Do you smell that? It smells like the holidays. I have a pretty good sniffer, you know. I make sure I inspect every bush, tree, and rock on my walks with Mom. She tries to hurry me along, but I’m not having it. I want to see if I know anyone who’s been to the same bush, and if so, then I leave my calling card too.
Back to the holidays. My house emits the best smells just before Christmas. Mom spends a lot of time in the kitchen. So do I, because I want to help her keep the floor clean. Sometimes the morsels are sweet and sometimes they taste like gravy. She even offers me a carrot; one of my favorites.
One time Dad hauled in a tree and set it in the living room. This confused me. Why would anyone want a real live tree in the house. I was warned to not lift my leg, but it was such a temptation to claim it as my own. Then Mom hung lights and pretty balls on the tree. I never could figure out why a perfectly fine ball was hanging out of my reach. I love to fetch balls, but I restrained myself out of respect for my elders.
Another fun part of Christmas are the family dogs who visit Christmas Eve. We have a sleepover and help rip the paper off the boxes sitting under the tree. There are even packages that mysteriously appear Christmas morning, especially for me and my cousins. They sure smell good.
I remember one Christmas Eve when Mom and Dad went out to dinner and left us dogs alone in the house. They blocked off the living room with a large cardboard wall so we wouldn’t get to the tree. After Mom and Dad left, Boone wanted to break down the cardboard wall and attack the presents. Boone is a family friend. My two-legged brother was dog sitting Boone for the week. What a rebel. He’s the one not paying attention in the Christmas picture. Anyway, Boone was very convincing. One of my hobbies is tearing up cardboard, so I really couldn’t help myself when everyone else went after the wall. Mission accomplished. The wall came down, and we gathered under the tree contemplating our next move. Well, conquering the wall wore us out, so we laid down for a quick nap. That’s when Mom and Dad came home. I tried to explain to them with my best tail wag and happy face that it wasn’t my idea.
Sitting in the Christmas picture are Frank and Bowie. Laying on the floor are Morgan, Boone, and me.
I hope your holidays bring lots of sweet smells and visits from friends and family.
Love, Larry
P.S. Be sure to check out my new 2025 desk calendar. You can get a FREE one with the purchase of my book, Larry’s Words of Wisdom.