"about those...."

On the tenth day of Christmas...

....red and gold diagonally-challenged ornaments were looped with glittering gold ribbon and hung from the chandelier in the dining room.

They catch your eye when you walk by, therefore, they may be classified as a topic of conversation.

homemade greetings

On the ninth day of December...

...creations made from card stock, stamps, glitter and ribbon.

gloria

On the eighth day of December...

...we enjoyed an oratorio and orchestra performance of Handel's Messiah. 

I carried along a beautiful book for Charlotte to follow along with when the singers would be singing, a book I purchased back in 1992 so that Witt would have something to follow when I first started taking him.  Tonight he sat beside Charlotte and from time to time I saw him glance over and follow along with her. So helpful to see the words, "Oh, they are singing verses", she said.

It was glorious.

Then we stopped by the doughnut store.

Where they were being freshly made and served "hot".
I am not a doughnut eater, but...
...It was glorious.

Then we rode through streets where balls of colorful light dangled from tree boughs, dazzling us with magnificence.

It was glorious.

notes

On the seventh day of December...

 ...three seasons seemed to collide into one another.

 Because the weather was springlike, we took a walk around the block while it was yet early, a gentle breeze stirred and a light cotton sweater sufficed. The gutters we strolled past were level with newly-raked piles of leaves waiting for the leaf machines to come by with their noisy vacuums and clean away the remains of autumn.  Our eyes saw Christmas wreaths on doors and windows,  fanciful balls hanging from bare branches on outdoor trees and tiny candlestick lights shining in windows.

By afternoon, gales of hardy wind escorted in rain and chilly temperatures. 

a seasonal stack

On the sixth day of December...

...favorite Christmas books are delved from an eleven month hiatus and set in appropriate places of honor.

We have many favorites at our house that are read year after year.

Christmas Day in the Morning by Pearl S. Buck. 

It's guaranteed to bring a lump to your throat,

regardless of how many times you've read it.

secondhand dessert

On the fifth day of December...

 We served at the church, feeding a  home cooked meal to the surrounding community.

I spent a portion of my morning preparing a hamburger casserole, lima beans, potato salad and a trifle.

Once I actually set out to make a trifle. But usually it comes about as a solution to a cake that is not up to par, a blunder.

Anything goes really. This trifle was created with layering broken pieces of chocolate cake, vanilla pudding, whipped cream and topping it with crushed toffee pieces. 

No would would ever guess it was a secondhand dessert.

ring-a-ling

On the second Sunday in Advent...

...I played with the handbell choir at church.

Upon which I must now admit I am a bona fide ding-a-ling!

nutcracker alterations

On the third day of December...


I walked with Charlotte into the dance studio for her rehearsal.

Upon which I continued on past the leotard-clad bevy of dancers and down the wooden stairs into the basement for an afternoon of sewing on Nutcracker costumes. For the most part it was a matter of  finishing the alterations by hand,  the removing and adding of hooks, whip stitching tops to tutus or tulle skirts, and elastic changes.

For those of us who possess proclivity in this sort of thing, we are regarded as either mad or held in a state of awe.

frasers and frescoes

On the second day of December...

We drove to the mountains in order to choose a fresh fraser fir.

Upon which our tree-laid car drove down the curving roads onto the highway to make the trip home. I always get a special thrill when I see a Christmas tree on the top of a car riding down the highway.

And while there it was decided there was something we must share with the girls. Four of Ben Long's frescoes are ensconced in two humble but beautiful churches within driving distance of where we were. As we sat on the wooden pews our eyes filled with awe and worship

Advent  has begun in our hearts.

a room to decorate

On the first day of December...

taken on my iphone

We gathered paper, garland, lights and ribbon and continued the decorating of mother's room.

Upon which she promptly thanked us.

on this last day of November

I am in the last days of drinking my morning's cup of coffee in this mug of mellow colors which remind me of fall, and thoughts of paisley spring into my mind too for some reason. My Christmas mugs have been pulled out from under the counter and are now settling in beside the coffee machine.

But this November morning was so restful, the sun was flooding my space and I wanted to remember the moment.

And just so you can be assured I am totally satisfied from my fingers... 

... to my toes.
(I  can get somewhat amused by all the feet I sometimes see online, therefore, it took quite an indulgent whim to post this picture of my feet).

 But don't you like my Toms?

On this last day of November I've ran about town a bit with scheduled morning orthodontist appointments, early afternoon piano lessons, and some Christmas shopping thrown in between times.  School is carried on too, either in the car or upon returning home.