Beasts of the Holidays

Quick Christmas Eve post, because after today I anticipate being in a food coma for several days and unable to move my fingers quickly enough to type anything worthwhile!

The best part of these holidays is that I'm getting to see plenty of important folks in plenty of different places, and the best part about THAT is that these folks come with their own menagerie of lovable beasts, and I get to shmooze with them all. I was especially lucky while staying with dear friends in Dundalk, because two particularly cuddly beasts shared my bed, my writing space, and often my imaginary conversations while I had the house to myself.
Behold Tia, the best pooch you could ever meet:

And Casey, toothless and all the more endearing because of it!

Later on, got to shmooze with Blackmore's bunch of furry friends at a small soirée in London. They are a particular breed (Russian Blue, maybe?) that has especially thick, soft fur (you wouldn't believe how soft) and flat faces - as D says, they look like toys! Little furry toys that slay me with their cuteness!!!

And, of course, in Waterloo are the two most infamous kitties around, not only because Thistle (the grey one) has the longest toes in feline history (seriously) and Whisper meows like she's a chain-smoking lil old lady, but because they are wee terrors whom I defy you to resist kissing and cuddling (though they hate that). Buddies!

And, of course, to keep the scales balanced: my handsome little orange dude, the incontestable darling of my widening world! He's staying at my mom's while I'm busy with all of these other shenanigans, and as far as I can tell, he loves it. He complains when Mom gets up at 5am every day, though. Definitely not a schedule he's used to!!!

I was planning to post a lot more, but behold! It is 6:20pm already and there is a Christmas Eve to be celebrated. Stay tuned! Many more pictures need your perusal and they are coming soon!

Brief teaser:

making gingerbread houses with the girls in Montreal:


making a gingerbread house with the girls in Dundalk:

and, deliciously last, making Christmas cupcakes with my boy in London:


Happy Christmas, all!