A CHRISTMAS VICISSITUDE

The Christmas Eve church service was over,
and everyone was back home.

All had delighted on this cold winter night to
have a  bowl of good old thick, hot, red-chili
POSOLE waiting for them, on their return.

As the hostess exited the kitchen, she quietly
and surreptitiously, brought the evening's piece 
de resistance in out of the cold garage---a
beautiful thick-iced Berry Chantilly Cake
from Whole Foods---their pride-and-joy---
a thirty dollar cake.

It was the "dessert surprise" of all surprises
with a cake icing almost an inch thick---for 
later after the packages were opened.

In the den, a roaring fire was going in the
fireplace.

"Slider," the beautiful eight-year-old golden
retriever had his Christmas rawhide bone, 
which someone had brought; he had made his 
obligatory canine "social circles" and twirls 
around the room, and was cozily settled over
in the corner, happily gnawing.

The Christmas carols had been sung with the
guitar accompanying (Joy To The World three 
times to please the basses).

The two grandkids had shared the reading 
of the Christmas story, in Luke 2 , out of
the family Bible.

Now everyone was rapt and intently engaged 
in getting the presents unwrapped. While all were
OO-ing and AH-ing over the gifts, a totally
unexpected disaster was in the making.

For there in the kitchen, as yet unseen by the
guests, on a low serving table (and not the high
cabinet) sat---THE CAKE---maybe one of the most
beautiful and delicious-looking ever made!

A wonderful Thirty Dollar Christmas Surpise!

But alas, what about the busily-gnawing and 
seemingly totally-engrossed golden lab retriever 
over there in the corner...?

We must remember that we depend on our 
intelligent and perceptive dogs to notice things...and 
keep us safe...they will hear often---a squirrel, a cat, 
another dog, or a person approaching the front door...

They can smell an incredibly long way.

Can a busy retriever in a den smell a buttery, sweet
delicious cake...off in the kitchen?

What about "Slider," the well-behaved and well-trained
retriever, eight years old--as to the difference between
"people food" and "dog food?" He knows the difference.

But the Bible has said: "All we like sheep, have gone
astray.." Maybe that applies to dogs also.

For Slider had finished his rawhide bone, become
bored, and headed off into the kitchen, unnoticed.
The ramifications of this jaunt were huge!

I was in the midst of opening a big box, when I heard
alarming shrieks, and "OH NO'S" from the women.

Looking up in a bit if alarm, I saw The RETRIEVER entering 
the den from the kitchen---looking amazingly like a white-
bearded DOG SANTA CLAUS of some kind...a very
guilty and sheepish one---to boot. He HAD RETRIEVED
THE CHANTILLY BERRY CAKE!

As we all watched him. we realized that half our thirty-
dollar cake was IN Slider, and the other half was on his 
FACE.

As guilty as he was, he was doing the dog-thing, enjoying
his sin to the max---he was chomping and licking---
looking guilty---comping and licking.

Everyone, being full of the spirit of the season, were amazed,
chagrined, and eventually amused by the whole thing.

Chagrined...when they saw the magnitude of the loss of
the dessert they'd never eat.

Slider was admonished and "BAD DOGGED" by his master
and several others...but he got off light...with a warning.

Later he appeared in the kitchen, as the hostess was 
cleaning up the floor and the cake platter, nudging her
and chomping and licking...as if he wanted more.

It must have been a good cake!

In the den, someone said: "Well, it could have been 
worse. Merry Christmas...and GOD BLESS US,
EVERY ONE."

******30*****
BY MIL
12/25/14