Interesting Sunday

Sunday started out like every other Sunday except I woke at 5:00 instead of waiting for the alarm at 7:00. That wasn't good because it was going to be a big day. I didn't know how big it would be!

I helped Tom set up for Communion, practiced with the soloist and played Christmas arrangements on the piano for preludes and then switched to the organ.
The deacon forgot me at the organ, so I only got half of the rite, but not to worry, the Congo church I play for across the street would have communion too, so I would be alright.

After playing for the communion service, I dashed across the street, nibbling a cracker on the way as I was running low on gas. I did a nice arrangement of O Little Town in a Sonatina setting, then did a nice arrangement of Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne, played the hymns, including the candlelighting, which I forgotten the week before and had gone to my seat in the pew too soon and had to be reminded, and finally I did a pepped up arrangement of Come Thou Long Expected Jesus as an offertory. (Are you dizzy yet?)

Tom and I grabbed a bite at the corner store, so I could go back into our church and practice last minute passages for our Cantata, Emmanuel.

We then drove to Paris Hill Baptist for a 1:30 warm up and presentation at 2:00 which went fairly well for a first performance. We have two more next Sunday.

I couldn't wait for that afternon nap because Pastor Bruce had asked me to play at North Paris Church for their annual Christmas singalong. Sometime during my nap, the phone rang, which Tom answered. When I woke up, he said one of the ladies of the church who is taking care of a ninely three year old man wanted him to come and play along with me if it wouldn't bother me. What the heck, it's Christmas. I'm not that good anyway, so maybe he can cover my mistakes.

We got to the church and there was this wonderful, alert looking gentleman smiling at me. "Okay", I thought. "Let's see how it goes." I cranked up a few hymns for us to experiment with and he said, "Do you have anything with a little zip?"

Hmmmmmm. "Okay, lets go. How about the Battle Hymn?" and off we went. All I had to tell him was the key and he was right there with me.

I worried that he might get tired standing there playing away. It seems I was the tired one.
I had planned to do The Little Drummer Boy as a special in the setting of Mozart's Night Music.
I asked Pete, my new ninety year old friend, if he would like to play along. He said he didn't knw it, but by now I wasn't worried. I told him the key and off we went.

Jane, his caretaker, phoned his daughter while we were playing and she said the daughter hung onto the phone crying up a storm!! Did I get a Christmas present last night? You bet I did.
Not only did it bring back memories of playing piano with my Charlie as he was growing up, but I saw the miracles that God performs with aging people. He lets some of them keep the precious gift of music. Pete will not know me the next time he sees me, but Jane tells me to remind him of playing at the Christmas party and he will remember. May I be so fortunate as to retain a little of my ability through the years, though I certainly won't bank on making it to ninety three. I forgot to mention that we played for an hour!!!

The Day after Thanksgiving

The day after Thanksgiving was a great one for Tom and me.

In days of yore, it was always a trip to the Grands house in Kentucky over snowy highways, little kids in the car and lots of family fun during the 12 hour trip from Massachusetts.
We would leave right after school was out and drive all night. One snowy night we were snowed in at a rest stop on the New York turnpike. We made it to Kentucky, but not for Thanksgiving day. It was the day after for that year as it was this year for us.

Yesterday, the real Thanksgiving Day, we cooked for and served thirty nine people at our church, some members and some needy. It was a different kind of family day.
We have learned not to dwell on family times gone past, but to accept and adapt new holiday activities. The activities may not always be the same, but it will be a holiday observed.

Beth was in Ireland, but she made Thanksgiving dinner the Sunday before. Charles was in Mexico, but when he was here in October, we had Thanksgiving dinner at Beth's house again. She is a great entertainer and cook.

Soooo today it was my turn for a new tradition. Grandson Ethan and wife Anne and granddaughter Molly came over for after Thanksgiving soup. I always make turkey/noodle soup out of the carcass bones and since I cooked one of the turkeys for church, I had that available. Then as I was drinking my coffee this morning, I saw a turkey stew being made on my favorite morning channel. I got on their site and whipped up a second soup for lunch along with Cole slaw which I had made for the church dinner, and the usual pecan pie.

I must say, all agreed that it was a great after Thanksgiving dinner for a cold day and one that I may be repeating for hopefully several more years.

I hope that each of you had a great memory for this Thanksgiving. We had much to be thankful for this year as always.

First snow 11-25--08

The first snow November 25, 2008

Well, it has finally happened. We have our first snow. It didn't look too bad this morning and since we have all wheel drive on the Buick, we started out to take care of groceries and some doctor visits. We made it about 2 miles before Tom gave up. Now when he gives up, it is bad!! I'm the one who rolled over a few years back!!

So now we are safely back at home. I could say to our toasty warm home, but we keep the temperature at 60 degrees. I can't really say the house is cozy. Tom puts a portable heater in his office and I turn on the gas logs when I'm in the kitchen. As you can see, the cat stays warm!!

(Later in the day)

The snow turned to rain but not before there was enough out there for the plow truck to come do the driveway. Then we decided to go to Mexico for the groceries and made it there easily enough. On the way home Tom wiped out the road but fortunately he got the car under control before we wiped out the trees on the sides. It got his attention anyway, but God is good and we are once again safe at home.

The manger figures got a real coating of snow, so here are a couple of snow scenes for you southern people.

Forbodings of winter

It looks like this week will be the beginning of cold weather and there are still many things that should be done, many of which won't get done. However, the ones that really matter have been taken care of.

Yesterday while working in my sunroom, I decided the screens had to come off and the windows had to be cleaned so all available sun from our short days could shine on the plants.

I took my elongated handle squeegie and a pail of hot sudsy water

and proceeded to knock off the dust.The streaks that I left may disappear with the next rain, but at least it looks cleaner. Taking the screens off was a big help as well.

Tom tied the deck table and chairs to the railing as we get awesome winds from the north which are strong enough to send heavy chairs moving into the glass doors. The blue tarp covers the snowmobile in readiness for that first snowfall. Last year the snow came so fast and deep that Tom only bogged down when he tried to get the thing moving and only succeeded in burying it in snow which is where it stayed until spring. This year we hope to fare better.

Our apple tree out front has shed all of the leaves leaving a few bright red apples for the deer to eat. However, they don't seem to be hungry. This is also evidenced by the tracks in my daylily bed, but no missing foliage, as yet. They also didn't cross over the bridge!!
Another sign that winter is approaching comes from the rhododemdrum leaves. They shrivel up when the temperature drops below 35 degrees in an effort to prevent moisture loss from the leaves. Isn't our wonderful creation awesome? And some say there is no divine creator!!

Flooded river

The constant rain all week has raised the water level in our Nezinscot River coupled with the fact that the beaver dam is still holding. However as you will see, the water has breached the entire dam. Look in the background and you will get a good view of the lodge. The lodge is safe as it is out of the main flow.

Our favorite spot called Poet's point is upstream of the dam and thus is slightly flooded. The log that I usually sit on to watch rapids rush over rocks is well under water.

New Camera

Son Charles gave me a Nikon D40 for my birthday and I've been trying it out on anything and everything that would stand still. I haven't mastered the action pictures yet. I'll have to watch the video a few hundred times before that.

We tried the camera first at Beth's house as soon as I got it. I was a bit intimated with all the gadgets. She posed in front of her warm stove with blooming cactus in hand. She's into flowers as well as her mother and has quite a collection already.











Beth had to try the camera next and she had me sit at her piano. The piano is my former spinet which we bought soon after she was born in Chattanooga. She wanted it after I got my baby grand and so now it lives in her house. She learned to play on it and felt it was part of the family.

When we got home the full moon presented another chance to snap a different shot as it looked so pretty perched above the clouds.

After this group of photos, it rained all week, so I was stuck with indoor pictures. Misty cat proved to be an accommodating model as she sat around or warmed herself by our gas log fire.

The day after

Now that the election is over, the TV anchors will have to try something new to talk about, but I will basically stick to my woods.

We started election day by going to Auburn to meet with the Sun Journal writers. Tom and I have been hired by the Emergency Management Director for Oxford County to do a 12 page insert in the paper next November, (yes, you heard me correctly) on Being Prepared. Since we have a year to put this together, we are not under any undue pressure, but we want to do a good job and will start by getting information on the 36 towns in Oxford County and what they have for prepardness

Following this hour plus meeting, Tom had his back therapy, then we went by to vote.

After putting a chicken in to bake for supper, we drove to the western part of the property in the 'Mule'. I had not been on this trail for a long time, though Tom had walked behind his helper back in August to clear the trail.

We stopped at a few river view points until Tom decided that a tree stump looked like a pretty good chair. I went on to explore more of the river. "If you get in trouble, yell," he says from his stump. Yeh, like that would do me any good. He didn't even have his ears in!!

Anyway, I got to the river view trail that is my favorite without any bear encounter. I wasnt' worried about the moose and hoped I would see him, but didn't. I took this nice photo. I love this tree.

Even though our property is posted, we wear our bright orange.

The walk was good exercise and prepared us for a nice nap on our return. I took this photo of my 'Christmas', Halloween or whatever cactus when I came back into the sunroom. It is one I brought with me from Chattanoogo ten years ago when it was small.