The Grand Adventures of Percy the Christmas Mouse

I have been keeping a little secret, but then again, it's that time of year! A group of dear old friends and I have a holiday tradition of exchanging names and getting together for a beautiful meal each year.

This year, I drew my friend Gina's name. First, I bought her a bag of Ghirardelli chocolates, but in a weak moment of late-night indiscretion, my husband and I opened them, and then they were so good that we had to eat them all up. (They were delicious, thanks; especially the dark chocolate sea salt caramel kind!)

So it was back to the drawing board, gift-wise. Last week, I had a brainstorm: I'd find my friend something charming at the gift shop at the Palmer. So while I was visiting the Palmer Museum on campus, I secretly bought my friend a festive little Christmas mouse.

I bought THREE Christmas mice, to be specific. One for her and two for me. You already saw one of my own mice in the extra to last week's blip at the Palmer Museum gift shop. The mice were so cute that I wondered if I could even bear to part with one. But on this day, I did.

The party was to be at lunchtime, and I had my contribution - a freshly baked apple pie - in the trunk of my car. I was on my way to work. It was a bitterly cold morning, around 10 degrees F. I had Gina's mouse with me tucked gently in a gift bag, but I hadn't sealed it up yet.

I looked at the mouse and the mouse looked back at me. I wondered if the festive mouse and I could fit one quick grand adventure in before I would turn him over to my friend. (Gina and I would agree to name the mouse Percy later in the day when he became hers; so I didn't know his name yet that morning, but I know it now.)

And so, at 10 degrees, I stopped at the Arboretum, bundled up, got out my camera and turned it on, and carried the mouse in my hand. And so it was that we had as much fun as one woman (who is probably old enough to know better but not, as they say, old enough to care) and one festive mouse could possibly have at 10 degrees in the snow.

Percy jumped up on every Christmas tree we passed to get a better view of the lights (and to sniff that wonderful evergreen scent), and he posed for many silly pictures. He played with every toy in the children's garden, Childhood's Gate. He rode on the bison, the raccoon, and the fox.

Alas the Glass House was locked, so we couldn't get in to see the beautiful Christmas tree up close, but we peered in through the window into a land of enchantment and hope. Is there any magic that pulls stronger than a sparkling, shining Christmas tree viewed through glass?

Percy placed himself on the garden kaleidoscope, and I looked through the lens and took pictures: Percy had become art! He rode the huge green caterpillar, he played the chimes, he sat in a tiny fairy house and enjoyed the view. And he did normal things, like sitting on a bench and acting like a "real people" while I looked on.

I've selected for my blip the image that came into my brain on this very, very cold morning and convinced me to stop for a totally unexpected grand adventure. For that is how some of these stories come to me: first an image, just one scene from a story, and then I decipher all the rest.

So here, captured forever, is a magic moment: Percy cavorting happily with the friendly snake who guards the entryway to the children's garden. They were having such fun, and I expected Christmas caroling to break out; but then a great big wind blew up, and it blew Percy right off face-first into the snow!

I picked him up and brushed the snow off and started again. Fortunately, Percy the Christmas mouse is a Christmas tree ornament, so he has a little string loop to hang him by. To get him to stay still for this shot, I attached the loop to the snake to anchor him. It worked!

Then we headed back to my car, I tucked Percy back into the gift bag, and we went on our merry way. And so it was that later on this day, Percy joined the family of my friend. We had our beautiful meal (I'm not admitting to ANYone how many servings I had of what might have been the best scalloped potatoes I've ever had in my life - ok, so it was six!).

And then Gina and I played with Percy by the crackling fireplace, as our little group of dear old friends talk-talk-talked and tried to solve all the world's problems and watched the snow fly outside.

I told Gina that Percy was a mouse accustomed to Grand Adventures: I had pictures to prove it, and I hoped that he would be treated accordingly. She promised to try. And I left him there with a tiny kiss. Sweet Percy, I'll always remember our wonderful adventures in the snow.

The song to accompany this fun image is Paul McCartney and Wings, with Wonderful Christmastime.