Rocky passed away three years ago today--was it today? Or was it yesterday? At the time I remember searing the date into my mind as I lay there under the covers of my bed in Minneapolis, stunned that I had seen him just a week before and overwhelmed with grief and anger that I hadn't made it back to Roanoke in time to say goodbye, to hold his little paw as he fell asleep one last time.

But all I remember about the date now is my mom telling me about the appointment the night before, and the next morning Rob taking the day off from work to accompany me to a snowy breakfast at Modern Times followed by a weird, tear-filled walk through the parking deck at Mall of America (we turned around before we got to the door and went home to marathon whatever we were watching at the time and eat gluten-free pizza in bed).

I was flipping through my copy of Old Friend from Far Away last night, looking for a writing prompt, and I realized that Rocky is my old friend from far away. At the time he was my best bud--my first dog, with the sweetest, curliest little mop of a face and paws that I never even thought to smell to see if they had the scent of corn chips. It's because of Rocky that I love Ender so much--he taught me everything I know about caring for a dog.

After a long trip home for Thanksgiving that year, I was all packed up and almost ready to head to Minnesota for a couple weeks before Rob and I came back to Virginia again for Christmas. I decided to take Rocky on one more walk before I left, just me and him. He was so old and arthritic that even though the sight of his leash excited him to no end, I still had to scoop him up in my arms and carry him all the way up the steep driveway to get to the road. It was chilly and quiet and we walked the whole way in silence, just taking in each other's company. I used to take him off the leash once we got started so he could explore the woods a bit, but he stayed right next to me the whole time. When we got back to the house I loaded my bags into the back of my mom's car and headed back inside, really earnestly hopeful that this wasn't going to be our last goodbye.

I got on the floor and cupped his face in my hands, pressing his little forehead to mine. "Don't die before I come back, please," I told him, and then, because I wasn't sure how much control he had over the matter, "I love you so much."

I know that he tried, but he couldn't stick it out. And I hope that even though I wasn't there, as my brother fed him what ended up being his last meal (a 5-piece chicken nugget from McDonalds-- a detail so cute that it makes me smile even today), he remembered that I used to make him macaroons from scratch, and that I always brought him with me everywhere I could, and that he was the main reason I waited so long to move to Minnesota in the first place, and that I couldn't even begin to imagine a world without him.

When I think about him now I picture him at the head of a boat on a lake, the wind blowing his ears and whiskers back. He's eating a sandwich, or a really large number of potstickers like he did the time my mom made dozens of them by hand and then turned her back for a second. He's happy, and his hips don't creak anymore, and he's waiting for us patiently and cheerfully.

Happy Friday! I got such good feedback on last week's stocking stuffer gift guide that I decided to put together another one, this time for the Megan in your life (i.e. homebodies and the hygge obsessed). Everything in this gift guide is soft, relatively neutral in color and style, and perfect for cozying up with a hot beverage to watch Love Actually.

I'm also giving away some Rewined Candles this week--if you haven't heard of Rewined, they are a company that's local to Charleston and they make some of the most incredible candles--I first discovered them this summer when I was walking around the City Market with Rob. They were kind enough to supply us with candles for our La Crema event last month, and now they're offering up a candle to three lucky Freckled Italian readers! (Scroll all the way down to enter.)

But first, the gift guide (you can click the images to go to the product page, but I talk a bit about each one below, as well):

• I love the look of these blankets! We have a big faux fur comforter on our bed and I'm obsessed with it. So is Ender--he goes upstairs every night way before bed time and naps on it by himself. We call it his "alone time."
• I would wear these slippers around the house every single day. 
• How great does this scarf look? I'm a big fan of plaid accessories on an otherwise neutral outfit, and I love a blanket scarf.
• Just some good old-fashioned thick socks. It's a cliché Christmas gift for a reason!
• Really feeling this poncho sweater, and for $40? Not bad at all.
• Okay, I know $100 is a lot for a hat, but look at this one! It's cashmere and I bet it doesn't itch your forehead at all. I wear hats so frequently that I know I'd definitely get my money's worth.

That's all for now! And, as promised, the giveaway--there are quite a few ways to enter, so pick one or go for them all! I'm so excited to send three of you one of my very favorite (cozy!) candles soon. Thank you, Rewined!

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Candle photo credit: Olivia Rae Photography

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When you wake up and think your alarm is going to go off soon but then you check the clock and it's only 3 or 4 AM, so you snuggle back under the covers and go to sleep again.

When you really make someone laugh.

When you're in comfy workout clothes but don't have anywhere else to be so you take a shower and then change into different comfy workout clothes, minus the sports bra.

When you're trying out a new recipe because you think it might work and it does.

When you clean the kitchen before you go to bed, but you forget about it because you usually don't clean the kitchen before you go to bed; and then you wake up to a semi-surprise clean kitchen.

What are five of your favorite feelings?