Happy Holidays 2025

It's been a busy month here with more Christmas cheer than I'm accustomed. The main building is decorated to the nines, and we've had lots of Christmas entertainment from children's school choruses, to harp music, the Carolinian Senior Jazz Band, and more. We had a Christmas Drop-In on December 4th, where each resident could invite two people for munchies, music, and good cheer. On the 11th, we hosted Santa's Supper, a formal dinner for residents. This included the best Santa I have ever seen! And at an old-folk's home! I'm sure his schedule is full for the remainder of the holiday. The artwork in the photos is by a resident, and I'm shown with 1) Jennifer, our sweet and talented Life Enrichment Director. 2) Jimmy, another resident, and one of Rosie's favorite people. 3) Our Lunch Bunch - Trudy, me, and Anna (Jan and Jim are not shown).

One of the highlights of the season was our trip to Presbyterian College for the Christmas program, "Light of the World." The music was outstanding, and it ended with a formally dressed bagpiper and a Celtic Blessing of Light, all of which brought chills!  I didn't take photos, but hopefully you can see a few here. I think if you click on a photo, it will open all of the photos.

One other event deserves mention, and that was a Christmas Market that was held here over a period of a day and a half. I didn't pay it much attention, and didn't actually check it out until about 2 hours before it was to close! That was a mistake! I was surprised at the variety and quality of available handcrafted items, and at that point, I'm sure other things were snapped up early that I didn't even get to see. Even that late, I found some little things for my lunch bunch and other people I'd like to remember. Next year, I'll know to attend early!!

One of the Christmas items I brought back from Bluffton was a set of Christmas plates that I've had for years.....and never taken out of the box. They were made in Germany, but I'm sure I bought them in the Middle East, either Saudi or Bahrain. Anyway, I donated them to the community so they can become part of the holiday decorations. They are displayed in the windows of the chapel. Each large window has a wreath in the middle, and on the ledge below, a plate is displayed. I'm glad they can use them, and I'll actually get to see them during the season. When I bring the remaining items back, I'll see if they can use any of them also.

Needless to say, my little cottage requires much less decorating than a 3-bedroom house. Everything was quick and easy, except decorating the metal Christmas tree. Last year was the first time I used it, and I couldn't remember how I strung the lights. I started and stopped over and over, taking a full week to get it done! I imagine that taking the lights down will be a nightmare that may take even longer! In any case, it's up, and I've done as much as I can tolerate, even though there are some things I didn't use. Maybe next Year!

Winter has definitely arrived in the Upstate! We have actually only had a few days as shown here, and we're handling the colder temperatures better than I expected. Rosie definitely prefers the cooler days to the hot days of summer. Since the two days of freezing temps, we've had a few days of rain, but most are sunny in the 50s and 60s, which I think will hold through Christmas (almost reaching 70!). That's not too bad at all!

A source of recent excitement has been our visiting pig! While he hasn't been lately, he was showing up about once a week, and everyone was reporting pig sightings. The first time he showed up, he came right into my front yard, and Rosie had a fit. She usually barks at cats, squirrels, etc., but this time she was on her hind legs, pounding her front paws on the storm door, with non-stop barking! When I checked it out, I saw why! The pig just wagged its tail and kept on munching and moving. Another morning, I opened the door to take Rosie for her morning walk, and he was right across the road. We think he belongs to someone nearby but has found an escape route.

As always, I have to share a little Rosie! I went to Petco in Simpsonville to pick up her food and found this pig. I loved it because rather than squeaking, it oinks! My only hesitation was its size, but that didn't stop me - or Rosie. All I had to do was put it on the floor and squeak it once, and Rosie was away! I think the size became a challenge to her, and she did eventually find a way to pick it up. I hope this short video includes the sound so you can hear her "fussing" at piggy.

The only downside of the month has been another episode with Rosie. Over the weekend, she had two nights of shivering, which left us both with about 4 hours of sleep each night. I got her to the Vet first thing Monday. She checked her out and didn't think she was in pain. The weather was stable, so no storms were approaching; so what was the source of the problem? The Vet suggested a calming treat that was successful with her older dog, as well as "pheromones" for dogs. In the meantime, she had a day and a half of diarrhea. So, I called the Vet again, and she gave me something for that. One was a tablet and the other a liquid in a syringe. I knew I couldn't give it to her by myself without wasting most of it, so I texted Tiffany and Penny, our cleaning ladies. They came right over, and Penny held Rosie while Tiffany gave her the medicine. What lifesavers! I managed to give her only 1/2 of a dose of the tablet medication before constipation set in! She had been eating very sporadically through all of this. So, I suspended the medication and hoped for the best. It has taken a while, but she's about 95% at this point. This is always emotionally draining for me and physically stressful for Rosie. As these things seem to be happening more often, I'm concerned for her, as it's almost impossible to medicate her. Either I have to improve at it, or we need to come up with an alternative treatment. In any case, she is much better, for which I'm very thankful. Update: As far as the calming treat goes, Rosie won't eat it! I even mixed it in with one of her favorite treats - she ate her treat and left the new one! That's what I'm dealing with! Now, I have a pheromone collar on order. Keep your fingers crossed that it works.

On that note, I'll wish you a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and a Happy New Year! Here's hoping 2026 is a little kinder to us than was 2025!  I'll leave you with The Celtic Blessing of Light from the Presbyterian College program. May it warm your heart and pave the way for the coming year. Much love to all.💖