brunch at my Grandmother’s place. We had a nice visit with some family members, catching up and enjoying a potluck brunch with lots of yummy treats. We made it back to Port Perry in lots of time to prepare for dinner with a family who are good friends of Wynn and Karina’s. Luckily, Bentley was a star with their children who kept him busy all night. By the end of the night, the eldest boy was all but begging his parents for a dog like Bentley. On Christmas Eve day, Bentley and I went to my hometown to visit some friends (the couple who got married in the summer) and to meet their new puppy, Hank. Hank and Bentley played and even though Bentley stole Hank’s raw bone, they got along fairly well. It was a beautiful sunny day, so we went for a walk with the dogs. It was a very green Christmas indeed. It felt more like spring. Not at all like the Christmases that I remember from when I was a kid. After our walk, we left the dogs together at their place and went to a local pub for a beer and some lunch. Bentley made himself at home, realizing it was a very dog friendly house and found a comfy spot on the couch to chew Hank’s bone. It was great to visit my hometown and friends to get caught up and to hear about friends I haven’t seen in years. Hopefully I will be able to visit again for longer and see some other people. After a good walk down memory lane, we headed back to my sister’s for a relaxing Christmas Eve dinner and an evening of favourite holiday movies (It’s A Wonderful Life and the original A Christmas Carol). I treated the Borgardts family with some Gingerbread Pudding, a yummy desert that I discovered in Vancouver, to enjoy while we watched the movies. For as long as I can remember, my sister and I used to try to stay up to watch Scrooge every Christmas. After a long day and a full tummy, most years, and this year was no exception, I struggle to stay up to watch the whole thing.
Alas, Christmas Day arrived full of more delicious treats, thoughtful gifts and time with family. Although different from the Rattray Christmas that I am used to, I had a wonderful time. Everyone, including the animals had a stocking full of treats and presents to open. Bentley got some more treats and chew toys. Every year my sister makes up a plate full of German delights (Wynn’s family is German) for each of her family members. I was very touched to be included in all of their traditions. We had an early afternoon dinner, including a vegetarian casserole that my sister thoughtfully made just for me. More sinful treats followed and an evening playing Cranium and Trivial Pursuit Pop Culture. I ended the evening with a call home to Rob and our family in B.C. to send my love and wish them all a Happy Holiday. It certainly was great to have the opportunity to have Christmas with my sister and her family, but I really really missed Rob and his family and all of our friends along with all the holiday traditions I have become accustomed to.