Another Monday for the books...Christmas Angel, Christmas Oranges, Wrapping and Christmas letters...

Whew.

It was a beautiful sunny morning.

Tea, Cleo begging/demanding her wet cat treat, breakfast...

I worked for a few hours on our Christmas letter...

I included lots of pictures (made small, I fear too small for some but

I did my best and sometimes one just has to accept one's best

even if the pictures are a mite too small). 

The first batch of these letters is now printed.

It was not easy to write, esp as I wrote about my +Aunt Karen dying last April.

But we write about things of the year and that was one of the significant events.

But I felt a bit exhausted/sad I after finishing this letter...

but I also see how many blessings we had this year...

I watched (skimmed) the movie Christmas Oranges.

I later watched one of my all time personal favourite Christmas movies,

Christmas Angel.

My Husband had to work late, I often have a hard time making dinner

if he suddenly can't come home for it

and felt I was 'winning' by making myself pasta with clams

and it was delicious. I love thin pasta noodles, soft and soothing.

I also felt like I really succeeded in things today, 

even though it had it's challenges, because I made myself wash

all the dishes tonight, wrote and finished the Christmas letter,

wrote a family email for the December update, 

and figured out storage stuff for my google account.

And I wrapped presents. 

Including the one from my Husband to myself,

I thought it was really funny that I wrote my own present tag (ha!)

but I know what is in it and had fun wrapping it. 

I also texted a friend to have lunch with me tomorrow at the mall.

And she agreed and that will be nice.

I know I need people time in all this unbloggable + Christmas busy.

I really hope I get to bake this week.

I try to have St Nicholas cookies for everyone at my small church.

It's what I do and how I try to bless people and I firmly believe

that an unexpected gift of delicious home baked cookies for St Nicholas day,

not to mention Christmas, can really encourage a person.

And I think some of the people have a really heavy burden in life and are 

lonely so I really REALLY want to bake these.

So I hope God so blesses it again this year...

We will see. 

Well, thank God for what today had in it

and that my Husband got home late but home.

***

Also, I made an IKEA order after talking to my Husband about

needing a warmer duvet for when I can't sleep and end up sleeping

on the couch. This happens and our windows are not perfectly cold proof

so I hope that the package comes on time and safely (i.e. not stolen!)

No surprise that this IKEA purchase also has 6 wine glasses coming.

I regretted not buying the ones I wanted when I was there a few months back

and the tall (nice and very usable) ones I bought instead ended up being

great however too tall for the dishwasher (they get knocked over when you try to 

put the 'drawer' back into the dishwasher) and so are hand wash only.

And I am on a mission to have pretty table settings that are dishwasher-able.

So I kinda promised my Husband that if I could get these 6, (I have 2 already)

(that were on sale no less) that I would not buy books for myself at the VNA this May.

Of course I said he could still buy ones for me, hahahaha.  :)

I have been to the VNA lots and know that, while there could be something I miss,

I won't miss that much by negotiating this way

and I really wanted those goblets, 

they were on sale at present and we were paying for shipping for the down comforter + duvet

and the shipping was the same cost for the additional 6 glasses + tea lights.

So I am really glad about this.  We are talking 14$ in glassware, not a huge expense...

I can now easily host a party of 8 with beautiful glassware and dishes that 

can be put right in the dishwasher.  

And by using other glasses for drinking water, if need be, I could have wine glasses for 12 or more

people for a bigger meal... and still have it all dishwasher-able.. 

I know, I have a lot of dishes. 

But it's the one thing I feel I have left that I can really do well - decorate a table,

have people over, host a meal, practice hospitality.

And figuring out ways to do this that are not as much work is good for me to do.

I have certain meals that I do more fancy,

Thanksgiving, Christmas, Pentecost this past year, our Slava/wedding anniversary dinner... where

much of what I use is handwash only, but for other events, well, it's good to have

options and it's a joy! And I am very good at configuring space to have a lot of dishes

and have it all safely put away.... 

But I still hope that my hope and focus can be on the Lord first...

that somehow I can serve Him by filling water and wine glasses for others who come...

I wish I could do more...for more people.....

A lot of what I used to do in my married life (watching kids, teach Sunday School,

do the bookstore more than I do at present) has been taken from me because

of the current season of life I am in (which includes the unbloggable stuff)

and other circumstances as well.

***

Anyway, that's how it is and it is wonderful that Christmas is 

proclaiming the beginning of our salvation in a huge way,

that God has come to live with us forever and never leave us...

we who were orphaned by sin, 

with God forever, never forsaken...

Such wonder and hope!

May we be encouraged! Never alone, never forsaken...