The Weather Outside is Frightful…*

It was close to an ultimatum.

One minute I was curled up on the couch, talking to one of my oldest friends curled up opposite me. Between us, Pettigrew lounged.

The next minute I was contemplating the ending of a friendship that had spanned decades.

How had this happened? Weren’t we just catching up after not seeing each other for months?

Ah yes, I had it now. I had shared my concerns that Pettigrew might not be able to handle the cold weather what with his getting older and loosing weight due to his gastrointestinal challenges.

I had started explaining that amazon sells dog coats for less than $10 whereas at our local, boutique dog store they appear to run $50 and above. Was there an important difference?

Before I could launch into the conundrum of fit–could my medium-sized dog really wear an XX-Large–I noticed the waves of incredulity washing over me from the other end of the sofa.

Sheepishly I acknowledged it was sort of yuppish to order a dog coat and, yes, we never put coats on our dogs growing up.

No, she emphatically opined, dog coats were worse than yuppish. Much, much worse. Ridiculous. Unnecessary. And a few other choice words that I won’t share here.

She was Not in favor of the idea.

We let it drop. One of those silently recognized areas of disagreement that could lead to a lasting break. Like avoiding politics at Thanksgiving.

Fortunately the weather is no longer frightful. It’s actually quite warm out for this time of year. And, although Pettigrew can’t stomach his dog food, he is gaining weight beautifully on a medley of chicken, rice, yogurt, peanut butter, applesauce, and banana.

What with the added pounds on his frame, I think he will be able to withstand the cold with impunity. And our friendship might even last for a few more decades.

P.S.

Having your cake and eating it too: Younger son and I made a Bouche de Noel Saturday afternoon. So glad he found a way to keep our mother-son, baking-bonding adventures alive and go to his New Year’s Eve party too! (see Know When to Hold, Know When to Fold)

*Yes, I have Christmas songs on the brain, with Let It Snow! playing a prominent role as the earworm I can’t get rid of. Please do follow the hyperlink for Let It Snow! There’s nothing so rewarding as sharing the pain of an earworm with others.