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When SiteMeter logged visit # 5700 this evening, I see it is from a mystery reader who just showed up in the reports on Dec. 25. This person has Sprint as an Internet provider, an ISP that begins with 204, and is in an unknown city. But the person is located in the United States, in the Central Time Zone (a lot of territory there.) Visitor uses Windows XP for an operating system and surfs using Internet Explorer 8.0. And this is no casual visitor; he or she checks in two or three times a day. Assuming you are a friend, and not a stalker, feel free to leave a comment to this post (it will be forwarded to my e-mail) or you can go to my profile (bottom of right rail) and click on the e-mail link you'll find on the profile page. Since this visitor had the blog address from the beginning, it's possible you are one of the regular friends or family members who got a new computer for Christmas. But at this time...well, #5700 is still a mystery.
Merry Christmas, all! We finally got a little bit of the White Stuff--less than an inch--that started to fall about 10 a.m. on Christmas Day. It was enough to dust the Alberta Spruce out back that gets to be a Christmas tree to greet our back door visitors this time of year.
We joined culinary forces with our friends (and pastor) Jacque and Dave for Christmas dinner this afternoon. It snowed lightly all day, and the wind just kept driving it to the east, but some landed on the grass. There were a few slick spots on the streets, but nothing serious on our route. The snow showers are supposed to persist through noon or so on Sunday. We are beginning to long for sunshine again!
We thoroughly enjoyed our Christmas Eve dinner with friends Karen and Gary, Karen's mom, and Doug and Matt in Edwardsville. We came home with the gift of a new bird feeder, and Norm hung it up on Christmas morning. As I tried to take a long-distance shot of it from the relative safety of the driveway, I realized that a goldfinch was hanging upside down on the thistle feeder next to it. We are really looking forward to lots more birds visiting our yard this winter!
Santa was really creative this year. Norm has a new pair of flannel pajamas, a warming throw to use in his recliner, and a new book about all of the national parks so he can curl up comfortably and plan out our next trip. I'm the proud owner of a new atomic alarm clock, a fashionable cardigan sweater, and a welcome mat. The welcome mat is now out, so we are looking forward to more holiday company!
Thanks to Facebook, the new international party line, we have been getting good wishes and greetings from many of my former students and various friends who live far away, from Taiwan to West Virginia. And thanks to the United States Postal Service, we have received several dozen cards and letters from family and long time friends, with their best wishes as well. We are still working on the Linville Holiday letter so for now, I'll just wish everyone a healthy, peace-filled day and evening, with safe travel if that is also in your plans. On our agenda today: listening to Christmas music, baking a pie for dinner tonight with friends, and dreaming of sunshine, somewhere....it's kind of dark and dreary here this morning.
While I can, I'll post these pictures of some of the outdoor decorations. A few days ago, the Weather Service thought we might have a white Christmas. Now the snow is out of the forecast and rain is in: two or three inches of it and flood warnings as well. The Christmas winter storm looks massive on the forecast maps but we are supposed to be on the "warm" side, or at least above freezing, until Friday morning. Of course, it could still change...
I want to salute Visitor 5600, who was cousin Mike or cousin Debi in Tulsa, earlier this evening. I can't always tell who is visiting, but I'm pretty sure you are my only regular Tulsa viewers. Although someone using a Tulsa Library computer dropped in earlier today; they were researching--you guessed it--Ft. Sill.
Last evening we had a great dinner out with our friends Mike and Sandy. We got the 2 for $14.99 specials at O'Charley's and had enough take out left to make another meal for us both this evening. Today was one of those days when I knew I had a lot to do but just couldn't get started on any of it. I blame it on the falling barometer and incipient bad weather. Tonight we went to Soul Care, a mini retreat our church has two Tuesdays each month. It was relaxing and refreshing as we shared stories of Christmas past. Tomorrow I'll brave the rain (which started falling as we drove home) and pick up some last minute grocery items at the store. I know I'm baking a pie for Christmas Eve dinner in Edwardsville, but haven't gotten the memo about the rest of the menu yet. There is still time.
We have been thinking of niece Debbie B. in Hutch, hoping she will be recovered from surgery and up and around soon. Also thinking of everyone who has travel plans and wants to get home, or somewhere like home, for the holidays. And I'm thinking of my cousins in Tulsa, wondering if Mike has the train up around the tree yet and if they are ready for the grandson invasion. Merry Christmas to our family, wherever you are this season. We love you all.
Finally it is officially winter, although it has felt like it for a while, now. We acquired this droll little snowman, a metal stand up sign, at the Compton Heights bazaar. We have no idea who donated him, but a label on the back indicates he may have been purchased at a shop in Branson. However he has traveled, we are glad to have him on our porch to welcome winter visitors!
We had an eventful weekend. On Monday, Doug e-mailed us that he would be arriving from Florida by plane on Friday night, while Matt would drive with Sam and get here on Sunday evening. So we met his plane and he spent two nights and days with us. We had a great visit with him. The three of us attended the American Chamber Chorale's Christmas concert in Chesterfield on Saturday night, and we all went to church yesterday. Matt arrived safely last evening and the three of them are now ensconced at Matt's parents' home in Edwardsville for a two-week stay in the area. Their dance card is just about full but we expect to see them again a couple of times before they go home.
Last evening Norm and I enjoyed a relaxing time at the open house that our pastor gives each year. After we got home, we sat down and opened all the Christmas cards and read all of the Holiday letters we have received so far this year. Now it's time for us to start composing our own holiday letter to send out by New Year's. This evening we are looking forward to finally getting together with our friends Mike and Sandy for a dinner out. (Nice not to have to cook...:) We hear that Heather and baby, as well as John, will be in town for the holidays and we hope we get to see them while they are here.
Our thoughts are turning to those who are struggling to be well this holiday: our friend Nancy, doing rehab in Kansas City; Norm's cousin Joe's wife Elaine, enduring some grueling radiation treatments in Tulsa; our church friend Royce, fighting off a new infection in his foot; our church friend Janice, on chemo; as well as all their families and friends caring for them. May the Christ we will soon celebrate as having been born in Bethlehem bring healing and peace to them!
Well, it only took the better part of a week, but our Christmas tree is ready for prime time! Last Friday half of the lights were on, as our friend Steve noted in a comment. Ava supervised much of the decorating until she went home with Barb on Tuesday night. I finally got around to taking some pictures today.
Many of our decorations have a nature theme, which is why it's not unusual to find a spider web next to a partridge. This year we also got out our smaller trees, one of birds and another of angels, and all 14 nativities and all 21 Santas. The next day we have good natural light, I'll try to photograph some of them. As a good friend says, don't put off celebrating Christmas. Do it all. A good motto, I think.
Norm has been fighting off a cold, but seems well enough now. My cold has all but disappeared. We see that our local Walgreens is having an H1N1 vaccination clinic tomorrow and if the snow doesn't get too deep, we may go.
That's right, snow is forecast this evening and something is making the pavement wet outside as I write. About 11 p.m. we will head out to the airport to meet Doug's plane. Then we will all wait until Matt, who is driving the Prius with Sam as a passenger, arrives on Sunday evening. Barb and Ava plan to leave for Kansas City in the morning for a friend's holiday party. So we pray for safety for all of the travelers.
I've been doing some baking--dessert for the Quilt Guild's annual Christmas party last night, and some goodies for our pastor's open house on Sunday evening. The fudge is in the fridge. Now if I can just keep the chocoholics out of it!
With the house straight and clean, most (but not all) shopping and cooking done, we can finally breathe and begin to enjoy the season. Who knows, we might even work on the Christmas Letter this weekend! Or next. Look for it between Christmas and New Year's.
Well, I think I'll go try to re-organize the sewing room while we wait for the plane. I spent part of the last week cutting strips and making fabric kits for the guild's charity quilts project, which will begin in January. All the kits got taken last night, which is very encouraging. Or maybe I'll just sit in the recliner and knit. Maybe dream of a White Christmas, since snow is in our forecast for Christmas Eve. That's actually pretty rare in St. Louis--only about 1 year out of 9 has snow for Christmas. Maybe this will be the year.
This weekend's project was to get the Christmas tree decorated. Norm brought all of the parts upstairs as well as the 4 strings of lights. By Friday he had the lights arranged to his satisfaction. I started putting on some ornaments, but the end result is still in progress. When we get it finished, I'll post another picture.
On Saturday, Norm got the greenery and bows on the front and back porch railings. The lights on the hedge in back are on each night as well. It's starting to look like Christmas around here, but there is more to come. Tomorrow is supposed to be partly sunny in the morning, so I'll try to get pictures before it turns cold and drizzly again.
Compared to the week before, this past week was a quiet one. My cold is a lot better, and Norm's scrapes from his fall have healed. Which is to stay, we don't scare people as much when we go out in public now.
Ava the golden doodle is staying with us until Tuesday. Saturday night we were having thunder and some hail (yes, even at 40 degrees and even in December--this is the midwest, after all, where in weather, just wait 10 minutes. Oh wait, that's supposed to be Oklahoma. Whatever.) Anyway, Ava got a little restless so I let her sleep next to me on the bed for a while. Later she got down and sought another spot. She is really an easy dog to have around and we enjoy her.
We are so pleased to hear that our friend Nancy S. is out of the hospital, staying at her daughter's house in Olathe, and getting ready for another round of OT and PT this coming week. We wish her all the best for a full recovery and hope to make a quick trip to KC soon to see her and John again. Between the weather and random holiday events, it's proving trickier to plan than we thought.
Sunday was the third Sunday of Advent, or Joy sunday. We had a beautiful sanctuary to worship in, and a fellowship dinner after. A woman who had just moved to St. Louis and who was missing her family visited for the first time...we persuaded her to stay for lunch and there was much caring and sharing over good food. Things that are giving me joy this week: Snuggly Ava, Norm's fading bruises, Christmas lights, a new musical CD by my friend Steve Givens, shopping lists, baking ingredients, open house invitations, Christmas cards from far away, old friends discovered and added as new friends on my Facebook page, a warm house, secrets, e-mails about holiday plans. What gives you joy?
Dear faithful readers: I haven't forgotten that I have more pictures of Florida (especially the Corkscrew Swamp) to post, but after we got home Tuesday night, the rest of the week was taken up with various errands and preparations for the church Bazaar, which was today. We are still counting receipts, and church members will have a chance tomorrow to shop one more time, but so far we have cleared over $1,000 for the disability access project. We are both OK, although I seem to have contracted my Christmas Cold a couple of weeks early (must be that airline atmosphere) and Norm had a minor tumble on the church steps today that damaged his glasses and his nose. Oh, yes, and yesterday the kitchen sink stopped up, necessitating a call to Roto Rooter, who sent a nice man to clean out the drain line. For a fee, of course. Other than that, not a lot of news here.
