The Search for the Perfect Gift - Virtual Advent Tour

In honor of the Virtual Advent Tour, I was prepared to share with you a few of my favorite holiday things: my favorite song and tradition, the most memorable Christmas, and the holiday movie I've watched the most. But I have so much to do! It's my furlough day, you see, and there's last minute Christmas shopping, vacuuming and dusting that needs to be done, and, the most important, a book to get back to. So, when I was approached about offering up this spot for a guest post today, I quickly agreed.

Please welcome today's guest to Musings of a Bookish Kitty!

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Virtual Advent Tour hosted by Kailana andMarg.

Christmas is my favorite time of year. All the ribbons, bows, wrapping paper and boxes. Maybe a new toy or two. The sounds of Christmas carols fill the house as does the aroma of tasty treats. I have a great fondness for the colored lights and decorations. Santa's hat is a special favorite of mine, especially the puffy ball at the tip.

This year I knew I had to get the most perfect gift for my parents. Something that would earn me smiles and hugs. But what to get and where to find it? Should I ask my brothers to go in on it with me? Surely they would hog all the glory. I wasn't sure I could do it myself though. It wouldn't hurt to try, I figured. I could only hope that I would know the gift when I saw it.

My parents love to eat and what better place to find the perfect gift than in an eatery? The hint of cinnamon and nutmeg in the air made my whiskers twitch. The icebox was full of all sorts of treats, including some of my own favorites. I couldn't resist a little taste of whipped cream on a pie. And was that a turkey, I spied? No one would notice if I took a little nibble.

I slunk to the entertainment department where there were towers of DVD's and CD's. Josh Groban was singing Silent Night in the background. The choices were endless. In music there was everything from classical and jazz to rock and country. The movie collection was quite impressive too. I was sure I could find something that my parents would like. The best evenings are those when we all settle together in the living room to watch a movie. I always seem to fall asleep during the movies; the flickering lights from the screen and the sounds coming from all around me often lull me to sleep. It is the fault of that too soft pillow on the couch. It gets me every time.

I wandered by a cabinet of computer games that I just had to stop and browse. I don't play, but my dad likes them. A month's subscription to World of Warcraft would make him happy. And maybe my mom too. It would give her more time to read. She's always complaining she doesn't have enough time to read.

I still was at a loss for what to get them when I happened upon the bookstore. The door was already open, I swear. Books lined the shelves, some slid into their spots at angles while others were neatly edged. The books were arranged alphabetically by author's last name. Memories of bedtime and curling up in bed with a book sprung to mind. A bookmark with a little kitten charm attached caught my attention. One can never have too many bookmarks. Those little dangling tassels are fun to bat around. They don't always taste so good though.

I was no closer to finding that perfect gift than when I first started. It was impossible. There were too many distractions and sunspots to sleep in. I would have to enlist my brothers' help after all. Then I remembered that there was still one place I hadn't looked. And I headed for the entrance. My eyes took a moment to adjust to the dim light. I nearly bumped into a shelf of T-shirts on my way to the sleeping bag section. What to get, what to get . . . I decided to sleep on it for a while.

It wasn't until later that night when we were all together that it came to me. As I looked up at my dad petting Parker, I saw the tension ease out of his shoulders and the slight upturn of his lips. Mom leaned over to give them both a hug. "The purrs of an angel," she said as she turned to look for me. She scooped me up in her arms and held me close. I gave her the best gift I could think of. I began to purr.


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Today's guest: Anya, a short haired tortie of 18 months, is more likely to bask in the heat of a computer rather than use it. However when she puts her mind to it, her paws produce the most amazing things. At least when she's not distracted by the cursor.

Wishing you all a Happy and Safe Holiday Season!

Be sure and stop by the Virtual Advent Tour website for a list of other tours taking place this month!

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© 2009, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved.
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