CHRISTMAS DAY WITH DANTE & SASCHA -- THIS IS IT!

On Christmas Day, Dante gave to Sascha ...

... a PURRposal of marriage ...

... along with some engagement BLING!

Now we all know that RINGS are anathema to cats and can be very painful.  So, Dante had thoughtfully selected a gorgeous golden topaz necklace with a diamond pear-shaped pendant!  He had chosen the golden colour to complement the beautiful apricot fur of his beloved.

Sascha nearly fainted when she saw it!  This was her dream come true. The necklace was stunning, but she was more excited about the gift of Dante, himself.

"Yes, yes, yes, my darling!  Of course, I will marry you!".  And they kissed.

"Let the bells ring out and the banners fly!", shouted Dante.  He wanted the whole world to know about their Christmas joy!  So, he and Sascha sang "Joy to the World" together in PURRfect harmony!

Dante had one more surprise for Sascha.  He had arranged for all of their new clients to come and PURRform a Christmas Concert in celebration of their engagement.  The Dancers had now been added to their client list, but Sascha didn't know she was about to see them again so soon.

The show started off with the Nine Dancing Ladies who did a choreographed modern dance to Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" -- how approPURRiate!

And as luck would have it, there was a large pond as part of the concert venue so the Seven Swans could make an appearance.  They were the second act up and PURRformed, oddly enough, the Second Act of "Swan Lake".  Once again this was such an approPURRiate tribute to the two love birds (who are actually cats, well you know what I mean).

Next up were the Ten Leaping Lords of 'Riverdance'.  They all leapt in a circle in a number called "Eternal Love" which was quite reminiscent of something you might see at "Cirque du Soleil"!  The lighting really enhanced the beauty of their dance, which was elegant and controlled (unlike when Dante and Sascha first saw them).  

The Eleven Pipers mounted an elaborate light show. It was simply speCATular!   They played "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear", yet again very approPURRiate since Dante's proposal came at midnight on a clear night where you could see all the stars.  The sounds of the pipes, too, were true and crystal clear and most certainly resonated with the audience.

For the finale, the Twelve Drummers PURRformed "The Little Drummer Boy" while marching around the Christmas tree.  Even after it was over, Dante and Sascha kept on singing "Pa rum pum pum pum, Pa rum pum pum pum pum, Pa rum pum pum pum ..."   

It was a great ending to a fantastic Christmas Concert ... and now for the refreshments!  No celebration is quite complete without some kind of nosh.  And this turned out to be quite the posh nosh!

The Eight Maids had opened up their own milk bar.  They served delicious fresh cold milk by the glass or bowl, and vanilla milkshakes for those who preferred something a little sweeter.  They even had a CATpuccino machine which frothed the milk, for those who have to get their CATfeine fix.

Unbeknownst to Sascha, Dante had roasted the remaining geese and arranged the slices on several platters surrounded by all the fixings.  He invited all of the PURRformers to partake in the engagement feast.  Thankfully there was just enough for everyone to get their fill.    

And for dessert, he made his friend Connie's recipe for Panna Cotta, and topped it with Cranberry Compote and Chocolate Tuiles.  He used cream skimmed off the top of the fresh milk to make the panna cotta, so it was very rich, indeed.  The milkbar that the milkmaids had set up served more than one PURRpose tonight!

Yum!

What a Christmas Day it has been, from morning until night!  After all the excitement and fanfare, Dante and Sascha just wanted to be alone together to celebrate their engagement in their own special way.  They started off by toasting each other with Dom PURRignon.

Then they put the champagne on ice.  And after that?  Well, we'll leave it up to your imagination ...

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!