Well, we’re getting ready to take down all the Christmas decorations here in the Bucher house. I thought I would post a couple of quick pix here, first though. We thought the whole scene in our living room was very Norman Rockwell.
Yes, there are only four stockings hung by the chimney with care. We can’t find my stocking. We had it in Wilmore last year, but it seems to have disappeared from the moving boxes. I am hoping we simply overlooked it as it is the stocking I have had since I was a wee little girl. Bryan, being the wonderful husband he is, bought me a new stocking as a Christmas gift, but since there are only four hooks on the mantel it didn’t get hung. We’ll add two more hooks before next year and make sure everyone has stockings.

This is the little tree-shaped shrub outside our front window. When I was clearing leaves out of the flower beds earlier this fall I saw the cutest little black shrew. He was quite shocked to see me and I think a little upset that I was messing up his home. (You know, if the positions were reversed, I think I would be quite ticked that some clumsy giant was destroying my yard. I would probably have bitten me.) The funny part was that I saw him once and he scurried away, but when I moved to the other side of the shrub, there he was again! So cute!

Xavier, my lover of all animals, was quite delighted with the idea of a little shrew living right there. So, come Christmas time, we had to be sure the shrew had his own Christmas tree. We strung lights around the tree and added a red bow at the top. Xavier really wanted a full-blown tree for the shrew complete with ornaments, but I said no there’s no way I’m dragging more stuff outside for this silly little animal who not only doesn’t appreciate our efforts but is probably ticked off that we are, once again, messing with his home talked him out of it. As you can see in the picture, the red bow from the top of the tree has blown off and I, being somewhat lazy, have not yet put it back on. I figure it can wait until we put all the Christmas decorations away or until next Christmas, whichever comes first.