So This is Christmas

And where am I?  Slightly behind as is my norm.  I hope your Christmas was sweet.  Lots of stuff rolled into one over here.
My first experience with a knee problem came to visit on Christmas Eve. Well actually, the week before I noticed that it ached when I was driving. For several days I was shifting my foot, trying to find a more comfortable spot as I toodled along.  I ran in Kroger on Christmas Eve morning and my knee just decided to not work any longer. Handy Man got me a brace and I got through the business of Mom's Christmas Eve with gallons of chili and plates of fudge.  I committed Christmas Day to rest and ice and while better and bending, still not as it should be.  In the meantime poor Aunt Tish had a ear infection go from 0 to 90 and lastly, my sweet boy Strider just laid down and died.
I don't know if you recall this boy of my dreams, but never have I ever felt that a pooch was so very mine.

 Last spring, he didn't seem to weather the winter well and developed a skin disease.  He saw the doc in April and she didn't seem overly concerned.  I read everything I could find, changed him to a "no grain" diet, brushed him constantly until every knot was gone, apple cider vinegar in his water, which he loved, homemade bone broth, which he also loved and his spirits, his appetite and his skin over six months returned to normal.  I assumed he had some sort of yeast situation.
Handy Man changed shifts last month along with the time change and took over animal care, as I don't get home usually until after dark. He mentioned he wasn't wanting to eat his food and we needed to change it. This has happened several times, so it did not raise an alarm.  Handy Man went yesterday to buy a different food, but this was a much greater problem than either of us understood.  Strider just laid down and died.
There was lots of wonderful in my Christmas, the greatest being why we celebrate,  and I'll get to that.
But not today. I am too sad.