Cover Page

Table of Contents

Title Page

Acknowledgments

Quote - Charles Dickens

Forward

Metro's Mountain Cabin - Susie Slanina

Metro the dog spends a snowy Christmas with friends in a mountain cabin. As with all the Metro books, some events are true and some are imagined. For children ages 7-12 and the young at heart.

The Cancer Christmas - Melissa Yuan

(non- fiction)

Melissa reveals how, when her father was diagnosed with a brain tumor, she dreaded the upcoming holiday season. But her father, along with her infant son, taught her the most important Christmas lesson of all.

Christmas Miracles - Pamela Cowan

An heirloom box of foreign coins presents a series of odd twists of fate … bringing a struggling family some luck — good and bad — and maybe even a miracle.

The Nest - Courtney Pierce

Estate sales can be magical. For baby boomers Jean and Spence Collins, the purchase of a once-cherished ornament transforms their Christmas holiday from routine to extraordinary.

Isabella's Christmas Box - Paty Jager

Anthropologist Isabella Mumphrey must unlock the secrets of the Mayan Puzzle Box in time to celebrate Christmas with DEA Agent Tino Constantine.

The Mermaid's Treasure - Anna Brentwood

Will the discovery of an antique brooch, hidden for decades in an old trunk, bring a young woman closer to her deceased father? Or will it cause her to question everything she’s ever believed in?

Don't Forget the Mistletoe - Christy Carlyle

Two people may love each other deeply but the timing isn’t right. Allowing the mistletoe to serve as a message between Amelia and Benedict may give them a second chance for love.

First Love - Judith Ashley

Falling in love is easy for everyone — except Ashley. Her past has left her with distrust, hesitation, and a fear that she will never be married or have children. Join Ashley on her journey to finding and accepting love.

Christmas with You - Jane Killick

Sylvie is thrilled when her airline pilot husband is able to change his work schedule to spend Christmas with her and their young son. But all is not as it seems in this story of a family Christmas overshadowed by fate.

Career Conundrum Christmas - Jamie Brazil

Caught between past and present, fine art appraiser, Sara, wants to honor her father’s decorative arts legacy while forging her own future. But will the career opportunity of a lifetime dry up like her overcooked holiday turkey if she accepts Ben’s marriage proposal?

The Hogmanay Stranger - Maggie Jaimeson

The Sweetwater Canyon family celebrates Hogmanay in Scotland with Rachel’s father, Gavin Cullen. Clearing the cobwebs of the past year in order to begin anew is a tradition with special meaning. Will a stranger help them all to remember what is most important in life and thus free them from the past?

A Marine's Christmas Proposal - Susan Lute

Celebrating Christmas is the last thing on his mind when David Randal leaves behind his military life to take care of his orphaned nephew. But finding work in a depressed economy is tough; and job-hunting in December is nothing short of an act of desperation. So when a temp job casts him as ‘Girl Friday’ to a notorious workaholic lady boss, even this Marine knows the greatest risk might lead to the greatest reward of all.

New Releases

Windtree Press

The Gift of Christmas

An Anthology

Edited by Susan Lute

Published by

Windtree Press, Portland Oregon

818 SW 3rd Avenue #221-2218

Portland, Oregon 97204-2405

855-649-0821

ISBN: 978-19400649-9-4

First edition

(first printed by Crazy Hair Press in 2012)

Cover Artist: Christy Caughie of Gilded Heart Design

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed ‘Attention: Permissions Coordinator,’ at the address above.

All works of fiction including names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

Ordering Information:

Quantity sales. Special discounts are available on quantity purchases by bookstores, corporations, associations, and others. For details, contact the “Orders Department” at the address above or email windtree@windtreepress.com.

windtreepress.com

Acknowledgments

Undertaking an anthology requires many people to coordinate the submissions, editing, sequencing, compilation, formatting, and eventually marketing. Every author in Windtree Press had some part in this anthology. However, below are those who went the extra step to make sure this all came together.

Susan Lute, Anthology Senior Editor and Coordinator

Elaura Renie, Associate Editor

Judith Ashley, Associate Editor

Maggie Lynch, Associate Editor, Ebook formatter

Christy Caughie, Cover Design

Jane Killick, Proofreader, Print book formatter, Interviewer and Producer for podcast and video

I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.

~ Charles Dickens

Forward

Culture, religious upbringing, and secular norms make the meaning of the Christmas season different for each person. Whatever your personal beliefs, you will find both meaningful and joyous stories of the holiday season captured in these twelve stories.

We begin the anthology with a sweet children’s story about a little dog, named Metro, in Susie Slanina’s “Metro’s Mountain Cabin” which extends her series of books about Metro the little dog. Here Metro gets to spend the holidays with his best friends, both animals and humans. This story is written for children ages 7-12, and younger children will enjoy having it read to them.

The second story is the only non-fiction offering in the anthology. Melissa Yuan shares her meditation on life, death, and relationships in her essay “The Cancer Christmas” about her father’s diagnosis of brain cancer and the lessons she learned about what’s important in life.

Mysteries and Miracles are a part of four stories in this anthology. “Isabella’s Christmas Box” brings back Paty Jager’s popular anthropologist Isabella Mumphrey and her DEA lover, Tino. Isabella’s skills are needed this time to open a Mayan puzzle box. In “The Mermaid’s Treasure” Anna Brentwood presents a twist on a historical story of a brooch that may have been worn by Catherine the Great and stolen from the Czar’s secret treasure room. Keeping with the treasure theme, Pamela Cowan leverages an heirloom of foreign coins in her story “Christmas Miracles”. An heirloom also plays an important part in Courtney Pierce’s “The Nest” when popular baby-boomer couple, Jean and Spence Collins, from her Legacy trilogy, find a special ornament at an estate sale.

As many of the Windtree Press authors write romance novels, finding love was bound to be a chosen theme for this Christmas holiday. Though several stories feature loving couples, two of our authors have provided stories specifically in that vein. Judith Ashley’s “First Love” explores how one young woman tries to open herself to love in spite of a personal history of distrust and fear. Christy Carlyle explores second chance love in her historical romance offering, “Don’t Forget the Mistletoe” where messages play an important role in the story.

The remaining four stories have family relationships as a central theme. Jane Killick’s “Christmas with You” features a young family celebrating a special Christmas with their baby. In “Career Conundrum Christmas” Jamie Brazil explores the decisions one often faces when trying to balance honoring the past and looking to one’s future. Maggie Jaimeson’s “The Hogmanay Stranger” takes her Sweetwater Canyon characters and their families to Scotland to celebrate Hogmanay, and in the process discovering what is most important to each of them as they move forward into a new year.

Finally, Susan Lute’s novella, “A Marine’s Christmas Proposal”, presents two people undergoing difficult transitions, a former Marine and a young business owner. This story explores the question of how we choose to form families and, in doing so, find a way home.

Throughout these authors’ works, I found stories of hope, inspiration, kindness, forgiveness, charity, compassion, and of course love. Above all, I found a common thread that no matter the challenges one faces we are all called to be our very best selves. Not only at Christmas but also throughout the entire year.

May your holidays be filled with wonderful memories, both past and present, and may you find your best self in the spirit of this season as you step into the new year.

Sincerely,

Maggie Lynch

Metro's Mountain Cabin by Susie Slanina

Metro's Mountain Cabin

Susie Slanina

Sherry and Marguerite had been best friends since kindergarten. Now they were eighteen and excited to go on a camping trip on their very own. At first, Marguerite had not wanted to go camping in a tent because she was very glamorous and her idea of ‘roughing it’ was a five-star hotel with room service.

Sherry had three small dogs: Metro, Tawny, and Gizzy. Marguerite had a big dog named Starbuck. For weeks, Sherry had been trying to convince her friend to go camping with the dogs in a tent. Finally, Marguerite compromised and agreed to go on a trip to the mountains, as long as they got a room, not a tent.

So they tried to reserve a room.

“How about Big Bear, Marguerite? Look, it has a big lake, and the book says it is very dog-friendly.”

“Gosh that is a nice lake,” Marguerite said, getting excited. “Let’s look at a picture on the internet.”

The internet showed a picture of a shimmering big blue lake. Marguerite read the description out loud:

“Welcome to Big Bear Lake, a four season resort community surrounded by the San Bernardino National Forest, 100 miles northeast of Los Angeles. It is the perfect getaway high above the smog and the hustle and bustle of the lowlands.”

“This place sounds wonderful!” Sherry exclaimed. “Let’s start calling!”

First they started with the most reasonably priced lodgings with the nicest features. They all had mountainy sounding names and friendly people answered the phone. But, alas, not one would take four dogs. They did take dogs, but apparently two was the limit.

After the fourteenth call, Sherry hung up the phone in frustration. “This isn’t fair! All three of my dogs put together don’t add up to what one big dog weighs. It’s Wednesday. I have only a week and a half left of vacation. I just want to take Metro, Tawny, and Gizzy somewhere pretty for a few days.”

Marguerite was concerned. She looked at Sherry whose eyes were quickly welling up with tears.

“What are we going to do?” she asked her friend softly.

Sherry wiped the tears away. She said in a determined voice, not quite believing herself, “I’m going to get a cabin of my own in
Big Bear. That’s what! Then we can take all the dogs whenever we want!”

“And how do you plan to do that?” Marguerite asked, dumbfounded.

“I don’t know yet, but I have a week and a half to figure it out. Want to help?”

The two friends hugged each other and laughed.

“Yes!” Marguerite agreed, joyfully shaking her head. “But you can’t possibly get a cabin before your vacation is up.”

Sherry said, “Golly, this is true. I think there is a pesky thing called escrow.” Then she grinned. “But when I get it, the cabin will be a cabiny-cabin. You know? Like real woodsy with maybe a stream in the back.”

Marguerite was thoughtful. She looked at Sherry and, not quite believing herself, said calmly, “Well … you still have a few days left of vacation. What are you going to do? Ummm, would you like to go on a camping trip?”

Now Sherry’s eyes got big. “Do you really mean it, Marguerite? Camping in a tent? You?” Sherry laughed at the thought.

Marguerite laughed right back. “Well, if you can get a cabin, I guess I could do a little camping.”

The two friends and the dogs did a little jig of happiness. Camping! And they just knew they would find the coziest cabiny-cabin ever!

Deep in December, Marguerite was visiting Sherry in her little cabin in the forest. Last summer Sherry decided she wanted to get a cabin so that she could take Metro, Tawny, and Gizzy with her on vacations.

“Sherry, just think … do you remember how it all happened?”

Sherry shook her head and grinned. “I still can’t believe it! Last summer was the most surprising summer of my life!”

LAST JULY:

It was the evening before the big camping trip. Marguerite and Sherry had shopped for supplies and were packing.

“Marguerite, you know I’m going to hold you to your promise of going camping in the mountains … and tomorrow’s the big day. No backing out now.”

Metro was sleeping on Sherry’s lap. She looked up when she heard the word ‘camping,’ sighed contentedly, and fell back into a light snooze.

Metro understood some human words. Camping and mountains were two of those words. She understood the word ‘camping’ because she had already been on a backyard campout in a tent.

She knew the word ‘mountain’ because she had gone on a picnic in the mountains with Sherry and Marguerite.

Metro put the two words together (camping and mountains). It must mean that you would get to sleep in a tent … up in the mountains! She could already smell the green pine trees and feel the clean, crisp air.

She hopped on the couch and thought. In her little doggy brain, she was struggling to define the word cabin. She didn’t know the meaning yet, but she knew it must mean something very pleasant, because her human mom sounded happy whenever she said the word. She’d been saying it a lot lately.

“Oh, yes, Sherry I know.” Marguerite said. “In fact, I’m actually surprised to say I’m looking forward to it. I was determined to get out of the promise I made to you, to camp in an actual tent, but now it’s okay. I’d still rather be getting a room with four walls and bathtub though. Nite-nite, Sherry, I’ll be over early tomorrow morning.”

“You better be!” Sherry warned. (The two friends liked to tease each other.)

The big day finally arrived. Marguerite came over at 6:00 a.m. sharp. They double-checked everything on the camping list while they ate cereal on Sherry’s sunny patio. Even though it was early, it was already warm and the weather forecast said it was going to be much hotter.

“And, don’t forget I’m going to buy a cabin in the mountains so that we can take the dogs up anytime we want to. We can make plans for that while we’re camping.” Sherry said.

Marguerite stirred some cream in her coffee and said, “Sherry, I’ve been wondering, how exactly do you think you can afford to buy a cabin? You’re barely eighteen-years-old.”

“Marguerite, I don’t know how I’m going to do it. I just know I am going to do it!”

“Well, it doesn’t hurt to have a dream,” Marguerite said.

“I hope it’s not just a dream. I’m going to figure out how to make a budget. Mom and Dad used this book for a budget. I’m going to try it.” She went inside and took a book from the shelf. She tossed it in with the camping supplies.

Metro looked up at the book. She was puzzled. ‘Budget’ was definitely not in her doggy vocabulary.

Marguerite and Sherry took their cereal bowls into the kitchen.

“I can’t wait to get up to the cool mountains, it’s already so hot!” Sherry said.

“I know. This heat is brutal.” Marguerite looked at the weather forecast. “It’s going to be 104 today in Covina, but in Big Bear the high will be 77. Doesn’t that sound lovely?”

She looked at all the supplies spread out in the kitchen. “There certainly is a lot of stuff you need to go camping for a few days. Let’s hurry up and finish packing.”

She looked carefully at a pan on the counter before packing it.

“Sherry, is this pan dishwasher-cleaned or just dog-licked clean?”

“Uh, I’m not sure – better give it a wash, just in case.” Sherry said. Marguerite quickly washed the pan they would use for cooking.

“It looks like that’s everything … oh wait!” Sherry put the budget book in the duffel bag.

Marguerite added make-up and face masques to her duffel bag.

“Don’t forget, Sherry, you promised me that you would try this new make-up I have.”

Sherry rolled her eyes. Glamorous Marguerite still had no concept of camping out. Sherry didn’t like wearing make up. But a promise was a promise. And Marguerite was a good sport for agreeing to camp in a tent.

“Can I bring my curling iron?” Marguerite asked.

“No, you silly … there won’t be any electricity.”

“Ha-ha, I knew that already, besides I never use a curling iron. That’s why I brought these empty juice cans. Look at this magazine. It shows this great hairstyle on how to set your hair with juice cans.” Marguerite showed Sherry the magazine.

Sherry looked at the diagram of a head with juice cans set in complicated lines. She thought it looked ridiculous. “I’m not doing that to my hair.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be glad to set your hair for you! We’ll sleep with juice cans in our hair and when we wake up we can style it just like the picture,” Marguerite said brightly.

Sherry had a funny image of the two girls on a dusty hiking trail with perfect make-up and bouncy hair-dos.

“Marguerite, I’m surprised you didn’t pack gowns, jewels, and high heels for us to go hiking in!”

“No, but how about this?” Marguerite looked innocent as she held up a bottle of fancy bubble bath.

Sherry started to reply that there were no bathtubs in campgrounds. But then she saw the twinkle in Marguerite’s eyes, and knew she was just fooling around.

“Marguerite, you make me laugh! We’re all packed up now. Come on, doggies, let’s get out of this hot town!”

Just then the phone rang. Sherry picked it up.

“Hello?”

“Hello! Is this Sherry who has a little dog named Metro?”

“Yes, that’s me. May I ask who’s calling?”

“Well, Miss, my name is Mr. Shady and I am in the advertising business. I’m currently representing a company called Corporate Fat Cats. We heard about Metro’s great singing at the opera in Hollywood, and we were wondering if you would consider having Metro sing on a commercial for a new product.”

Sherry put the phone on speaker so Marguerite could hear. They looked at each other in astonishment. Speechless.

Mr. Shady continued: “The only requirement is that this has to happen today! If you agree, we will be sending a limousine to your house immediately, and then we leave for filming in Hawaii.”

“But, oh my gosh, my friend and I were just leaving to go camping in Big Bear. We are on summer vacation,” Sherry stammered.

“The deal is that Kool Kitty Shampoo needs Metro right now! The opera star who was going to be singing the commercial
came down with the flu, and she remembered how Metro stole the show. She said Metro has a wonderful howl that would be perfect for the product and Metro is the only one she could think of with a range of voice as strong as hers. She said your dog could really belt out a tune.”

Sherry remembered the lady opera star in the heavy purple dress who had beckoned Metro to come up on the stage and sing when they were visiting Hollywood. She smiled at the happy memory. But then she thought about today’s camping trip and how much she had been looking forward to it.

“But, but, my friend, Marguerite, finally agreed to go camping …
in a tent!” Sherry explained.

Of course Mr. Shady had no idea how long she had tried to get Marguerite to go camping in a tent!

Marguerite put her hand up to Sherry’s mouth. “Wait, wait, Sherry! Let’s hear what else Mr. Shady has to say.”

“Sherry, pardon me, but you need to make up your mind,” Mr. Shady said. “Will you be going camping in the mountains or will you bring Metro to Hawaii? She will be paid a tidy sum of money for her work.”

Marguerite grabbed a pencil and wrote quickly on a tablet. She showed the note to Sherry.

$$$ 4 CABIN!!!

Sherry got it. If Metro could earn money, then she would be able to help pay for the cabin.

“How long will the filming take?”

“It will take one week.”

“And what is the product?”

“It’s a dry shampoo for cats. The product is called Kool Kitty Shampoo. We will be showing cats taking baths with funny expressions on their faces because cats don’t like water. In the background, Metro will be howling and it will seem as though the cats are howling, except with Metro’s beautiful voice.”

“Is the product safe for kitties?”

“Oh, yes. It’s completely organic, biodegradable, and wasn’t tested on animals.”

“Hmmm. May I call you back in an hour?”

“No, sorry. The company has a strict filming schedule and owns a beautiful suite in Wakiki Beach right on the ocean. The limousine is currently in Hollywood to pick up the opera singer. You need to decide right now! We will be at your house in one hour. You can look over the contract on the way to LAX, Los Angeles Airport. If you don’t agree with the terms we will take you home before boarding the plane and you can go camping in the mountains. It would only set back your timetable by a couple of hours.”

Sherry looked over at Marguerite. She was nodding as though to say, “Yes, yes, do it!”

Sherry wondered absently if Marguerite was looking for an excuse to get out of camping in a tent.

She said, “Mr. Shady, this is all very sudden. But since I can change my mind, I need to know if I could bring my friend, and my two other dogs, Tawny and Gizzy. And, also my friend’s dog, Starbuck,” she said in a rush.

Mr. Shady sounded very pleased. “Certainly, Corporate Fat Cats has deluxe accommodations and will welcome them all.”

After the phone call, there was a mad rush. Duffel bags with camping supplies were kicked into the closet. Marguerite ran home and grabbed sun dresses, sun hats, and bathing suits.

When she came back, Sherry was telling her two cats, Butterscotch and Playmate, farewell.

“We will be back before you know it. You be good kitties. I know Lori will take excellent care of you both.”

Marguerite glanced out the kitchen window. “Sherry, look at that limousine!” The car was gleaming white and it stretched the whole length of Sherry’s house.

Mr. Shady stepped out of the car and beads of perspiration broke out on his shiny, bald head. It was blazing hot. He chewed an unlit cigar and took a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his head.

Marguerite wrinkled her nose when she saw the cigar. “Eww. I hope he doesn’t light that thing,” she whispered.   

“Eww. I know!” Sherry whispered back, then went up to Mr. Shady.

“Mr. Shady?”

“Yes, are you Sherry?”

“Yes, please come in. I’ll just be a minute to leash up the dogs.”

Mr. Shady gave Sherry his card. Marguerite immediately took it and did some quick research on the computer. Everything checked out.

He entered the house and looked around, noticing everything. Butterscotch glared at him from her perch on the recliner.

“Holy Toledo! Is that cat wearing a necklace?! She’s gorgeous!”

“No, Mr. Shady, it’s not a real necklace. See, her markings make it look as though she’s wearing a pearl necklace with a white heart pendant.” Sherry tilted Butterscotch’s head so that Mr. Shady could see the unique necklace that the beautiful cat wore everyday.

“Why she would be perfect to show off a line of jewelry for a company that Corporate Fat Cat owns. She has a queenly personality, and the fact that she’s hoity-toity is perfect! That’s the kind of client we’re trying to reach: rich, uppity women with an air of superiority. Can she come to Hawaii with us? She would be working as a model for Pearly Girl Jewelry.”   

“Oh, Mr. Shady, I would love for Butterscotch to join us! And, look! I have another kitty too. This is Playmate! Can he come with us?”

Mr. Shady looked over the grayish cat and the friendly kitty affectionately rubbed against his legs.

“Meow, meow,” Playmate pleaded, purring in a most delightful fashion. He flipped over and showed Mr. Shady his furry tummy. “Meow, meow,” Playmate purred louder, and stretched out on his back. His paws reached toward Mr. Shady, inviting him to give a belly rub.

“Nah, that’s just a scrawny cat. We can’t use him to advertise anything.”

Sherry thought fast. She didn’t want Playmate to be left home alone if all the other pets were going.

Marguerite was helping Butterscotch into the cat carrier and Sherry was slowly leashing up each dog, thinking frantically.

They started out the front door and were in the driveway, just steps away from the limousine parked on the curb.

“Wait! Wait!” Sherry cried. “Playmate knows how to play marbles!” She remembered one night when Playmate played with a marble on the hardwood floor under Sherry’s bed. Every time she reached for the marble, Playmate batted it away.

Mr. Shady stopped on the driveway. More beads appeared on his bald head and he chewed his cigar furiously.

“That cat can play marbles?” He looked skeptical.  

“Yes! He’s like a pro with marbles. You can’t get a marble away from him.”

“Hmm. Corporate Fat Cats does own a major toy company, but I don’t know if they sell marbles. Maybe if this scrawny cat can play a good game …” He chomped on his cigar, thinking.

Sherry held her breath.

“No. He can’t come with us. Every kid today wants those confounded video games. They don’t care anymore about low-tech, quiet games like jigsaw puzzles or jacks or marbles. We have to go now. Leave the cat at home.”

Sherry’s heart sank. She could hear Playmate meowing sadly from inside the house. She knew Lori would take good care of him, but still. She couldn’t bear the thought of friendly Playmate feeling lonesome for his doggy pals and even crabby Butterscotch. She took a deep breath.

“Sorry, Mr. Shady, it’s such a hot day, and I hear that Hawaii is very hot as well. I think we’ll stick to the original plan and go camping in the cool mountains. Thank you for the opportunity, though.” She started walking back to the house.

Even though Marguerite was wearing dark sunglasses, Sherry knew she had one eyebrow raised in surprise.

Mr. Shady glanced at his watch and sputtered, “Oh, just bring the silly cat. I’ll check with the toy company about the marble business. Now, can we please get out of here?”

Sherry was so relieved. Now all her pets were going to Hawaii!

“Thank you so much, Mr. Shady,” Sherry called over her shoulder as she ran back to get Playmate.

The limousine had a circular couch and was wonderfully cold on this hot day. Mr. Shady gave Sherry a black binder with the contract.

Sherry and Marguerite bent their heads over the paperwork.

Sherry had secretly been wondering for days how she could ever afford to get a vacation cabin in the woods. She looked deeply into Metro’s eyes. Ever so softly, Metro hummed a little tune to Sherry, it sounded like a Hawaiian song.

Sherry had her answer. She quickly signed the papers, and Metro dabbed her paw print on an inkpad and signed too.

In the cool, climate-controlled comfort of the limousine, Sherry leaned back on the leather seats and sighed. The coolness of the car reminded her of the coolness of Big Bear. Through the tinted windows she could see the mountains. She wistfully waved to them and gave one last thought to the long-planned camping trip. She knew the mountains would wait for her family of pets to come back. It was difficult, but she switched her imagination to Hawaii, and smiled at the thought of Metro in a grass skirt and flowered lei.

Suddenly, there was a loud pop.  Mr. Shady had cracked open a bottle of champagne and was holding an elegant crystal flute with golden, bubbly liquid. He drank deeply and poured himself another glass.

“Say, you girls can have anything you want to drink. Help yourself!”

Marguerite and Sherry chose sparkling apple cider in the champagne flutes. It was bubbly like the champagne. They toasted and the crystal glasses made a delicate clink-clink sound. “Here’s to a great time in Hawaii!”

When they arrived at LAX, a Lear Jet was waiting on the tarmac. They buckled up their seat belts and flew off to Hawaii. As soon as they stepped off the plane in Honolulu, Sherry felt enveloped by the Aloha spirit, the beauty of the islands, and the warm friendliness of everyone they met. Metro and Butterscotch did fantastic jobs with their commercials. Everywhere they went they were treated like royalty. The dogs swam in pristine beaches. They sailed on the luxurious Corporate Fat Cats yacht that had a helipad and a real helicopter! They flew on the helicopter and saw waterfalls close up. And Metro did look very cute in her little grass skirt and flowered lei.

The week in Hawaii flew by fast and so did the rest of the summer.

Now it was fall. There was a slight chill in the air and the leaves were starting to change colors. Marguerite went back to school at USC. Sherry buckled down with her job and college classes. Every evening when she got home, she was greeted like a movie star by the three dogs. It was wonderful to feel so loved! She greeted them right back like they were movie stars and they happily spent every moment they could together.

It wasn’t until a weekend in October that Marguerite and Sherry finally had a chance to go camping in a tent. By then the sun was setting earlier. They arrived at the campsite after dark on a Friday evening. After pitching the tent, they sat inside and, under the light of a lantern, they poured over real estate magazines that showed which mountain cabins were available to purchase.

“I definitely want a cabin with two bedrooms so you can visit, Marguerite. Also a deck, I would like to have a deck. And a fireplace too!”

The girls looked and looked through the brochures. They drew circles around the ones with possibilities. They put stars on the ones that looked really good. And they drew lips (kisses) on the ones that were their favorites.

The next morning after a hearty campfire breakfast, it was time to go look at cabins with a realtor. The fourth cabin they saw was perfect! It was bright and cheery, had an upstairs deck and the backyard even had a stream!

“I’ll take it!” Sherry exclaimed.

The realtor looked puzzled. He said, “But we have all these other cabins to look at and it’s not even noon. Don’t you want to see any more?” 

They were standing on the deck looking down at the babbling brook, enjoying the happy sound it made. Wind chimes tinkled pleasantly.

“No, this is the one! And now we can take the dogs and play at the lake all weekend instead of looking at cabins.”

Sherry disliked any kind of shopping, even cabin shopping! The realtor was happy that he made a quick sale and took the girls out to lunch and then to the real estate office. Sherry quickly signed her initials on lots and lots of papers.

“One question, how long will it take to get the key?”

The realtor said that escrow would take about two months. Marguerite looked at her calendar and figured since it was mid-October now, they would be able to enjoy the cabin during Christmas vacation!

“Wonderful! Thank goodness that’s over with! Come on doggies, let’s go explore Big Bear!”

They took the dogs on a sightseeing boat ride around sparkling Big Bear Lake, explored Big Bear Village which was like an alpine town one might find in Germany, and visited the solar observatory that was on the lake.

By the campfire that night, they decided to play a game called Doggy Appreciation. It’s a very simple game to play. One at a time each dog gets to sit on a lap and be petted. This dog gets all the loving attention. Marguerite and Sherry whispered to the dog how much they loved them, and how proud they were of them, how pretty they were, and how grateful they were to have them in their lives. This could go on and on. The dogs adored hearing all the kind words, and the girls loved to watch as the dogs blossomed like roses under showers of appreciation.

“Starbuck, when I have a cold I love how you stay quiet and never leave my side even though I know you’d rather be outside playing,” Marguerite said.

“Gizzy, I love how you tilt your head when I tell you a story, as though you understand each word,” Sherry said.

“Tawny, I love how you gaze at me every morning while I have coffee. Then, when I have to get ready for work, you sigh so deeply that I sigh too,” Sherry said.

When it was Metro’s turn, she sat up straight on Sherry’s lap and listened carefully. Her eyes shined with pride as she looked from Marguerite to Sherry. By the light of the campfire, her glossy brown fur shimmered in waves with each pet stroke and her golden highlights sparkled.

“Metro, I love how you always feel what I feel. One time, when I was sad, you limped around the house with your tail straight down. I was concerned, but when I smiled you wagged your tail and stopped limping. Because of you, I try not to be sad. You are just off the charts in your doggy goodness.” Sherry’s heart felt tender as she hugged the good little dog.

When the fire was safely out, it started to get chilly. The girls scrambled inside the tent, quickly got in their sleeping bags and cuddled with the dogs.   Sherry gazed at the moon through the screen at the top of the tent. “I wonder if sleeping in a cabin will be as nice as sleeping in a tent?” She asked drowsily. There was no answer, Marguerite was already fast asleep.

“What do you think, Metro? Tent or cabin?” Inside the sleeping bag, Metro snuggled in her favorite place, close to Sherry’s heart.

I don’t care, Mom, just so long as I can be with you.

At dawn, the girls awoke to strange noises. In the dim light, through the screen in the tent, the girls watched in astonishment as squirrels flew high above them from tree to tree. It was like watching a high-flying trapeze act. And the squirrels were making such a racket! In fact, the sound they made sounded like a racket: rackety-racketa-rackety-racketa! It was very entertaining to watch and they were wide-awake in just a few minutes!

As the sun rose, they built a campfire and made a big breakfast. While it cooked, they sipped coffee and felt good and alert. It was a good time to concentrate on a budget. Metro’s commercial had paid for the down payment to the cabin, but having two house payments would require some careful financial planning. They got out the budget book and looked over some of the categories. There were lots of categories and sub-categories, but instead of getting discouraged, they picked three items that looked easiest to begin with: clothing, travel, and gifts.

“I’ll go on a budget with you. Let’s tackle clothing first,” Marguerite said.”

Sherry was surprised because Marguerite loved pretty clothes.

“Maybe we could make our own clothes. That would be fun. My mother has a sewing machine,” Marguerite said.

Sherry made a face. “Aww, I don’t like sewing. Remember when we took that class in Home Economics and we basted the stitches so carefully? And, then we had to take out the stitches? All that hard work for nothing! Bleh.”

“But that’s what basting is, a temporary stitch. Sewing is wonderfully fun, you just don’t know what you’re missing. I think I’ll look at my mother’s dress patterns when we get home and make us dresses. And I’ll knit! I’ll knit us some pretty sweaters! That won’t cost too much.” Marguerite estimated a price target for clothing and entered a figure in the budget book.

“Okay. Have fun with that.” Sherry wanted no part of sewing or knitting, but she knew Marguerite was a girly-girl and liked that stuff.

“What about travel?” Marguerite asked. “We like going on trips.”

“But we’ll have the cabin, and we can come up anytime we want!”

“But what about seeing the world? You always said you wanted to see the world.”

Sherry thought hard. “You know, Marguerite, someone could offer to show me the seven wonders of the world and I wouldn’t go. I just want to look in my dogs’ brown eyes, that’s wonder enough for me.” Then she thought again and grinned. “Well, I might go, if the dogs could come with me like they came to Hawaii.”

“Okay, good. So travel won’t be much of a budget cost,” Marguerite crossed travel off the budget book.   

The smell of eggs and potatoes was enticing and the dogs were getting restless. “No more budget talk for today, Marguerite. Let’s eat and then we’ll take the dogs for a hike on the Woodland Trail, okay?”

Marguerite closed the budget book. “That sounds like a good plan.”  

“Oh, yum,” Sherry said, when she took the first bite of scrambled eggs. “Is there anything better than breakfast when you’re camping out?”

“Well, maybe dinner!” Marguerite smiled.   

Sherry looked closely at her glamorous friend. Maybe, just maybe, Marguerite enjoyed camping in a tent after all!

The rest of October and November went by so slowly. The hot, dry Santa Ana winds came and went. The beginning of December was almost unbearable to Sherry. Every morning, while she waited for the train to take her to the university in Los Angeles, she gazed at the purple mountains in the distance. Soon they would be covered with snow. How she longed to be up there with the pups! She couldn’t wait to hear if everything was approved for the cabin.

While she was at work on winter solstice, December 21st, she got a phone call from the realtor. “Everything is final. The cabin is yours! You can come and pick up the key now!”

It was perfect timing, a Friday and the universities were closed for a week. No school for Marguerite, no school or work for Sherry!

Sherry was able to get off work early. She picked up Marguerite and Starbuck. After the long, winding drive up the mountain, they stopped at the realty office. The realtor handed them the key. “Have fun,” he said and gave the dogs a pat.

“Thank-you so much for all your help,” Sherry said.

She rushed to the car and they drive just a few more blocks. “Pups, there it is!”

The cabin looked wonderful in the last rays of the setting sun. The sky was blue with streaks of pink clouds. The dogs remembered Big Bear and they jumped out of the car like synchronized swimmers, wagging their pom-pom tails and sniffing the good forest smells.

Sherry unlocked the door and the insides smelled good too – knotty pine. At once they felt right at home. The previous owners had left a nice note that said, “Enjoy your hideaway!” Next to the note there was a book on how to recognize the birds of the San Bernardino Mountains.

“How nice of them!” Marguerite exclaimed, looking at the pictures of beautiful birds.

It was deep in December, and the day was cold, so different than two hours away in Covina, where the temperatures did not vary much, no matter the season.

They went out on the deck to enjoy the sunset on the first evening in the cabin. By now the pink clouds had turned to silvery streaks across the sky. The tops of the pine trees glistened in a golden light.

“You know, Marguerite, even though it’s cold, I’m glad I have a place to come and experience all four seasons. There’s something deep in me that needs that. In Covina, it feels like we’re in a rut because it’s sunny and warm all year long. Up here the seasons are distinct.”

“Well, I’m getting distinctly cold, can we go inside now?” Marguerite rubbed her nose with her mitten.

Sherry lit a fire and tuned the radio to a station that was playing continuous Christmas music. Marguerite called for a pizza to be delivered. The dogs cuddled in their beds near the fire.

Looking at them, Sherry said, “Just think, we’re really up in the woods now! This is so homey and cozy, Marguerite, just what I dreamed about. Some people name their cabins. Let’s think of a name!”

Sherry poked the fire and then took a tablet to the couch. They suggested names and made a list of words they especially liked which would define the character of the cabin.

“Serenity means calm and peaceful. That’s a good name,” Sherry said. “I want to be calm and peaceful when we come to the cabin. What word can go before Serenity?”

Marguerite said, “how about sweet?”

“Yes! Sweet Serenity is the perfect name.” Sherry was already making plans to get a pretty wooden sign made with the name, a painting of pine trees, a snow covered mountain, and a sunrise. She would hang it over the front door.

It was getting late and the fire was dying out. They decided to play a word game to relax after such an exciting day.

Sherry laid out her tiles horizontally and played the word D-O-Z-E. Marguerite added an ‘N’ to the end of DOZE and played another word vertically that included the letter ‘N.’ Sherry looked at the first word, which now spelled out DOZEN, then looked at Marguerite with raised eyebrows.

“Marguerite, that is not a real word. I challenge you! Did you think you could get away with a fake word like dozen? Does it mean you were ‘dozin’ on the couch?”

Bubbles of laughter rose from Marguerite’s tummy and emerged. “Oh, Sherry, you are so funny! Did you forget about the eggs? Like a dozen eggs?!”

Sherry felt bubbles of laughter in her tummy too! “Oh, gosh, I must be getting sleepy! I said dozen with a long O, making the word sound like ‘dozing’. The two friends laughed and laughed.

Metro liked to hear laughter. She wagged her tail which was her way of giggling.

“Ahh, this has been a such a fun day, but you know, fun can be extremely exhausting. I’m sleepy too.” Sherry said. “In fact, I feel like a long doze! Let’s take the dogs for a little walk before nitey-
nite.”

They started to leash up the dogs, but just then the Christmas carols stopped. The radio crackled. A serious voice announced, “We’re sorry to interrupt our holiday programming with a special bulletin for the Big Bear area. A surprise snowstorm has just been detected on our radar. It will start snowing some time tomorrow afternoon. This storm will bring over a foot of snow. Blizzard conditions apply. Do not attempt to travel. Please make sure you have emergency supplies and food for the next two days. Stay tuned for further information. Thank you, and now back to our program.”

Marguerite and Sherry looked at each other and said together, “Snow! And a lot of it!”

“We better get up early tomorrow and go shopping!” Marguerite said.

“What fun! We’re going to be snowed in. Yay!” Sherry exclaimed.

Saturday, December 22

True to their word, the girls arose early the next morning, and since it was an emergency, they didn’t pay attention to their budgets. Sherry said budgeting could start on New Year’s Day. It would be a good resolution. They shopped and shopped. A lot of people had heard the news and it seemed everyone in town was stocking up on supplies.

All the groceries were put away by mid morning. There was no sign of a storm yet. In fact, it was warm enough to eat breakfast on the deck.

The stream was babbling happily below them. Marguerite noticed giant pinecones all over the ground. She had an idea.

“Let’s make bird feeders,” she said. “The birds might get hungry with all the snow coming.”

They took two of the hugest pinecones, lathered them up with peanut butter, rolled them in birdseed and sunflower seeds, and hung them on trees with a ribbon. They looked as pretty as any decoration. Marguerite took the book on how to identify the mountain birds and sat on the deck. They waited. Soon some birds came to enjoy the treat. They recognized black woodpeckers with bright red heads, blue stellar jays with black crowns, and sweet little chickadees.

They took some peanuts and had fun feeding squirrels. Sometimes the squirrels grabbed the nut and ran away to hide it in the ground, but most of the time they stayed on the deck railing and munched it right there so the girls could admire them close up. They quivered as they ate, and then chased each other around.

After an hour, the squirrels seemed to be getting used to the girls being there. Sherry said, “I’m going to try to feed them by hand.” She took a wooden bowl full of peanuts. She had to be very patient. It took a lot of practice and most of the squirrels ran away, but finally a squirrel took, one, two, three, four peanuts from Sherry’s hand. She felt honored that the squirrel trusted her.

All of a sudden five trusting squirrels appeared on the rail. They looked like a choir with their mouths open, waiting. Sherry was enchanted and gave them each a peanut. But when she got to the last squirrel, he just couldn’t wait. He jumped up on Sherry’s jacket and all of a sudden she was face-to-face with the little critter.

She was too startled to cry out. She dropped the bowl and peanuts scattered all over the deck. Out of nowhere, a lot more squirrels showed up for the feast. But this squirrel was still attached to Sherry’s jacket! He wasn’t going anywhere until he got his peanut served to him. Sherry tried to steady herself and admire the beady eyes and quivering nose, but she just … couldn’t. His sharp claws dug further into the cloth.

She was afraid. She didn’t know how to get the squirrel off without touching him, because then he might take a nip from her. She stood with her arms out, helpless.

“Mr. Squirrel, I dropped all my peanuts, so I can’t serve you,” Sherry said in a shaking voice. The squirrel’s face was getting closer and closer to Sherry’s nose.

“Sherry, take your jacket off right now! He thinks your nose is a peanut!”

Sherry shrugged off the jacket and stood on the deck shivering in a T-shirt and blue jeans. The squirrel was still attached to the jacket on the deck, looking everywhere for the nose he wanted for breakfast.

Sherry shuddered. “I’m never going to feed squirrels by hand again!”

Marguerite said, “Aw, poor squirrel. He thought he was going to get the biggest nut of them all: you, Sherry!”

“Ha-ha! Very funny, Marguerite,” Sherry said dryly. She put on her jacket and picked up the peanuts that had been scattered on the deck. She flung them as far away as she could. “Here, squirrely-squirrels, come and get your peanuts but don’t come too close.”

 One certain squirrel grabbed a peanut and sat down on his haunches to eat it, but before he did, he peered up longingly towards Sherry’s nose.

It was lunchtime when the winds started to howl. Marguerite and Sherry decided to walk the dogs before the storm. Tremendous dark clouds appeared as if from nowhere. The tall pine trees above them swayed in circles, faster and faster and faster.