Our not-so-sweet little black cat brought two small rodents into the house earlier today. Two, a few hours apart, both still alive and fast on their feet. This is very much the down-side of cat ownership. I managed to catch both with the help of my eldest boy who was home from school early. We’re quite the mouse-catching team. Each mouse/vole/small brown rodent was carefully transported down the road and set free. I always worry that I’m inadvertently taking them far from their homes and they won’t find their way back but at least it beats being the cat’s dinner.
How are you?! Feeling festive yet? Or totally fed-up with the whole thing? I’m ok – neither overly stressed nor zen-like, sort of in-between. The children break-up from school on Friday but, as there will still be over a week to go before Christmas day, there is plenty of time to get organised. It is a lot easier now they’re older and there isn’t that pressure to have everything ready before the end of term when all free time used to go out of the window. My three are all so tired and ready for a break that I suspect I’ll have at least the mornings to myself next week.
There is still decorating to do – greenery, garlands, etc – but our tree is up. It was chosen en-famile and, as a result, we ended up buying one that was too large to fit into the car, so it was strapped precariously to the roof and driven slowly home (sorry if you were following a tailback on the A2 on Saturday afternoon). David had to saw it down to size (twice) and we managed to squeeze it into position with a little accompanying cussing. It is ridiculously big for the space, but it does look gorgeous festooned with Christmas loveliness. All five of us took part in the decorating without too much agro and I don’t have the urge to rearrange all the decorations. I also agreed to the use of coloured lights instead of the usual white. I must be mellowing.
Present-buying is what usually tips me over the edge at this time of year. I am trying to remain calm and focused, and keep track of what I’ve bought for whom and how much I’ve spent. Ordering gifts online helps but it is nice to have a wander around shops for inspiration. I found this lovely shop in Canterbury last week and managed to tick a few gifts off my list. Nothing is wrapped yet, of course; that’s another job for next week.
Whether you’re all set or still have loads to do, I hope this finds you full of cheer. I’ll leave you with a clip from the film Nativity, which was on tv at the weekend. It’s one of the Christmas films that we all enjoy. I warn you, though, it’s a bit of an ear-worm and you might find yourself belting out the song whenever you come over all Christmassy 🙂
PS Thank you so much for your comments on my recent posts – I don’t often get round to responding but I read and appreciate each one x
acoastalplot 
One of our cats woke me up at 3 in the morning with a live mouse on the landing. Distracted by my appearance, he let go and the mouse made a beeline for the stairs. As you’ll know they are incredible fast but the stairs were like descending a mountain range for him so I was able to scoop him up three steps down and whisk him outside to safety. Yogii the cat watched curiously from the top of the stairs. In my sleepy state I didn’t realise a lightbulb had gone on in his feline brain. The next night at exactly the same time I heard the same trademark caterwauling as before and emerged from my bed to find him at the top of the stairs with another live mouse. He waited until I was almost upon him and, quite deliberately, released the mouse then sat down to watch me catch it. I could swear he was scoring my performance. Obviously I didn’t score high enough as at 3 oclock the following morning you can guess what happened. On the fourth night I shut him downstairs!
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Well done on the mouse catching, I’m very impressed. I think I am mellowing on the decoration front as well. The tree has a rainbow coloured heart at the front of it and I have only moved it round to the back once. Personal growth I feel. CJ xx
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Your mouse catching is a familiar scene here too! We try to achieve a simple Christmas so things aren’t to bad here. I will fill the house with greenery towards the end of next week. Sarah x
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Oh dear, I’m not keen on having the catch brought in live, but at least you won’t be having any rodents tempted to take up residence. . . .Didn’t get a chance to comment last post on your lovely vase, but I was terribly envious AND relieved not to have your wealth of greenery both. . . After years of taking it for granted that I could go for a wander outside and come in with all sorts of greenery and berries for winter arrangements, I’ve just had to spend a small fortune at the local florist shop — Imagine paying for stems of eucalyptus! holly berries! hypericum, for heaven’s sake! But while I’m grumbling about the exorbitant cost, I’m also remembering the pruning and weeding and all the rest. . . (plus plotting just how much shrubbery I can add to our terrace garden 😉
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I love your Christmas photos and your description of your holiday preparations. They really make me feel more festive!
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I feel a little more festive after reading your blog Sam! Thank you. Your tree is so pretty x
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I love your two white mice but am glad you managed to catch the other two! Getting on ok here Christmas wise xx
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Good family teamwork both on catching said mice and on your pretty Christmas tree. The baked treats look yummy🙂.
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Our cat used to bring in field mice from the adjacent field during harvest time. I’m afraid by the time I came downstairs in the morning they were dead from fright as she didn’t eat them but just played with them. Now the field mice over-winter in the garage and make their nests in things like cricket gloves …. My son carried home an enormous Christmas tree from the nursery he has been working at before he starts a ‘proper’ job in the new year. I’ve sawed off about a foot from the bottom so it fits in the stand. Ah Christmas, not really feeling it yet, but I will. I have buckets of greenery conditioning in the garage and will be helping decorate the church with greenery on Saturday. The white mice are so sweet – I wonder if they came from the local crafty place in Canterbury, sadly not there this year I’m told. Have a lovely relaxing holiday Sam.
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Come on now, we can all see what you did with those mice. You tied ribbons round their poor little mousey necks and hung them on your tree. It looks beautiful. Have a lovely Xmas.
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Thank goodness we don’t have a cat. As a teenager, we were clearing up after Sunday lunch and noticed the cat was playing with a mouse just outside the window. My sister went to shoo the cat away but the mouse jumped onto her shoe. As it was the decade of wide flares, there was a fair bit of violent foot shaking and a good deal of laughter from those of us inside. We let her off the drying up that day.
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Love the felt mice! It all looks very Christmassy at your place. Various people at work are bringing in seasonal cooking to tempt us. I will haave to start cooking myself soon, but in the meantime I am selecting the best versions! Shortbread squares filled with mince are in the lead so far.
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Love the rodents on the tree, Sam! Glad too that you are enjoying your ‘in-between’ festiveness. Same here, I suppose, although very much lower key – and I shall be glad when all the presents are wrapped! I had to do Elder Daughter and the Poppet’s as they were coming up this weekend, and those that had to be sent, but there are still more to do…
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Fortunately our dog doesn’t bring mice in the house. But they do take up residence in every piece of mechanical equipment that we have outside. Every time we get a repair done, there seems to be a mouse residence inside despite all our anti-mouse measures. Here’s to a relaxing (and mouse-free) holiday season! Cheers.
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