Merry Christmas!

 Merry Christmas from the rainy and windy mountains! Looking out on the valley one would think that snow waited in the wings, but we will only be getting melted snow on this Christmas Day. I don't mind the weather one bit. Last year we celebrated with bitter cold temps. Like cold but not bitter cold. 

Here are a few random thoughts and things on Christmas 2023 in no particular order.

First those Dollar Tree videos drew me in this year. Then got hooked on watching Penny, the talking cat. Those Penny reels helped bring me out of a crippling brain fog that had been going on for almost two years. Loved taking apartment tours of NYC via reels. Never been drawn to NYC and the prices of rent or ownership not very appealing. It is kind of like our game we play watching House Hunters. Now, I am hooked on watching chiropractic adjustments. Roy hears all the cracking sounds and asks how can you watch that?  

I made it to Christmas Day not hearing one time Happy Birthday, Jesus. Not one Mary Did You Know? I actually like Mary Did You Know but there for a while it was a SOS, song over sung. Also heard Shepherd's Pipe Carol several times and I still can sing the alto part. It is like it will never leave. Burl Ives, Holly Jolly Christmas...I heard a lot before Christmas Day, the old song gets repetitiously played. And wild and sweet the words repeat of it's the best time of the year. 

On this rainy Christmas Day, we have reopened The Garage on the Catmore Estate. We served brunch, milk punch and added cold deterring mats underneath the kiddy swimming pools filled with blankets and such for warmth. Word got out slowly that we had reopened but by evening they should all be in the fold and ready for Christmas supper. 

We grilled Taste of Texas steaks for our Christmas lunch. They were delicious. We used cast iron skillet with blue cheese butter and finished the cooking in the oven. The key to keeping the smoke down was putting the pan in the over while it got to 450. It was ready then to grill. They were so absolutely  delicious. Sides were pecan sweet potatoes and green bean casserole. We ate a later lunch cause we had a big breakfast complete with tea biscuits. 

Last night we went to the Candle Lighting service at First Presbyterian in Weaverville. A wonderful service and add liturgical to it and I love it. We were briefly Presbyterian when Roy was finishing up law school. The schedule worked better for Roy to be able to attend a service and be able to get to his study group. It's a beautiful church built in the early 1920s. Afterwards, we drove around a bit to see the lights and then came home. Oh, I also like light fixtures in churches and take a pic when I see a rather unusual and beautiful one. 

I don't know if I have done anything or if it is just arthritis but my hip that was replaced has been bothering me. I didn't ever have a bit of pain when I broke it but this has been bothersome. Fortunately, when we couldn't find our, we got one overnighted from Amazon. It has helped tremendously. This heating pad is great because it is flexible and I can wrap it around my hip. Yes, one must be getting old when one seems to love a heating pad for Christmas. 

The Boys have been so good today. They have got along and even napped together which is rare.

Yesterday's lesson, well it was a little different but I think it went well. I totally went a different direction with the lesson on Friday morning. Think we will have one more seasonal related lesson till we jump back into Genesis. Wait, we never jumped into it. Well you know....

Merry Christmas! This wasn't a bad year but it has been a hard year in many ways. We are thankful for our blessings, our friends and family. We are thankful for the Gift given to us and to the world. God sent His Son.