Since Bumpa came home early (Tuesday evening) from deer hunting to see his real "dear" (that would be me in case you were unsure) because he missed me and he still had the rest of the week off for vacation, we decided to run errands together on Thursday. One of our errands was to purchase a new pre-lit tree. After going to several stores, we finally found the one we wanted at Meijers; purchased it and brought it home. Tom put it together and plugged it in only to find that some of the lights were not lit. After playing with it and inserting new fuses, it still refused to be a '600 light' tree. So we decided that tomorrow we would take it back and exchange it for one that would actually light!

So Friday arrived and Bumpa had to do some outdoor stuff..........like taking the blade off the riding mower and putting the plow on, loading the lawn cart with firewood and bring it to the garage and unload it and stack it for easy reach. And Prancer (our dog) had an appointment with the doggie doctor (I can't say 'vet', she knows that word and puts her ears flat down against her head when I say it) for some shot that she was due for...........kind of like a DPT booster for small children. We had a new "doggie doctor" there this time. Nice younger gal, but Prancer was still scared and this gal kept saying that some 'kids' never like going to the doctor! Well, I have always thought of Prancer as our fur kid so I'm thinking this new "doggie doctor" and I are gonna get along great! We come back home and decide that Tom will finish up the outside stuff while it is still daylight and I will run to the bank and stop and pick up a birthday present for Bumpa's God daughter, and he will trim the 'fur kids' nails. Now we know this is a task she hates! So in the process of attempting this, she jerks her leg away and Bumpa ends up cutting it too short thus making the quick bleed...........no I mean BLEED......forever! We pack the nail with cornstarch to try and subside the bleeding. NOT WORKING. In the meantime, Prancer is running around because we are trying to hold her in one place to care for her and prevent having blood everywhere. No such luck. I steam cleaned the carpeting Monday and Tuesday, so of course that is where she leaked blood!

We got a really late start (like 9:00 PM) leaving to take the tree back for the exchange but we finally did make it. And then I decided not to get the exact same tree anyway. Found one I liked better and it cost less............pretty cool! Got home around 10:30 PM and Bumpa put it up. And it's really pretty except.......................are you ready................all the lights don't light. It's supposed to be a '800-light' tree..........this one may remain under that. I'm not going through the hassle of taking it down and returning yet another one to the store. I'm sure he can fix it or he can't, maybe we will learn to live with it! Merry Christmas.............Bumpa says "bah-hum-bug!"