PROGRESSION OF THE SEASON

Just to emphasize and clarify we do not check out on Christmas, as some may have gathered from my recent post, I decided to add a postscript. You might call it that.

This week we completed our Christmas Wish selection and delivered it to the center for distribution. We were amazed at the wonderful and very busy volunteers who seemed very happy to be working so hard.  At the center is a huge area of donations of items and new or old clothing, toys, and miscellaneous items which might be used for Christmas decorations. Each Wish recipient is allowed to chose items from the vast array of donations, according to certain Wish guidelines.

We also delivered a bounty of surplus men's clothing and miscellaneous other items to our favorite 4-legged charity so our beloved rescue, Luckie's friends may have the hope of a "forever home."

The next three weekends we are treating families in our various circle of friends to dinner at a nice restaurant for fellowship and good food (not exactly what I need) but it is Christmas....Tonight (Friday) is the first of the three evenings.

Christmas Tabletop

Today I am setting up two Christmas tabletops which is the extent of our decorations. One is a small fiber optic tree and the other is a lighthouse with a beacon, both cheerful.



Luckie' Christmas Stocking

Luckie has a sock hanged but empty. I dare not put anything in it until Christmas morning or she will find a way to consume, or otherwise tear it up. If she steals any more of my graham crackers on Sunday she may find that big sock barren, or full or running vacuum cleaners, the sound of which she detests.

Three Christmas Cup floral arrangements designed by myself were placed on a china closet/buffet.

We still have 2 Life Group meetings to complete our providing Christmas for 3 families selected from 3 area schools. This Sunday we finalize what still is not done, and next Sunday we wrap and arrange delivery. I was in hospital the very first meeting so I haven't caught up on everything, except we are furnishing 3 boxes fully cooked Christmas turkey w/4 sides/2 pies dinners from a local grocery store and contributed to purchase of clothing and gifts.



Three Floral Cups For the Season

The 3rd Sunday before Christmas we are caroling at area nursing homes, assisted living homes and any special requested visits. If this is at night we may be unable to attend. I cannot stand long periods of time so would have to take rollator which is somewhat a nuisance if we are riding with others.

But I have a personal observance of Christmas I've done for years, some of which began in childhood with the reading of the Holy Scripture of the birth of a Savior. I do it on line  or on my Kindle these days. After all I live in a digital age with everything at my fingertips.

Other things I do is read  Dickens's A Christmas Carol (Tiny Tim) on my Kindle and anything else Dickens may have written. I have his complete works on my Kindle.



Cover

 I will probably read The First Church's Christmas Barrel by Caroline Abbot Stanley (illustrated by Gayle Porter Hoskins-3), a simple story about giving with Mother's personal signature, I found among her belongings after her death. I loved its simplicity, probably written for children.

I loaned it to a friend who claim he lost it, which crushed me since she had a personal love of books so much she signed her name in every book she owned to proclaim possession.

After much searching I found an original copy at Alibris, a web site where rare, or out-of-print and used books may often be found. I bought the same edition, exactly as the previous book which was some solace, except it did not have her signature. It can be downloaded from Google Books to computers or some e-readers. I did not see Kindle or Nook among them.

This "illustration" is one of  only three
 in The Furst Church's Christmas barrel
All three are sepia toned but are some kind of
 paintings, from which plates were probably
made for printing. In 1912 publishing and
 illustrating a book was much different
than today.

I also have Handel's Messiah playing on my computer's DVD player. I believe it to be the highest classical piece of music ever composed by man, except, perhaps that of angels. I  am not the only one who has an high opinion of this music; King George II stood for the entire performance of the the Hallelujah Chorus, setting a precedence which all knowledgeable classical music aficionados follow. Stand when the Hallelujah Chorus is performed.

A few years ago 3 friends and I attended a performance of mixed Christmas music in Branson. When the musicians began the Hallelujah Chorus we stood like lost soldiers for a few seconds, before the huge crowd got the point. I learned that fact in choir as a child. It seems my generation forward has little respect for any subject: our National Anthem, our Flag, our Pledge of Allegiance, much less some piece of music they may not appreciate.

I usually have other Christmas music playing on my laptop, too varying to Carols to tradional seasonal music. Two of my favorites are O Holy Night /JoanSutherland and The Holy City /Charlotte Church.

2nd Illustration - Barrel On
Back of Horse (this did
not make a good  photo
nor did Photoshop help.

[Links are to YouTube renditions- if you don't like operatic voice, search YouTube and there are multiple fine selections; my husband literally turns off his hearing aids when I play this kind of music. I had my favorite opera singer Marilyn Horne singing Carmen/Bizet, particularly Habernera, which I played in car-actually attended a performance of Horne/Carmen in Dallas many years ago!]

To pacify the more perverse humor of Christmas, in my opinion, I have the DVD of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Despite unnecessary foul language and gestures, it typifies all that could possibly go wrong at any celebration.

I am hysterically laughing at the snow saucer ride headed downhill at exhilarating speed head-on to a WalMart store; the aunt (I think) singing the Pledge of Alligence for grace (prayer) at Christmas dinner and later The Star Spangled Banner, as a cigar ignites sewer gas and launches the smoker skyward. Although the electrified fried cat is funny, I am sure PETA does not. PETA must not have been around when that movie was made.

3rd Illustration - The First Church's Christmas Barrel

COOK! COOK? Not me! Any of you who follow me know that is not a favorite thing. On Christmas Day I will warm up one of the same pre-cooked dinners mentioned above from the local grocery store. It serves 8-12 so I share with neighbors and friends.

As I think of childhood Christmas events, I may add a blog or two, but I am back to researching the BADLANDS of our vacation.

I also am having a very hard time with Blogger locking up on "error in saving." I tried immediately publish and then edit. But I lose a lot. I guess I am going to have to change to the newer composing window, which I tried and did not like.

Rewriting and rewriting is not at all pleasant.