SHEs Organized

Well, my goodness, bsweet -- I didn't really catch that in Kathryn's post, even. So now I'm kinda confused, too. I don't think we really play up the "second coming" aspect of Advent in our church, either. In my mind, anyway, at our church, we have always been preparing to celebrate His first coming to earth as the babe born in the manger. I've got to start paying more attention. I know we are looking forward to His second coming, as well, but I have not realized that as that the focus of what we are doing at church.

OK...it's time to get busy here! Otherwise, I'll still be sitting here at supper time having done absolutely nothing.

First up.....

- start a loaf of oatmeal bread in the breadmaker (never tried this recipe before)
- upstairs critters
- make bed
- gather laundry
- clean bathroom

Making progress -- and NO NAP this afternoon!
So far:
* washed pan and electric skillet that were sitting in the sink
-- (Don't get any ideas... the pan was for C*mpbell's Soup and the skillet was for popcorn. We still don't really cook around here.)
* s/s kitchen & baths
* took allergy shots
* finished reading the papers
* discarded magazines
* looked for tickets online, decided need to make phone call tomorrow
* sent ds a link for Am*zon book for possible Christmas gift idea for his granddaddy
* put away church clothes, shoes, Bible that had been scattered around bedroom, kitchen, etc.

I think those oranges can wait till I see dparents on Tuesday.

I need to
[ ] type some school stuff
[ ] grade some papers
[ ] do laundry
[ ] put stamps on Christmas cards
[ ] call dmom

I'm drinking some iced coffee and hoping for a burst of energy.

I've whiled away the day, I'm afraid, but did spend some good time with dh so it's all good. We went out earlier to Lowes and bought new light fixtures to update our DR, foyer, stairwell, and the back hallway that is visible from the foyer. This is the first step in beginning to update the house - I'm supposed to be making a li&t for a handyman type person to do some work.

We had lunch out, then went to an open house in a different area, and walked through several houses that are under construction, and drove around through several other areas. Just got home maybe an hour ago, finally and I just feel pooped.

Going to try to do some things in threes....
-fold one or more loads of laundry
-reboot the laundry
-straighten the family room

Interesting reading the advent christmas prep decotate posts.
Our family (ch of scotland/presbyterian) - tree was a branch of a large native pine cut christmas eve. dm was a lather of frustration wrapping while the rest of us were out of the house treking up up the paddock to "the christmas tree" that grew. and carrying it home as small child wedged within its branches of prickly stubble.
http://www.emahotrees.com.au/ARAUCARIA_ ... amii.shtml Imagine a big one.
Cards went up as they arrived. Not sure when any other decorations went up. Maybe as cards started to arrive a few bits would hang in doorways or garland around sideboard mantle. but most was on christmas eve. It stayed up til my bday lol 8jan.
I found out about advent at lutheran church. the lighting of candles. There was always a big tree up for the childrens Christmas production - date of that sometimes varied .
When I lurked with catholics I found out about the need for "internal preparation" for advent - seemed similar to lent in terms of "how am I living". I've claimed membership there even if I don't/ haven't jumped thru all their membership hoops. Trying to get there each week. I need/want to work out something for christmas. though sometimes if I'm in bris. I go to the cathedral on boxing day -always a nice service on st stephens day.

today - Its monday. I want to get some mowing started. its cooler today. rain is forcast but not arrived yet. grass is growing. dandelions blooming.

waving to twins - thats work too - looking and thinking - the what iffing.

Kathryn, perhaps the Jewish form of Advent is the period leading up to the High Holy Days. There's Selichot which is on the Saturday evening (traditionally late at night) before Rosh Hashanah (unless RH falls on a Monday or Tuesday, in which case it's moved back a week. Then there's the 10 days between RH and Yom Kippur "Days of Awe" in which one examines their sins of the previous year, makes peace with anyone wronged, and repents.

And yes, I suspect that Jews do feel out of sync with the Christian calendar and holidays. When I'm getting ready for Rosh Hashana or cooking for the Yom Kippur break-the-fast, the rest of the world is going about business as usual - including tax deadlines.

I'm torn about making too much of Hanukkah - it's really a minor holiday in the Jewish calendar, only coming into recognition because of it's proximity to the Christmas season. This year, Hanukkah doesn't begin until Dec 20, but many times, it is earlier in December so it's gone before Christmas comes round.

I really enjoy just being an observer of Christmas as much as possible - I'd hate to have the burden of decorating, baking, cooking, shopping, although as I remember it was quite enjoyable at the time. I've always felt somewhat "out of step" with others, or different, and it pleases me now instead of being a source of anxiety as it was when I was younger.

Christmas with my dfamily is always stressful - Two years ago my sister smelled, my mother's house smells of cigarette smoke from my dbrother who lives there, my mom can't hear and always has TV turned up way too loud. I was really pleased last year when we had a once-in-a-lifetime Christmas day snow and we had a fabulous reason to stay in.

The dcleaning lady comes tomorrow, and I'll just have to do some clean up in the playroom early on so she can get in there and actually clean any. I think I'll work on downstairs a little more tonight so there's not so much to do in the a.m. DH ate leftovers from his lunch for supper - I'm not hungry yet but will eat lasagne leftovers a little later. I also started the dishwasher during that last round.

Tomorrow I also have a dr appointment - need to somehow not eat until 10:15, although I can have black coffee (yeeeck!) in the a.m.

-get rid of 10 pieces of paper on "hot" kitchen counter
-listen to messages on phone machine
-wipe out two refrigerator shelves
-put away a basket of laundry
-take dry cleaning upstairs and hang up

Our church does not follow the liturgical calendar (is that what it's called?) but we do have a small advent wreath with candles and every sunday a different family stands around it and the husband lights a candle and the wife reads the verse(s). Now that I've read what Kathryn had to say about it, I will have to pay more attention to what they're saying.

As for Christmas here, I do like that we have the whole month to enjoy it. I like the lights everywhere, and being with family and I like the decorations, but if I don't have anyone to share them with I don't like the work of it all. Discovered today when DH said he wanted to try out his fire pit and are our friends available at all this month...that now I'm encouraged to do all the decorations again. So now I know what I was upset about last year, noone to share stuff with...

DH most often goes to bed early and it seems like I'm here with the tree all by myself...

2 Friday's from now I'll have to have all this done and the house in better shape and some cookies done to share...wish me luck getting all that done!

My quilt is ready to go out in the mail tomorrow. I bought the shipping box and card today after church.

Must get garbage together and start cleaning up around here. The house is a wreck!

washed pan and electric skillet that were sitting in the sink
-- (Don't get any ideas... the pan was for C*mpbell's Soup and the skillet was for popcorn. We still don't really cook around here.)

Here we've been pulling a lot of boxed things out of the freezer.

thats work too - looking and thinking - the what iffing.

so true.

This evening I have done Desk Days for the 2 households to the point that I am finished until 1st of year. this includes Christmas card and tip to paper carrier. It took almost 2 hours. Sigh. I have a blank post=it on the door to remind me to pick up the envelopes on the way out to school run. I've learned I can't leave notes on our door, fridge, etc. anymore because my ddad reads worry into almost any words and combs the front rooms for potential worry. I have to hide in my bedroom to work on this because it would truly upset him to see me writing a check. We have to constantly reassure him that we don't owe money, the bank balance never changes, etc.

Long conversation with dd about what degrees you get at what colleges or universities, and the difference between Arts and Sciences, etc. It's always interesting when a child announces they don't know what a set of words about a certain aspect of life means. So often we go through life bantering words about and forget the children around us may be interested but are clueless until we explain. It was nice to have a not-too-grown-up conversation with her about grown up things.

Next-week-thoughts:

1) Tracking # assures me that the Christmas cards I ordered arrive tomorrow and labels by Wed. So that will be a priority in the coming week.
2) I also need to follow up with the spay-neuter place, which has not returned my call. Dstepson today was very discouraging about that and says it took a long time to get an appt for their cat.
3) Sometime during the week I'll get a tree here. Completely forgot to ask dstepson to get stand out of barn while he was here. Sigh. But he did a lot for us that would have been hard without him. I think of these things, but I don't write them down. I need to go back to the note-pad in apron pocket plan.
4) Should call my own dr's office because I think I was supposed to get thyroid bloodwork done again in Dec.
5) Change keyboards! HRH gave me a new one and it's driving me crazy. Have snagged old one and held it tight!

Everybody seems so busy with impossible schedules...and it seems extras thrown in, me included.

But I've made some progress. Only too tired to do much more.

LOL brought back inside. Almost dry. Hanging up in laundry room.
LOL twirling on heavy/soak cycle, my solution to getting whites actually white without presoaking by hand. Seems to be working.
Huge batch of dishes washed.
Cleaned out refrigerator, put some things in freezer.
All garbage out of house to curb. Recycling broken down (big boxes, etc.) and out to curb.
Some of freezer stuff dragged back out as DH changed mind and wanted lunch made for tomorrow. Made lunch for 3. Might be my last day.
Button sewed on work pants for DH. Thought I might as well do it since all my sewing stuff is still out.
Signed card, had DH sign, to put with package tomorrow.

Yikes, I have to get their Christmas pkg together to mail also. Don't want it to be late. Oh my I really need to go to bed.