Those Missionaries

Well, our snow is all gone - we woke up Sunday morning to rain which had melted all the snow. YAYYY! It was very pretty but it got old fast. We've been having the missionaries over a lot. They are a funny couple of kids. They're very serious about the work, but they do like to joke around and I think they've kind of adopted us as surrogate parents. They've been over 4 times in the last week. Today they came with a new member to watch a DVD and they brought us lunch - Fish & Chips. Yummm! But Don HATES fish so all he got to eat was the chips. I thought it was pretty funny because I LOVE fish and when the missionaries called to ask if he liked fish and he told them "No" they thought he was joking so they went ahead and bought it. While we watched the DVD the missionaries took turns sitting in our massage chair (I think that's really why they like to come). Oh, and they ate my fudge.

Last night our ward council met at the church to put together gift boxes for members of the ward. We did 21 boxes. Unfortunately, it's always a member of the bishopric who does the shopping for the food for the boxes and they buy the weirdest stuff. Nothing Christmasy at all. Things like fruit snacks, granola bars, crackers with peanut butter, and non-Christmas candy (Starburst, Laffy Taffy, Smarties). I can't take it one more year - I'm volunteering to shop next year and put together something much nicer and more festive. Also, we wrap boxes with Christmas paper and the men do it so sloppy and the inside looks awful. We have to do something about that next year too. We delivered 3 boxes and still have 2 more to deliver. We gave the missionaries 3 to deliver too. Some of them are going to investigators. I'm actually kind of embarrassed to give them out. Oh, and there really wasn't as much food for them this year because the counselor who bought it didn't bother to figure out how much he needed to buy so they look kind of pathetic.

We did a little food shopping yesterday to make sure we had everything we need for Christmas Eve, Christmas and when Don's kids come. I think we're ready now. We're actually going to have pizza for Christmas dinner because we're saving the turkey and fixings for when Don's kids are here and Joshua personally requested pizza. I'm OK with that - it's easy!

I'm having trouble with this post because Chloe is sitting next to the monitor putting up her paw at me to get my attention. Then she sees movement on the screen and tries to paw at it. The joy of cats.

Well, we have to go deliver those boxes and I'm going to try to make some berry thumbprint cookies and maybe one other kind. We'll see what I get around to - I'm trying not to put too much pressure on myself or have too many specific expectations for Christmas. I'm just going to be happy for whatever happens and whoever is here.

Glad to be Alive

Well, like a dummy, I thought I might be able to get down the hill to the store today. I think I might need a mental health check-up because it snowed again last night and looked worse than ever. But here was my reasoning: I thought the underneath part had melted and it wouldn't be too bad to drive in fresh snow. OK, that was super dumb. I actually made it out of our development and a short way down the hill. I was planning on going straight down the hill instead of turning and going down our usual route (there are two routes and I thought the straight one might be less steep). Well, my car decided to slide and turn at the corner of the usual route so I headed that way. Just as the hill started getting steeper I started sliding again and this time ended up facing back up the hill. I saw another car putting chains on just below me. I figured out at that point I'd be lucky to just get back home and a snow plow coming up the hill pointed me to another road next to me that had been plowed and sanded. So after much slipping and sliding I finally got onto that road and it was fine until I got to the place they'd stopped plowing, but to get back home that way I had to keep going. It was soooo scary. I got to a place that curved while going downhill and I just kept sliding. Little by little I tried to control the slide around the curve and down the hill and then back up to our street. Getting back into our garage was very hair-raising but miraculously I made it all the way back without an accident. I'm not going out again until the spring thaw (which I hope is next week). Don, to his credit didn't say "I told you so" even though he had. As soon as we can get out I'm making Don buy chains.

I guess we probably won't make it to church Sunday which is a shame. The Sunday before Christmas is always my favorite Sunday of the year. The choir has practiced for weeks and every voice is needed. Maybe they'll have to cancel church, we'll have to just wait and see. The weather report looks like we'll get a little break sometime next week. I hope things start to warm-up by Christmas Eve so the kids can come and so Don's kids can come the day after (which is the plan right now). Can't count on it, though. On the plus side, it's really beautiful outside. Very picturesque!

Snowbound

Backyard after snowstorm

Front yard after snowstorm

View from Living Room window

Front of our house after big snow

Well, our big storm came and we have about 4 inches of snow on the ground with more to come. They have about 2 inches in town and all the schools are closed and there are ice warnings. It's BRRRR cold (low 20's and teens at night and not above freezing in the day). We're home bound right now and I'm canceling everything coming up this week. I'm hoping we'll get out by Friday to go to our ward Christmas Party (it's a Mexican themed party and I love Mexican food). Wednesday is Jeremy's birthday and we have his gifts but I don't think he'll be able to get up the hill so we may have to postpone it.

Since we had to stay home today I baked some wonderful ginger cookies (Lily's mom gave me the recipe) with a lemon glaze and then Don and I wrapped presents. I'm glad that's finally done - I kept putting it off. I think Don was more eager to help than usual because it was that or go shovel snow (which he still better do). I also did some more sewing on the sails for Don's model of the Mayflower (he's almost done now).

Joshua and Lily came over Friday evening and Lily brought me a beautiful fresh wreath that her mother made for us. It's so much prettier than any store bought wreaths. She told me she'd show me how to make them next year. Evidently she has equipment that wires them together and she makes lots of them every year. She's really talented - she also makes beeswax angel ornaments.

I got a speeding ticket last Thursday. I was driving down the hill and the speed limit is only 25 mph which is ridiculous (but the speed limits in this town are all really low for the roads). Anyway I was speeding and I got caught. So I went right down to the courthouse and paid my fine ($115) . OUCH - that hurt! But I won't be speeding down the hill again, I learned my lesson the hard way. And, now we can't afford to go to see the lights on the coast and spend the night so that little trip got canceled. Oh, well - live and learn.

We had fun yesterday afternoon at a birthday party for a lady in our ward who will be 82 on Christmas day. She's from Switzerland and never married and she's an absolute riot. We really love her. Some other friends hosted the party and everyone brought little gifts. We sure love our friends in this ward.

We've invited our home teaching families over for a little party next Saturday night. Hopefully the weather will be cooperative by then. We did it last year and everyone liked it and it's easier for us than having to go visit everyone this busy time of year.

I'm posting pictures of our snow. It's still a big deal to us and it's so beautiful.

Twilight

I can now officially give my long-awaited review of the movie "Twilight." I know everyone's been waiting with bated breath for my revered opinion. Anyway, I went with my Book Club group last night to see it (kind of a fiasco getting there because the theater changed it's times so we ended up going to another theater and trying to call everyone to tell them of the change). I had lowered my expectations quite a bit after hearing a few things about it and, of course, books are always better than the movie made from them. But I must say I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it. It took me most of the movie to really think Edward was handsome enough but I think his personality won me over eventually. I must say Dr. Cullen was spooky looking and his makeup looked pretty fake, but he played the part well enough to make me believe he was the good guy he's supposed to be. Jasper was freaky too. Those weird staring eyes and "on the edge" expression were creepy. Of course, that's the way he's supposed to act, I guess. But, overall I think they pulled it off. Most of the characters were either as I imagined or at least I could accept them without a problem, and the setting was exactly the way I pictured it. The effects were good too and I think they stayed very faithful to the story and somehow were able to condense it into the time frame of the movie without losing anything important.

Tuesday night was our "Night in Bethlehem" Enrichment Night. It was sooo wonderful. The committee had lined the room with a beautifully painted Bethlehem backdrop and set up tent booths for food. We dressed in robes and scarves and ate dried figs, dates, olives, grapes, pita sandwiches with chicken salad made with grapes and apples, and for dessert we had homemake Baklava (so delicious!). We sat on sofas, soft chairs and floor cushions while we ate and talked and then shared stories about our service swap from our previous Enrichment Night. We also shared our Christmas traditions. Afterward, an angel came out and announced the birth of the Savior and then more angels joined him and they sang some Christmas songs. After that we were led to another room where a group of women had set up a nativity scene and Mary told the story of the Savior's birth from her visit by the angel Gabriel through Christ's presentation at the temple after his birth. It was very beautiful and spiritual with more Christmas songs. It was such a special evening. I wore Don's robe and one of his scarfs around my head and as I was leaving, my friend (who's kind of tall) looked at me and said, "Oh, you look like a little hobbit." We all looked pretty unusual (one lady looked like she was dressed like a flapper but she kept explaining she was a lady from Babylon and another folded a quilt in half and wore that over her shoulder with a belt around her waist).

I finally have a night at home tonight, but I do have to go take Joshua to Lane Community College to take his final this afternoon. He's now questioning whether he really wants to get a degree in Graphic Arts & Design. I thought he'd finally decided what he wanted to do, but I guess not. I wish he'd decide and get on with it. He's got enough credits for his AA and quite a few towards his BA but still doesn't really have a focus. He wants to write and has to figure out what to do with that desire and ability.

It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas

It's looking pretty Christmasy around here. Nearly every house in our neighborhood has outside lights and decorations and I love the mall and stores this time of year with the trees and decorations and lights. The whole town is lit up and sparkling.

Friday night I went with 2 other women on the First Friday Art Walk (I said before it's once a year but found out it's the first Friday of every month). We walked around downtown to 6 art galleries and some other shops. There were lots of people, live music and free food. There was some incredible art and one gallery in particular was filled with amazing paintings, sculpture, jewelry, pottery, glass, etc. Afterwards we went to a little cafe for gelato. It was lots of fun and very "Eugene."

Sunday was my Relief Society lesson on joy. I've never had a lesson come together so easily for me or go so successfully. Everyone wanted to participate and one woman bore her testimony afterwards, crying about how much she needed this lesson because she should have joy in her life but doesn't (someone I never would have expected to say that). The sisters really loved the angel ornaments we gave them too. Sunday afternoon we went over to the Creche Exhibit and saw over 900 creches. Unbelievable!! Nativities from every country you can think of and made from every kind of material imaginable. Also depicting every kind of animal as nativity participants. There was a live nativity there and singers and other musicians. Then Sunday night we watched the First Presidency Christmas Devotional which was so good and so inspirational. It was a wonderful day.

Yesterday we found a good used mountain bike for Jeremy for his birthday. He just needs it for occasional backup transportation so he didn't really need a brand new expensive bike, but actually, the one we found on Craigslist is pretty nice, just needs a little tune-up. And it was only $50 - a bargain!

Tonight we're having the missionaries to dinner (they requested Don's "Mexican Feast" which consists of chimichangas, tamales, spanish rice, and refried beans). We also invited over the new member whose baptism I just spoke at. I'm not eating with them because tonight is also our Relief Society "Night in Bethlehem" Enrichment Night so I'll be eating there. I'm really looking forward to it. Our enrichment committee has been working hard for a month so I know it's going to be wonderful.

Tomorrow night our Book Club is going to see "Twilight" - finally!! I'm really excited to see it and as soon as the movie is over I'm going straight to the store that sells Twilight t-shirts and get one. Lily got one after she saw the movie and I want one too.

Don and I are planning to go see a beautiful light display at Shore Acres State Park (they have thousands of lights in a beautiful garden) on the coast just below Coos Bay. The Shore Acres display is kind of famous around here because it's so spectacular and we've wanted to go since we moved here. It's a 2 hour drive so we'll spend the night because we don't want to drive back after dark (it's kind of a dangerous drive after dark - at least to us). Joshua's going to try to get us a good deal at a Comfort Inn in North Bend (just above Coos Bay).

Our Christmas House

Above the Kitchen

Dining Room Window

Living Room Christmas Tree

Woodland Nativity

Bookcase in Family Room

Shelf at Staircase Landing

Bird Alpine Trees at Staircase Landing

Closeup of Family Room Woodland Tree

Family Room Woodland Tree

Family Room Fireplace

Thought I'd post some pictures of some of my Christmas decorations. I'm finally pretty satisfied with my decorations. I changed some lights over my kitchen, had to buy new lights for the deck after Don spent 1 1/2 days trying to fix the old ones and I bought 3 new little Santas for a display shelf. Next year I want to make a few more changes (upgrades) but I have to do a little at a time.

Last night was the baptism I was asked to speak at. It was very nice and I guess my talk was fine. Then I had to rush over to another building to take two of my Nativity scenes for a Community Creche display our church hosts every year. There will be over 900 Nativity scenes there this year. It's quite spectacular.

Tonight our Relief Society Discovery Group is going on the First Friday Night Art Walk downtown (held every year on the 1st Friday in December). There will be lots of art galleries open for viewing so it should be fun. Then we're going to a place called Perugrino's for gelato. Don't know if I can eat that - could make me sick. Next Tuesday night is our RS Enrichment Night (Night in Bethlehem) and then Wednesday night our Book Club is going to see "Twilight" since we read the book series.

We did our Costco shopping yesterday and need to get to Fred Meyer for the rest of our grocery shopping today. Got my budget and calculator on my iPod and I'm committed to stick to it. I'm loving all the uses for my iPod. I keep my weight chart and calorie count on it, as well as shopping lists, Christmas lists, check Facebook, email, movies and weather on it and have my scriptures, other books, recipes, medical and first aid information and lots of games on it. Also music and photos, of course.

My physical therapy seems to be helping my left shoulder. The therapist finally discovered that my AC joint is the primary problem but the muscles in my upper back are very tight and contribute to my pain and immobility. He stretches the muscles and manipulates the joints which is helpful. I also have a few exercises to do.