Take the tree down day

 Actually, that was yesterday. We decorated it the last week in November when Martti and Riitta were here.  Today was take a box up to the closets day.  It worked out well.  The cleaners have changed to Friday, so they were able to vacuum all the needles.  Even artificial trees make a mess. I've changed the "dressing" on the dining room table, and all the Christmas decor is gone, A friend is cleaning out her home in preparation for a move since her two sisters have moved to the a near-by retirement/nursing home. Her tales have inspired me, so while I was putting away the Christmas boxes, I started taking out some things that need to go to the VOA or the Discovery shop.  If I recall, it was 3 pair of jeans I didn't take the last time I did this, some faded but loved table clothes--one of my mom's and one of mine, and some holey ones left from dad's Marine service days. Also, a lovely smokey blue knitting skein with needles I'd started to work on many years ago while we lived at Lakeside.  I just never got the hang of it no matter how often I tried. Four couch throw pillows made the cut--last time I looked at them I wasn't ready to pitch.  And bunches of artificial flowers and ivy, I think they've been in this house at least 20 year--at least the color theme seems to be late 90s or early 2000s. I can see why decluttering is a good thing--everyone says it's good, but my goodness, saying good-bye is difficult.  I just tossed in the trash about a ream of paper I'll never use.  It's from those fat political screeds printed on one side only.  It makes me think of my Grandmother (Mary) who did all her correspondence on used paper--a habit she kept after the Great Depression.  I also went through a batch of pencils to see how many worked. 

It's been a week since my pacemaker (dual chamber) was implanted and I think I'm taking fewer naps and staying awake in the evening later.  That's good. I'm tracking my blood pressure and it seems to be behaving.

My Saturday Bible class is starting a new session tomorrow, but I plan to skip it.  It's a Blackaby series, and I remember doing it in the 1990s.  Boring. In fact, our whole church also did it while the classes did it also.  Double boring.

Here's my 2017 efforts to declutter: Collecting My Thoughts: Monday Memories--moving the books out

Christmas 2024

 Bob will have enjoyment for many evenings with his stash of Christmas reading.  10 Louise Penny and 5 Susan Elia MacNeal.

Christmas Eve 2024, seven services

Our senior pastor at UALC, Steve Turnbull, has to give 7 sermons today, Christmas Eve.  This year an 11 a.m. service was added so that the people who like traditional with communion didn't have to go out at night, and that also provided an option for families with several generations, or who have to visit more than one home.  

11:00 a.m. Traditional Worship with Communion

2:00 p.m. Modern Worship with carol Choir

4:00 p.m. Modern Worship

5:30 p.m. Modern Worship

7:30 p.m. Modern Worship, live streamed

9:00 p.m. Traditional Worship with Communion, live streamed

10:30 p.m. Traditional Worship with Communion

And on Christmas Day there will be a 10 a.m. service and we'll be attending that, too.  All services are at the Mill Run campus this year because Lytham Road is a construction zone.

We attended the 11 a.m. service this morning and it was very nice.  We had all the traditional carols and communion and the organ. It was all congregational singing--no solos or choir, and everyone participated.   And also many children--so a little fussy and hyped up about Christmas but such fun to see.  The 2 little girls in front of us, maybe 5 and 9, wore lovely match green sequined dresses with cute bows in their hair.  Dad helped the little one with her lighted candled after careful instructions from Pastor Joe.

We're having carry-out-in from DaVinci's tonight.  The restaurant needed the pick up by 2 p.m. so our daughter brought everything over and it's been repackaged and ready to put in the oven around 5 p.m.  The table is set with good china and we're using Phil's Christmas tablecloth.

Merry Christmas to all.  Joy to the World and Hark the Herald Angels sing!

Operation Christmas Child

Message from UALC: We pray for each shoebox that will be brought to Mill Run this week, from our church and other churches in the area. We pray for the journey of the shoeboxes and the individuals involved in getting them to the children. May the contents of these boxes bring necessities, as well as items of joy and fun to each recipient. We pray for the children and families whose lives will be impacted by the contents, and the message of God and his love.

There will be many more, but this was the stack on November 16, 2024.