Family life, Hobbies, Cooking, Interests

[Belle of Grace]

Our long-anticipated Christmas cantata is tonight and tomorrow. We’ve put in many hours of extra practice over the past few days and I think we’re ready.

Break a leg!

Excited for you, Leigh!! I would so-o love to be in attendance
Praying for your requests mentioned earlier. God bless and be with you, the choir members, your family, and all those who are present for this wonderful cantata

 

[athenasius]

Leigh I hope it's wonderful and everyone has a blessed time. I've been dealing with a bout of the fatigue and it's been a bit busy so I've been offline a bit, and probably will be again for another couple of weeks.

@SarahRose the holidays are hard, especially the first ones after such a loss. It is healthy to grieve the losses, especially ones like the loss of your precious mother. You give thanks for her life, the memories, and her salvation, but it's mixed with tears for now. Hugs hon!

 

[SarahRose]

Thank you so much @athenasius

 

[Jaybird]

Leigh I hope it's wonderful and everyone has a blessed time. I've been dealing with a bout of the fatigue and it's been a bit busy so I've been offline a bit, and probably will be again for another couple of weeks.

@SarahRose the holidays are hard, especially the first ones after such a loss. It is healthy to grieve the losses, especially ones like the loss of your precious mother. You give thanks for her life, the memories, and her salvation, but it's mixed with tears for now. Hugs hon!

I have been missing your insights (Athenasius) and hope things will improve for you.

SaraRose: my condolences about your Mom. I lost my Dad to cancer in 1995 and it is so hard losing a parent regardless of how old you are.

 

[Leigh]

Good morning - wanted to pop in and thank you all for the prayers for our cantata. It went wonderfully well!!

I think we had just under 100 in the choir (some were out sick), and almost 50 in the orchestra, plus the children and youth choirs joined us for several of the songs. I heard that there were about 1200 in the audience the first night. We didn’t have quite as many on Monday night since it started later and was cold, dark and rainy.

Sadly Timothy’s girlfriend ended up having to work on Sunday evening so she was unable to attend. I was really sad about that, but continue praying for her that she will come to salvation soon.

@Belle of Grace, I wish you could have been there! I thought about you as we sang! (I did check about putting the link, but couldn’t.) It wasn’t just the story of Jesus’ birth, but the whole redemption story. My former boss passed away from pancreatic cancer late Friday night after a long and very hard four year fight, and while we were singing a couple of the more powerful songs I got teary thinking “And Donnie is there right NOW!! No more struggle for him ever again!!” Praise God! (“Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery” and “Yahweh, Jesus is Coming” were the two in particular that I thought about.)

Anyway, I have to get ready for work now. @athenasius, so glad to see you back (even if only briefly). We always love your posts and miss you when you aren’t here.

 

[Belle of Grace]

I did check about putting the link, but couldn’t.)

Would it be ok just to give a hint or clue of the name of your church? Then we could do online research on our own.
I loved your post! I would definitely have loved this cantata!

 

[JoyJoyJoy]

Yahweh, Jesus is Coming

One of my favorites. There's a YT video that is so powerful of the song. I cry and lift my hands when I watch it

 

[Kerbluey]

Ladies, I haven’t posted the cookie recipe because I found what I think is a mistake in it. It’s too complicated to explain. I’m checking with my MIL then I’ll post it.

We watched The Bishop’s Wife last night. What a great movie!

 

[SarahRose]

Thank you @Jaybird. I'm sorry about your dad, too. Cancer is horrible...

 

[Aiyanna]

Hey ladies. Having a hard time getting things going with Christmas. My mom sent me some old Christmas stuff she thought I would like (she was right). I put those up, so it looks a little more Christmasy.
I've been watching some of my favorite Christmas cartoons on YouTube from when I was a kid.

Some good news! I got the job with Dispatch! I start on the 19th. So I put on my notice. So beyond excited and relieved. PRAISE GOD! I'm super nervous too. And freaking out a little.... But right now my relief at leaving this job is huge.

Anyway, I hope everyone has a wonderful and blessed day. Love reading everyone's updates.

 

[Aiyanna]

@SarahRose So sorry about your mom. I couldn't imagine how hard this season must be for you I pray the Lord will fill you with peace and joy.

 

[SarahRose]

@Aiyanna Thank you And big congratulations on your new job!!! That is so exciting.

 

[Belle of Grace]

Some good news! I got the job with Dispatch! I start on the 19th. So I put on my notice. So beyond excited and relieved. PRAISE GOD! I'm super nervous too.

So-o happy for you Aiyanna! You're going to do great!!
What a nice Christmas present

 

[Baby Yoda]

So-o happy for you Aiyanna! You're going to do great!!
What a nice Christmas present

It sure is!

 

[Baby Yoda]

Who is planning Christmas or Christmas Eve dinner for family and friends?

This is the first year I decided I'd no longer be hosting a big sit-down dinner. (did not get together at all last 2 years due to the plague.)

Instead I have a ham I will slice and put out, and I ordered tiny sandwiches from Wegman's along with a fruit tray and ziti salad. All paper plates and disposable utensils. I feel this is the safest way to go, especially during cold/flu season.

Anyone else?

 

[athenasius]

Who is planning Christmas or Christmas Eve dinner for family and friends?

This is the first year I decided I'd no longer be hosting a big sit-down dinner. (did not get together at all last 2 years due to the plague.)

Instead I have a ham I will slice and put out, and I ordered tiny sandwiches from Wegman's along with a fruit tray and ziti salad. All paper plates and disposable utensils. I feel this is the safest way to go, especially during cold/flu season.

Anyone else?

George and I are going to have our son and daughter in law over on either Christmas Eve or Christmas day. She's hosting a ham dinner for some people that are by themselves for one reason or another on one of those days so we've ordered a turkey from the butcher to do on the other day. The turkey will run us $125!!! I'm used to the butcher turkeys being a bit more-- running between $75-90 but this years price was eye opening. George told me it's once a year, and to just go with it so I am but it better be a special bird!

There's a recent widow, some people without family that she and our son minister to regularly so eventually she'll tell me what date she's doing her dinner on and I'll fix Turkey, gravy, stuffing, yams and brussels sprouts (traditional Canadian Christmas dinner) with cranberry jelly for our date.

I'm not putting up a tree but I made those 2 candle arrangements, filled the coffee table bowl with a candle and ornaments and today I picked up a poinsettia in a festive christmas bowl with some other live plants. We have a wreath on the front door to the apartment.

 

[Baby Yoda]

m not putting up a tree but I made those 2 candle arrangements, filled the coffee table bowl with a candle and ornaments and today I picked up a poinsettia in a festive christmas bowl with some other live plants. We have a wreath on the front door to the apartment.

Sounds lovely.

 

[Baby Yoda]

Maybe put one of your candle arrangements as your avatar!

 

[Belle of Grace]

Maybe put one of your candle arrangements as your avatar!

Yes, Margery, we would enjoy seeing how you arranged it. I could use a good idea for my living room, and yours sounds like just what I'm looking for.

 

[Belle of Grace]

Who is planning Christmas or Christmas Eve dinner for family and friends?

We hosted Thanksgiving, and it was wonderful to have sweet son and his family here for a few days. The food just tastes better when we're blessed to have any of our family members here for a holiday meal. However, for Christmas, we won't be hosting the meal. I think we'll be with our older son again and his family including his MIL, whom we have not seen for a few years since she lives in a different state from the rest of us. Our DIL often prepares a Greek meal. They spent almost 4 yrs in Greece and came to love the people there and also enjoyed the Greek food.