Tuesday

 

It was a short night but that all right.  I have long ones also, so the variety is just what it is.  So it was also a short morning at home and then off to church for a work morning which stretched into the afternoon.  I loved every minute.  

The last few days have been sort of blue and church work just blew the blue away.  My mind had a great place to land.  And land it did. So, this is what happened at church.  I met Heidi H. there along with Laural G.  And Advent is going to happen visually once again.   But before Advent happens, we celebrate Christ the King Sunday. So the correct pulpit banner was hung and crowns were also hung from the balcony and other places in the Sanctuary. 

Now back to Advent. This morning Laural G. worked on our wonderful Patience Brewster nativity set that needed a gentle loving touch, a gift to North of a friend of a parishioner. Laural was a master at that.  Just the right person to tackle that set feeling as if this was her calling. The set is located in the Gathering Center.  You might google the name to find pictures. It's an amazing piece of art.

Other nativities still in storage boxes were moved to areas for unpacking Sunday.  We pulled banners we need for Advent.  The candles and their holders along with other banners were moved nearer to the sanctuary to be placed after the Sunday service.  This year's preparation seems to have evolved better than most years. Working with Heidi and then alone because she had another engagement gave me time to think through a lot of preparation work.  Such a reminder of working in the classroom by myself. Those certainly were happy times. 

So. working and visiting and then repeating those two items more than a few times made the long day a gift for my thinker.  I can put that all on the shelf until Saturday when we finish one or two things for Sunday's worship and then on to Advent.  We'll close the church year and open the next year the next two weeks. 

Another decision was made this morning before leaving home.  When one has for years experienced Thanksgiving with the extended family but need to make new decisions about traditions, it can be a bit difficult.  Doug and I experienced that by deciding that Thanksgiving will be spent here in Carmel and not in Georgia.  The drive is long even when taking two days.  The driver is not a young rooster and the old hen who cooks is cooked out.  We've faced the reality of living long lives.  Jared and family will be here at some point and it's time for new traditions.  At some point Eric/family will join us.  I am feeling very good about the changes coming. We will miss younger brother Dee and that also included the brother's in Dee's current family.  They have become our family brothers as well.  We'll continue with monthly zoom meetings.  That's an easy drive.

So, what else happened today.  Not much. It rained for most of the day.  Church work hid that from me.  Another scarf is in the basket.  I hope to start another one tonight.  I think Mary McD. is going to join me in scarf making at some point.  

So, this was a good day.  Some to do pressures are gone.  Being at North on the last and first Sunday of the church year celebrating the first Sunday of Advent is exciting. 

So I'm singing praise God from whom all blessings flow. Surprises keep coming.