On Again, Off Again...

I'm so sorry not to be blogging more often!  If you're checking here for news, I apologize for past and near future lack of content.  Here's what's been going on.

Children's Christmas Program:  our Sunday School angels were practicing non-stop since the beginning of December on their songs and parts for last Sunday's performance at the 10:45 a.m. church service.  The rehearsals were somewhat challenging to say the least!  One small person fainted and hit his head with a resounding smack on Saturday, then threw up in the hall.  He recovered enough to come back and perform on Sunday.

The kids all sang nice and loudly after the Pastor said he thought he could sing louder all by himself than they could.  They instantly rose to the challenge!!  The preschoolers/kindergartners did their little rendition of Away in a Manger with hand signs and got a round of applause.  They always steal the show.

My younger brother on the east coast has been diagnosed with ALS.  He's gone downhill pretty fast.  He has lost the ability to carry on long conversations, and he was released from the rehab facility after his benefits ran out.  Hopefully he'll get some help from the VA, since he was in the Navy in the 80's.  That made me very sad.  I want to finish up a quilt and send it to him, since I can't travel out there any time soon.

Christmas is coming in one week and I still have a few things to buy/make.  I have made a ton of clothes again this year for those 18" dolls, and exchanged a boxful of cute outfits for a Joann's gift certificate with a lady at church.

Our ladies Bible study class finished up the year with a little party at Melody's.  There were lots of yummy things to eat and we finished up the subject we were working on.  There was much discussion of the events of last Friday in Connecticut.  Evil is everywhere, and you have to guard your heart against it.

One of our ladies fell at church on Sunday and in trying to catch herself she dislocated both shoulders and broke a bone in both a shoulder and a hand.  She's been immobilized until she sees the orthopedic physician, with ace-type bandages around her torso until the swelling goes down.  Poor thing, she spent nearly the entire day at the emergency room!  She's in our thoughts and prayers.  Folks are sending in meals and running errands for her.

The tree is up, the lights are working, the girls hung ornaments.  My wonderful son-in-law is cooking the meats for Christmas Eve dinner, so all I have to do is thaw the cheesecake and make side dishes.  That will be helpful because I am the Wardrobe Mistress for the live nativity play at 3:30 and 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve!! 

Mary, Joseph, shepherds and three Wise Men will need headdresses tied and robes secured.  We bring in live donkeys and goat and tell the Wonderful Story.  It's funny how the smells of Christmas change when you do this type of thing, but it is close to what the first one must have been!  Not piney like a live tree, or minty like a candy cane, but pungent, like a stable full of animals.

Additionally, work is picking up... December 28 is the end of the quarter!

 So friends, if you look for an update and don't find one,  know that I am thinking about you, and working on some projects, and enjoying my family and the holidays.

By the way, it's finally snowing in southeast Wisconsin.  Yay!!

Bless you and yours this season.

Sew on!