Deck the Halls… and Duck the Cat

by Anita Benedict

  I had written something else for this week, but then a sad tale involving a fly and a deranged orange cat happened. I have been combining cleaning, clearing, organizing and decorating for Christmas.

   At least once a year I like to have my house looking like a Hallmark Christmas movie setting. I have nutcrackers everywhere, gnomes and elves greet you as you come in.

   I use bureau scarves and other fancy items to make magic and to hide furniture scars. Everything has it’s place for a change, even if someone keeps putting stuff on my dresser that doesn’t belong.

My bedroom is always a disaster after the summer of being too busy, time to put away summer clothes, throw out and donate what will never fit again. I was so close to being finished - if not saying close enough.

   A fly enjoyed the cleaner window and the nutcracker curtain to hide from the orange menace. Hiding in vain! With one leap onto my dresser, and another to the window, the cat’s back paws slid on the bureau scarf and sent everything flying. The subsequent

crash brought me running; ok... walking fast, I don’t run.

   There lay my decades old jewelry box that hubby had bought our first Christmas dating. 34 or 35 years of memories lay scattered. My mom had tried to get me one that year too, likely from Sears. It was going to be a treasure chest style but it was

broken on arrival and could not be replaced. Tim found a substitute that has graced my dresser ever since.

   The menace was still in the window and at my expletive explosion, fell off the window sill into the curtain and nearly tore it down as well. The dear jewelry box lay in ruins, the glue holding it together too brittle to survive the fall. Rings, earrings, brooches, Sunday School pins and I think one of the kids teeth, the tooth fairy forgot, lay in the mess. 

   The music box part may be missing a few springs, I found those among the mess and can’t remember saving them from anything else.

   To make matters worse, once I got on the floor to pick it all up, I couldn’t get back up easily because I was surrounded by stuff! At least that is my excuse. I figured if I tried to use the door knob for leverage I would tear the door off and have another mess on my hands.

   The menace returned to help but a loud “get out” had him turn tail and hide behind a curtain; his hiding spot to dart out and trip the unsuspecting.

   Everything is now boxed up in a small tote.

   The smashed box might get fixed, but I don’t really need it. A new one won’t have the same connection or memory and in reality, I don’t wear much jewelry anymore.

   The cat has been chastised and of course didn’t care and wandered off to make more mischief like chewing on Christmas tree lights.

   The fly, well, it lives on for now.