Finally

Grab some popcorn and a beer.

Or tea and biscuits.

Or whatever makes you happy.

This is gonna be long.

Really long.

That's what happens when it's a long time coming.

Seems like we've been waiting forever.

For lot of stuff.

For reunions.

For opening pressies.

For warm weather and good health.

And for a chance to finally tell a little bit

about my Christmas Eve stroll with Sally.

Did'ja think I'd forgotten?

Or chickened out?

Nope.

I didn't.

Forget.

Or chicken out.

I have to admit, though.

I was a bit worried that Sally might give up.

Waiting.

We made plans for this time together

So long ago.

But she waited

in London

Looking west.

(Isn't she pretty?

Look how the light shines on her coat.

She looks like an angel.)

And I waited.

In PJ's chair in Colorado.

By the way.

It is NOT true that I stood outside and barked the whole time I was at PJ's.

It is NOT true that I had to be bribed to come in at night.

And that the dog door had to be shut so I couldn't go back out.

It is NOT true that I had a bit of anxiety about being left with My Rescue Angel.

I simply was calling my family.

And calling Sally

I knew what I was doing.

It was they that didn't understand.

Anyhow.

I DID sleep in the chair

(a bit)

and I dreamed.

I dreamed of walking with Sally.

Along the river.

Near the Tower of London.

(The place Moma was afraid she might end up

'cause of some Amercian tea and little bags of ummmm ... herbs

she shipped to my pal Eric and his family.)

I'll let'cha peek into my dream

(I know some of ya have vision that's not what it used to be.)

I dreamed of walking together

near Westminster

in the snow.

(Can you see us?  It was so clear in my dream.)

After a while

I decided I'd better get busy

Get ready

And read.

I didn't want to disappoint Miss Enid.

I was headed to London

after all

Where things are a bit more formal and proper.

(Right?)

PJ had a copy of Miss Enid's Book of Etiquette

and I skimmed it as I rested in her chair.

Finally

I was as ready as I was gonna get

and Butchy came to get me.

He braved the Iowa storm for me.

I owe him.

Something big.

(Thanks, Buddy)

And he flew me to Florida

Where I picked a red rose from my Gramma's garden

(and peeked in the windows to make sure they were doing fine)

(hoping to see evidence that they were missing me just a little)

Then we left.

And Butchy flew me over the Big Pee.

(I wish he'd brought some of the money I'd lost in the poker game

a couple of weeks earlier

but he wasn't really the one who had it.)

The trip was good.

I arrived in London.

Broke

Lost

But carrying a red rose for Sally

Without a clue of how to find her.

Fergi's the one with the cell phone.

But she was a long ways away.

Prob'ly sleeping on PJ's bed.

But nothing was going to stop me.

I found a phone booth and gave Sally a call.

(How embarrassing.)

And

With her help and directions

I found her.

(She later told me I wasn't even late.

I think she was just being nice.)

There she was

In the doorway with Paddy behind her.

Supervising

Approving

Just as Miss Enid suggested should happen.

And my heart melted.
Right there.
Right then.

Sally was every bit as beautiful as I imagined she'd be.

And she seemed happy to receive the rose.

My simple token of friendship.

It looked lovely on her collar.

I breathed easily right away.

I saw that Sally and her family were a lot like me and my family.

Easygoing and relaxed.

We could simply be ourselves.

Before long

We played in the snow near her home

and had a great snowball fight

(I had some real energy to get out

but managed to not bark my fool head off

like I have a tendency to do.)

(photo by Sally)

And

Soon comfortable with each other

and with the permission of her family

We ventured out.

On the town.

Sally took me to the traditional German Christmas market

at Hyde Park

We saw the amazing ferris wheel in the distance

and smelled yummy sausages in the air

(you can read more about it on her blog)

(photo by Sally)

We climbed to get a good view

and to be together

away from the crowd

And later we relaxed in a small pub

enjoying brats and ale

I belched.

A lot.

But I loved it.

Even if Miss Enid would not approve.

(Sally didn't seem to mind.)

We were having a really nice time.

Together.

Ready to venture out further

we headed to the middle of the city

and gazed in the windows of Selfridges and Co.

Sally told me Selfridges is her favorite (upscale) department store

in Oxford Street

open to the world since 1909

Celebrating its 100 year anniversary this year.

We snuck into one of the window displays

and danced with the mannequins.
We made our own music.

And we looked at the amazing decorations

Where I spotted a beautiful pink bauble

(I learned that's what Christmas ornaments are called in the UK

Right?)

That made me think of Fergi.

I love my sister.

She loves pink and all things pretty.

It was getting late

We went inside Selfridges

to the WonderBar

where we quietly enjoyed a late night cup of tea

and handmade English shortbread

(made by an award winning bakery in the Cotswolds)

We talked of our friends

and decided that the girls would surely enjoy

Selfridges Roof Garden Fashion Show

(Perhaps someday they'll come here.)

Knowing our time together was coming to an end

(sort of like Cinderella and the stroke of midnight)

We walked to Trafalgar Square

and quietly roamed among the holiday lights and fountains.

(It had gotten chilly and we both wore our coats)

But we weren't cold.

We were toasty warm and happy.

Our evening had been everything I had hoped for

And

More

So

My Friends

You should know me well enough to know by now

I'm not telling what the "more" was all about.

Some things need to be left as secrets.

But

I will tell you

Back at home

(After we FINALLY got home)

Pressies were pushed to the center of the dining room table

Just out of my reach

(or so Moma intended

I did manage to get a couple down

over the course of the week.)

There was also a package from the Royal Mail

(and this time I KNEW the address!)

After what seemed like furever

(waiting for NinaGirl to get home)

I got to open it.

There were familiar scents inside

and my sniffer told me who and what they belonged to.

Inside I found stuffies (just like Sally's!)

and English Shortbread

(Just like what we enjoyed at Selfridges!)

I played and played

and I shared with my sissie Fergi

I even let her be the first to taste the giant

JUMBOS

Organic Biscuits for Dogs

Cinnamon Honey flavored

Perfect in her (our) opinion.

Needless to say

She approved.

No

That's an understatement.

She LOVED them.

And then

Best of All

There It Was

The beautiful Pink Bauble

On this side of the pee

In our home

From Sally and her family

Just as lovely as when I first spotted it

in the store window

A beautiful memory of our evening together.

Our Christmas Eve stroll.

Our new friendship.

There to hang on our tree

and to always remind us of Christmas Eve 2009

(Can you see the Union Jack design?)

Now

We rest.

Quietly

Without incident

Peacefully

We remember

And we appreciate friendships

New and Old

And we look forward to what will come next.

2010 is going to be a Wonderful Year.
(Thank you, Sally, for a delightful time.)

Love