Where has the time gone? Yes, the tree is up, and lit, and decorated. The stockings are hung (up on the hooks where our jackets and coats usually hang). But that’s about it. And, as I look at the calendar, I see that Christmas Day is the day after tomorrow (as I write this on Thursday evening). However, we’re not actually going to see any visiting relatives for a few days. So, I’m not quite so concerned about the lack of delightfully wrapped gifts under the tree. There are some from my sister, and, well, that’s about it.
Jeremy will be coming to Texas a couple of days after celebrating Christmas with Sarah in New York. And Kevin and April and Peter will have holiday celebrations at home and with family, and then will come to Waco after Jeremy arrives. So, I have some time. Thank goodness!
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- I described to Jeremy the chaos in the room where he will sleep. Ironing board, iron, boxes on the ironing board, other boxes on the bed. I should get started trying to clear off at least some sort of space for him to sleep in.
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- The stockings are hung on the coat rack with care. (We had a mantle and some gas logs in our other house. There wasn’t exactly a chimney, but we made do.) This piece of wood came from my paternal grandmother’s house. It was part of some kitchen cabinets, and it was left over after some renovation. One of my uncles asked if I wanted it, and I said, “Of course!” I like pieces of family history.
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- And, speaking of family history, this is a pole lamp that my parents purchased before I was born. I kept it because I had good memories about it. This year, I only had one of the large, flame-shaped bulbs left. I went online to Amazon, and, of course, they had them. Whew!
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- This is the straw angel wreath that a friend, who was visiting Norway, got for us, the year we were learning about Norway. We really did used to learn about different countries’ Christmas customs, when the boys were growing up.
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- The top of the piano display, with cute little kid photos of Jeremy, Kevin, and Peter. And an interesting Nativity scene. The figures are actually stamps.
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- The music shelf on the piano, with the Christmas music books, and the sweet construction paper Manger scene that Jeremy made at church when he was a Kindergartner.
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- My sister sent me a December calendar of teas. I’m down to the last two.
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- When Peter was here earlier this week, I asked him to take a picture of me drinking some tea, so JoAnne could see that I was enjoying the interesting assortment.
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- Peter gave a concert for me while he was here earlier this week. These are the signs he posted outside the living room door. I complied with the signs.
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- The music shelf on the piano, with the Christmas music books, and the sweet construction paper Manger scene that Jeremy made at church when he was a Kindergartner.
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- I tried SEVERAL times to take this photo in the dark. My phone declined, several times, to comply.
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- Here is a close-up of the two arrangements on these shelves .
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- I pulled the black rectangular boxes out of the arrangements to show that they are battery packs. I pushed the ON switch at 5:30 p.m. the first evening I used them. The small light sets will come on and burn for six hours, then they shut off, automaticaly. They come back on the next evening. Then, after six hours, they gently turn off, and stay off, until the next evening, when they come back on.
