WOW! I thought I'd be able to post a blog every week since the last one, but things have turned hectic, or maybe they've just remained so. One thing that has consumed my time has been editing my book, "Amanda's Hope," which is going to be published by WestBow Press, a division of Thomas Nelson Publishing. I'm very excited about this as the book will be professionally produced and marketed nation-wide. Now that the book has been checked and made as perfect as I can get it, I need to submit it on-line, and I estimate that process will take about 2 hours. Once I complete the on-line work, I'll have a proof in hand in a matter of weeks.
We also hosted our church group's Christmas party last Saturday, and I took off the day before so I wouldn't be pressed and stressed; however, preparations still went down to the wire. The thing that set us back was the fact that the Christmas tree we had purchased the Sunday before and left outside in a bucket of water had a crack up the trunk when we went to put it up, so we had to take it back and get a new one. Fortunately, the place was only 2 miles down the road. We put the lights and beaded garlands on it, and when our guests arrived at 6 p.m., they helped trim our tree. I had roasted a turkey, and the rest of the meal was potluck, and the food was fabulous. I had chosen games to play after dinner, and we had so much fun with one that involved Christmas songs -- laughed so hard! We had 21 people plus us, so 23 people in the house. As guests were leaving around 10:15 p.m., Iwas in the kitchen cleaning up with a few other ladies when we heard a crash and a large collective gasp from people in the living room -- our Christmas tree, all 8.5 feet of it, had fallen, breaking glass ornaments and spilling water everywhere. I couldn't even look at it, I was so upset; all the ornaments that had been placed on the tree were hand-made, and I didn't want to know which ones broke. Several people helped clean up the mess, the tree was righted, lights hanging everywhere, and our house finally emptied. The tree must have been heavier on one side because there was no reason for it to come down; my daughter told me later that their tree had fallen on Christmas day last year for no apparent reason, too, so I guess it does happen. The tree was trimmed again on Sunday, and I don't know which ornaments were lost, but my 3 hand-painted blown eggshell ornaments survived. I made them in 1990 and was glad that they somehow made it through the crash. One fell off the tree, and the other 2 stayed on, but none broke!
Shopping for Christmas presents has been slow; some has been done on-line and some in-store. I took Tuesday off to spend the day with my daughter and daughter-in-law, doing a little shopping and having lunch. So nice to be able to spend time with them - and the baby, who is now almost 8 months old and sporting 2 teeth! After lunch, my daughter-in-law Bee and I went and picked up her two older boys from preschool, and then I went to their house and spent about an hour playing in the leaves piled up at the curb. The weather was warm -- about 73 degrees that day -- so no jackets were needed, and Niland and Benny had a grand time throwing leaves on me and trying to cover me up. Great memories!
Around 3 p.m. I headed to the bank, then got my hair cut, and then did a little more Christmas shopping. After lugging everything home, I made a turkey potpie from scratch -- yummy - and a great way to use some of that turkey left from the party.
Our warm weather exited our state on Wednesday as a line of very heavy rain and high winds blew it out and ushered in cold weather. Being a person who's lived in the North most of my life, I still find it difficult to realize that Christmas is a little more than 2 weeks away because it's been so warm! Cold weather helps! But this blessed time of year when we celebrate our Lord's birth has crept up on me, and I'm so unprepared! Things I still must do (mostly because I like to!) -- make fudge, sugar cookies, and loads of caramel nut popcorn!
Last year we had the small grandchildren over to decorate Christmas cookies, and they will come again on December 18, so I'll be baking all day Saturday to have enough cookies for 5 grandchildren to decorate and take home! And tonight my husband has his Christmas Concert for this barbershop chorus, and Sunday the group sings at Pullen Park in Raleigh, which has been renovated and features a 100-year-old merry-go-round and a miniature train, but it's only supposed to be 45 degrees on Sunday, which means by the time they sing at 4:30, it's going to be COLD! Guess I'll wear my ski pants to stay warm!
We're still trying to arrange how to get with all the family Christmas weekend -- they have spouses and other members to consider, too -- so things are hectic, to say the least. But in the midst of all the hurried activity, we must all remember the real reason for the season -- Jesus Christ came to earth as a baby to save mankind.
Take time to dwell on the true meaning of Christmas. Without His coming, there would be no celebration at all and no redemption for mankind.
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