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Sunday, 17 December 2017

Advent Calendar Day 17: Wrapping Paper

I love this 2006 photo of little Rosie knee-deep in wrapping paper.


Rosie came to live with us when our son, daughter-in-law and grandsons moved to Denmark and subsequently Australia. It was either that or put her into quarantine for six months, and as she was already an old lady, it seemed kinder to leave her with us. I’m sure she missed her ‘real’ family, just as we did, but we smothered her with love and attention, and she gradually settled into her new life. This all happened more than ten years ago, since then our grandsons now in their twenties have moved back to England. Our son and his wife divorced, Steven remarried and remains in Australia with his second wife and their two little daughters. Rosie lived out the autumn of her life with us and repaid our love ten times over. She really was the sweetest girl, and we miss her still.


Present opening done, wrapping paper cleared away.  Rosie is asleep with her new Father Christmas toy beside her. Kip is watching TV and Tris (you might be able to see him on the right of the picture) is looking something up on Google. This was a rare moment of calm, between the presents and Christmas lunch.

I'm linking with Julie over at Julie's Scrapbook More from my Advent Calendar tomorrow. 

36 comments:

  1. Our animals wind their paws deep into our heartstrings and take a piece of us with them when they leave don't they?
    We have had cats who delighted in 'opening' presents. Anyone's presents.
    Love the memories in your photos.

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    1. That is such a lovely way to put it, and yes, they do. Rosie certainly took a large part of my heart, but I don’t begrudge it.

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  2. What can one say about wrapping paper....
    That's all it's good for...is wrapping...! :).
    You can't even cut it up and use it in the loo..
    To shinny...! :(.
    Though l do remember mia Mama...as a boy, l was
    'NOT' allowed to tear the paper, l had to open the
    prezzies carefully..very carefully...then she would
    collect the paper, give it an iron..fold it up..and
    put it away for next year..! And! She used a cast~iron,
    iron, back then...
    Oh! Well...No wrapping paper jokes...Could'nt even
    find any....

    Four-year-old to her two-year-old sister:
    "Let's play Christmas. I'll be Santa Claus
    and you can be a present and I'll give you
    away."

    Q: If athletes get athlete's foot, what do
    elves get?
    A: Mistle-toes!

    The office Christmas party is a great opportunity
    to catch up with people you haven't seen for 20 minutes...

    And Rosie looks lovely..strange how Cats and Dogs love
    wrapping paper..and boxes! :).

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    1. I love the memories of your mia Mama Willie. My mum did the same with wrapping paper, but she would just smooth it out before putting it away for the following year.

      They may not be wrapping paper jokes, but they still made me laugh especially the one about the office Christmas party … how true that is! The irony of it had never struck me until I read that.

      When the dog groomer gave Rosie her Christmas trim that year, he left a fringe under her tummy – it always makes me smile when I look at the pictures – I don’t think she was amused though.

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  3. Rosie looks very content. My dogs and cats always liked playing with wrapping paper, too. Ans my grand-children always liked the wrappings more than the pressies when they were small!Glad you were able to take Rosie in and give her a good home. Have a nice Sunday, hugs, Valerie

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    Replies
    1. You are so right about children preferring the wrapping. Our son loved cardboard boxes and used to ignore whatever was inside.
      Have a good week. x

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  4. Looks like Rosie settled well in her new home with you and enjoyed her autumn years

    Julie xxxxxxxx

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    Replies
    1. Hi Julie,
      She settled really well, and we loved having her and miss her terribly. xx

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  5. THAT is the most darling photo with her and her little stuffed Santa! Oh the peace and quiet of the holidays!

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  6. Glad Rosie got to spend her final days with you.

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    1. Hi Alex, we were really lucky to spend time with her and miss her still.

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  7. What a cutie Rosie was! Adorable in the wrapping paper picture. :) Sounds like she was given lots and lots of love.

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    1. Hi Stephanie, We could not have loved her more.

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  8. Luck little Rosie to spend the rest of her life with you! She was adorable. I love these Advent posts, Barbara. Thank you!

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    1. Really nice of you to think that Colleen, but we were the lucky ones to spend time with her. I’m very happy to know you are enjoying the posts, thank you!

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  9. I have a friend who moved from Canada back to their home in Scotland for six months while her husband went to Australia to work. She stayed behind because their two cats were in quarantine until they could all be together in Brisbane. It's a great thing that you and your husband took Rosie, because it sounds like in the end, you two and Rosie got the better deal!

    The photo of Rosie in the wrapping paper is priceless. I can't wrap catnip, because Bleubeard tears the wrapping paper off it and nuzzles up against the package of nip. He could care less about other packages, but no matter how hard I hide the package under and behind others, he still finds it. He'll push packages out of the way, but only tears into his nip.

    Animals, whether cats or dogs, steal our hearts and the lessons we learn from them touch us in ways we never imagined. Thanks for sharing this wonderful post and thanks for the memories, both for you and me!

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    1. Thank you so much for your lovely comment. I smiled thinking of Bluebeard pushing everything out of the while finding his present.

      Rosie was like a little gift from heaven, especially as the family had moved away. It’s amazing how such a little dog can bring so much joy.

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  10. What a cheeky face she has on the photo! I think so many of your photos would make super Christmas cards.

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    1. That is a lovely idea Sue! She was incredibly cheeky, which is probably why we loved her so.

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    2. She reminds me a bit of the little dog on the Landseer painting, 'Dignity and Impudence' ;)
      http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/landseer-dignity-and-impudence-n00604

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    3. She absolutely does and it’s quite easy to tell which of the two dogs in the painting is impudent! :)

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  11. That is the sweetest picture of Rosie holding her Christmas toy.
    Good memories.
    x

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    1. Bless her, she found Christmas exhausting and really needed that sleep. x

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  12. Oh, sweet Rosie, up to her armpits in wrapping paper. What an adorable dog. I think you got the best end of that deal!

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  13. Rosie does look like a very sweet dog. :)

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    1. She was adorable, and we miss her dreadfully.

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  14. Rosie is adorable and I'm sure you loved her just like we do our Dot!

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  15. Rosie is so cute! Bless her heart! Great memories! Big Hugs!

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  16. Awww, what a lovely story and ADORABLE pictures!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Kezzie, little Rosie was very photogenic! :)

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I really appreciate your comment. Thank you!
Barbara xx