Our Animal Friends

Animals in all their varieties are among God's best creations. We of course, love animals here at the North Pole. I mean, can you imagine Christmas without reindeer? Perish the thought. I, as Santa, would certainly not be able to do my work without them. There is a real nobility in animals, and they add a wonderful dimension to our lives. Of course there are the special ones, our pets that become part of the family. A few years ago, Mrs. Claus and I inherited a cat from a relative. His name was Ferdinand. We called him Ferdie.
Ferdie took to me for some reason, and after a time, he became my cat. He felt like our bed was his own personal domain. In 2001, I had major skin cancer surgery on my face. When I arrived home from the hospital, my entire face was bandaged and I looked like Hannibal Lecter. I got on the bed. As soon as I did, Ferdie climbed on top of me and came up to my face. After a close examination, he turned around and sat back on his haunches as if he was taking on the role of my protector. It was just a small thing, but truly unforgettable; like a friend taking your hand when you are down. He was quite clever as well. He once snatched a chicken drum stick out of my hand and ran off with it; wasn't about to give it back either. I had to give him points for initiative. Ferdie lived to be twenty-two. We only had him for seven of those years, and in that time he had definitely made himself a part of the family. His last two months, he had no quality of life. We felt we owed it to him be be merciful. I held him as he was put to sleep. It was hard to say "goodbye", but we know he is now in a place where he does have quality of life again. We know also we will get to see him again when we also transition from this life.
Why do I bring this up? Well you see, one of my favorite elfs, Paty Lombard is now in the White Mountains in Arizona, with her beloved dog, Eddie Spaghetti. Unfortunately, Eddie's
life is winding down as he is gravely ill. This particular blog is to pay homage to Eddie and Paty and the bond between them. As she bids Eddie farewell, we offer her our love, sympathy, and prayers. We smile as we contemplate Eddie and Ferdie romping around together in a place where they are safe, well, and happy, and awaiting the time when they will be reunited with us! Vaya con Dios, Eddie.

Thank God for animals! Anyhow, that's how Santa sees it!