I am really enjoying December. It is full of fun things. Lest you think I am either bi-polar, schizophrenic or something like that, I have check marked quite a few things off my list and have been doing fun things.  

Starting with the day after my last pessimistic post, we had a fun but very chilly day for the LCB. We only served 60ish instead of 100. Guess the other 40 who said they were coming went to Mickey Ds or something. I had lots of nanner’ pudding leftover. Lots. There were grateful people who took it home for consumption. The extra 2 cakes were well received as well. All went smoothly except for the coffee, which was sad because it really was chilly to be eating outside and something hot to drink would’ve been good. Lesson for next time: either get there on time, and get the coffee maker going, and make sure it is on a different outlet than a roaster, that way there is no roaster to trip the breaker, and the 100 cup coffee pot may only take 1 hour to get ready instead of 3, or take a couple of 12-cup coffee makers along that are really fast.

It was fun though, the LCB was hot and ready when people arrived. As Joe O. said, experience is a good teacher. The first time or 2 they did that kind of meal, people had to wait on the food because of not allowing enough time in the beginning. Roasters are the best invention since department stores which were the best invention since sliced bread, which was the best invention since boys. (Did I say that out loud? )

That night, our youth group climbed onto the back of a dumptruck and went around the county, caroling and handing out plates of cookies to those lovely families who have hosted us on Sunday nights. It was a 45° or so and it got cold on the back of the truck the last couple of miles. We tried to warm ourselves with thoughts of how nice it was to not be sweating bushels like we do in July. We tried to sing of Our Favorite Things. We also sang of wanting Hippopatumuses for Christmas. We remembered Joe R, who was not with us that night, and posed questions such as: if we are traveling 55 mph, and it is 45° and some straw flies off the back of the truck, what color are my shoes? He would’ve said duh but if you know him well you probably know why that question would’ve been directed at him.  We ended the evening by drinking hot chocolate and eating leftover cookies and listening to Roland try to say “elephants eat marshmallows.” It is so cute but comes out something like “effa-leffa-lents eat marshmuffles.” He enunciates most words very well for a just-turned-2-year-old, so it is cute to hear this version. 

My calendar printing went much faster than I thought and as of last Wednesday night I have 60 sets printed, bound and hole-punched. Did you hear a scream coming from my house?  I will print 15 more sets after the holidays and life has settled down a little again.

I got most of my cleaning done that I was hoping to do but I took the Christmas card and letter of my list until after the holidays. It was one of those things that had to be postponed.

Sunday night was the school Christmas program. Great program, food and evening! Last night was company supper at Bonefish Grille. Bang Bang Shrimp, anyone? Delicious and fun supper!!

Yesterday we Hershberger sisters helped our mom clean part of her house in anticipation for having the family home for Christmas. Looking forward to a good family time this weekend. The nieces all plan to stay here with us. So late nights and good times ahead. 

And for your reading displeasure, I give you a fine verse to the tune of I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas:

I’m dreaming of a green Christmas
Just like some others I have known
Where the leaves are still turning
And children are yearning
To be in a place where it has snown…….

We have not had a killing frost yet so we have some peppers yet in the garden, our lantana in the flower beds still looks perky and the yard still looks somewhat like this:

To see what we have come from, this is what it looked like about Feb. or March of 2008:

(Please excuse my terrible stitch job.)

I wish you all a lovely Christmas wherever you are. Hope this time is filled with the joy and wonder of CHRISTmas!