Wishin' For a Dull Moment....

I know...be careful what you wish for!
Yesterday was anything but dull but my blood pressure is back down to normal today. There was a family get together at church and I was in the basement preparing to wax the floor by the piano and I booted some rowdy youth out of where they weren't supposed to be. They proceded to tell me where to go and how to get there. So...I told their grandma and she was livid! I went home while the floors were drying (I mopped them) and Ray wouldn't let me go back to church to finish the job. I have a very understanding, supportive hubby who knows just when I need a hug. It's hard to sit at home and relax after that kind of morning sooooooo.....I rearranged the living room and took the Christmas tree down and put everything away. I left my decorations up so it still looks festive.

I had such a nice day today though. I didn't get any cleaning done but the family was very thorough about leaving the building clean. Which was really nice. I didn't get much done but did take down some the specifically Advent-ish decorations in the sanctuary. It was a very busy week at church with changing the visuals after the morning service for the candlelight service, to changing them for Christmas day, to cleaning the sanctuary between services, to cleaning up after the family that was there on Christmas Day, and now the family that was there yesterday and trying to squeeze in a floor refinishing while there is no one using the building (no one who is usually meeting during the week.... and the families who are reunioning there only are supposed to be using the upstairs since I don't get paid to clean the downstairs. ($50 spread over 6 hours of cleaning really isn't that attractive!)

The visuals for the candlelight service where so lovely and many people commented on them. There were electric candles in the wreaths in the windows that were turned on. The angels were hung on the rafter posts in the sanctuary and an electric candle was taped to their hands. Sooo cool! And there were white and red pillar candles on the piano, by the organ, and an extra table besides that yet. There were tea lights on all the window sills too. THat looked really pretty, but made my very nervous when this one little nugget kept running in and out of church (from the fourth pew from the front). YIKES....but...every one lived.

I also had my friend over this afternoon because I am going to dogsit for her in January. Blixie got acquainted with Max, a BIG chocolate lab, and a lovely time was had by all. They will get along just grand. Blixie tolerates Max in her space without too much trouble. From her point of view, he is very large and boisterously exhuberant! But by the end of an hour they were both vedging under the table. So...it will be just fine!

I did get a coat of wax on the floor this afternoon. It felt really good to get that done, rather than still have it on the to-do list! When I finished, I heard some rumbling upstairs on the organ and some of the perpetually smiling members of my congregation were there. It is just such a treat to cross paths with someone like that during your day, especially after a day like yesterday. :):)

Never a Dull Moment....

We had an exciting phone call yesterday at supper time. Someone was fetching something from church and they spotted a bat flying around in the foyer. Yes....a BAT. So....they suggested we apprehend it and have it vacate the premises. We finished our meal and responded appropriately with a call to arms. Arm oneself with what? Well....we brought a fishing net, a butterfly net and an assortment of tennis rackets. I brought some towels too, why, I'm not sure. Definitely not to mop the blood and as I observed the bat doing very fast orbits around us...we'd never be able to throw a towel at it.
Who knows what one needs for this kind of stealth operation. Craig spotted it first...it was downstairs beside the elevator door, just kind of hanging off the wall. He quickly proceeded to excuse himself and the chase began. The bat went up to the foyer and dive bombed me for a while and then went up to the fellowship hall. Joe begged for a turn with the butterfly net, and the long handle seemed our best bet. I was not offended to surrender the net as I was not having much luck. My evasive maneuvers were not working. Trying to catch it but preferably not. Joey began to pursue the little fellow and had it in the net in no time at all. That's my JOE, fearless bat-hunter. Crikey! We let the little fellow go outside...hope he found a cosy little nook somewhere....just not in "MY" building.

SO that was out adventure. I think the bat got shook loose in the attic because we are getting a new roof on the church this week.

I've been putting the finishing touches on the plans for visuals over the next couple of services and have most things lined up and a couple of people to come and give me a hand. We'll have some seasonal music on and have a lovely time....some Christmas tea and goodies. Yum....

We are going to watch Elf together now, that's such a funny movie. What is your favourite holiday movie or special??

Whatcha Listenin' To????

I decided that decorating is all about creating atmosphere and at this house music is a big part of 'ambiance'. Try doing the dishes with classical music as opposed to a 'hits' station. Check out the difference in vibes. Personally....I think there is nothing better than a bit of jazz in the background when you're at the sink, or making cards.....mopping? not so much....you need a bit more oomph!

So....on that note. Decorating tip #6. Play some appropriate seasonal music when you are decorating, creating decor, or entertaining family and friends. I thought it would be really neat to poll the readership at this time and see what you are listening to. All you anonymous readers out there, join in the fun!!!

Today at work and in the studio I listened to MercyMe- The Christmas Sessions. WAAAAAY FUn....I also got a sneak peek at Jars Of Clay- Christmas Songs!!! What a fabulous, fabulous album that is. For most of the week I listened to the Oakridge Boys-An Inconvenient Christmas. What a fun album that is...and I love the way they do the Hallelujah Chorus, and just enough oomph and humour to get the mopping and toilets done!

O Christmas Tree....

This is my funky little tree. I just had to share it with you because it truly is one of a kind...kind of Dr. Suess-ian and way fun!!! It's kind of rubbery with the texture of rawhide.
It was soooo suitable for leaving out when I had the daycare kids around the house. I found the forlorn little thing at the second hand store. This place is a treasure trove for amazing seasonal things. And that brings me to todays tip! I think we are on TIP #5 Go to the second hand store!!!! Most second hand stores bring out there seasonal decor sometime Late in November. You can find almost-NEW stuff at these stores. Table top trees, full-size artificial trees, wreaths (I bought five bare wreaths for Advent at church for $11!!), seasonal baskets (I have a basket by my backdoor that I filled with two packs of green moss from Dollarama), ornaments, snowmen, santas, angels....etc.... Of course there WILL be tacky stuff out there but for the diligent seeker, there is treasure just waiting to be found.

Today was a nice day...and I am glad to be home again. We are on the verge of freezing rain and it is messy outside. SO thrilled to get a ride home from Little Lambs because I had my good boots on. I'm so vain!
Visuals are ready for Sunday. Just had to add the "word-of-the-week" at the front display board on the organ side. I'd been asked to do worship visuals on a fulltime basis but have decided not to pursue it at this time. Loooong story...too long for here. I'm much happier having made this decision and no longer having it hang over me. That tends to drain my brain. I feel a card coming on....gotta go!

Happy Monday!!

After a fun morning with the stamping group I am home again. I got to have a bowl of soup before I left and thought I would update this general area for a moment before continuing on. This is what the front of the garage looks like this season. I thought I would share this one last picture with you, and maybe that funky little Christmas tree yet next post....

It was a nice weekend, conluding with a seniors and youth group dinner at church after the afternoon service. We do this monthly and this time it was Casserole Extravaganza Night. I brought Bahmi and peanut sauce....those who recognized it, enjoyed it tremendously. It is always nice to see the seniors enjoying a warm meal and they were very appreciative too. It is put on by the deacons... Once we got home it was nice and early yet and we could wind down before watching the Amazing Race.

We were supposed to get some freezing rain but it doesn't seem to have made its way down here yet. That's okay by me!! Tomorrow we have Little Lambs for the last time before Christmas break and I have a meeting tonight. It is still busy but it will be nice for those things to wind down for a few weeks and be replaced by some seasonal new things. Just like making cards....right now we are busy making Christmas cards but soon it will be regular time again...it is nice to make a thankyou or birthday card and use some of those papers and stamps again. We are ready for some holidays I think. I didn't feel well last night and went to bed early, I didn't even notice Ray turning the light off after reading for a while!! Slept like a log.

Decorating tip of the day! This is one I saw at my friend Nancy's house this morning, and it is something I do here as well! Keep some of your favourite ornaments on a window sill, or ledge, where you can see them all the time. I have some special ones from friends and it is nice to group them together and think nice things while you are doing the dishes there! Eventually your tree becomes so full you can't hang them all anyway!! This is nice for people who don't put a tree up for one reason or another.

Cheap Therapy

Do you ever have something happen to you and you just don't know where to file it in the life experience section? It's one of those days today. Ya just can't figure out what goes on in some people's brains and why they do the things they do...and what if THEY knew that YOU know what they DON'T think YOU know. If you can follow that you must still be on your first glass of wine. Anyway.....I had the chance to have lunch with some girlfriends and you know what they say.....Good friends are cheaper than therapy....and then I went home and finished outdoor decorating.

I have an old weathered storm window frame that I bestowed some decorating upon. I chipped the dirt out of my frozen urn out front with a hammer and screwdriver....hoping the neighbourhood would not take note of my slothful outdoor fall cleanup. But...it's hard to be discreet while you're putting your back into it!


Decorating Tip #3- wait until you are home for Christmas and can go tromping out into the bush as a family to gather things. This would make for a lot of fun bonding time....AND give you access to FREE material at the same time. A bonus tip for today.....I saw a lovely metal wall sconce on my walk to house cleaning yesterday. It was filled with pine boughs and such, plus a big burgundy velvet bow. It looked soooo lovely. It was lined with that burlappy stuff and probably a bit of oasis....although a friend uses sand.

Tonight I get to serve a Christmas dinner at our local seniors complex, catered by our church's mission team. I love serving and love working with the members of that team, we are good friends and that makes it more fun than work.

The cadets are still meeting at church this weekend so I will wait with cleaning the downstairs until they have vacated the premises. Not much point in doing it multiple times.

Preparations for the second sunday of Advent are complete. We got these cooooooool electric candles, battery operated...that we are using for the candlelight service in various ways....soooo funky!

Enjoy whatever downtime you have this weekend....and those with exams....hang in there!!

Lookie, Lookie....

After posting yesterday's decorating tip of the day....I decided that it would be prudent to post a before and after picture. Please note: I decided to skip the illustrated step of "throw in laundry", you'll have to imagine that part. So , the top picture is of the patio door, BEFORE, with a cheapy little garland over the curtain rod. I twist some of the "pine" around the rod. This is all I got done the other day. So....Babysteps....then supper happened and dishes happened....and everyone scattered and I had the kitchen table all to myself. That is an important part of the process. Then I retrieved various nature things from the garage to the tabletop and began the process.... And the lower on is the AFTER shot . Not picture is the lovely glass of Red Currant Merlot I had while "working". There are boughs of cedar, dogwood branches, dried porcupine grass, and that's it. There was no need for rosehips...I'll use them in a swag outside. I think that'll be my next project....cause we wouldn't want to run out of projects!

No time for a tip today...it took all my time and patience to download these.....see ya!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas...

Today Craig had a snow day. Well...his bus was cancelled but I think school was still on. The schools that feed the highschool are in hither and yon, and when there are snow squalls there is easily one or two bunches that can't make it to school! This was very difficult for Craig to accept.....NOT! But more difficult for Joe who DID have school. So we hung out together. It was such a fun day. I finished the laundry, and we brought the Christmas things out of hiding. Craig put the tree up all by himself....we added the lights and the garland and will put the ornaments on together later.

I also decorated the living room area, tops of the kastjes. I don't usually do that but felt moved to do that this season. It is fun to have something new to look at. I am recharging batteries as we speak so there might be some pictures forth coming. I found the cutest funky wacky little Christmas tree last year.

I have been totally uninspired in the card department but feel the creative juices stirring in the decorating department. So instead of cardmaking tips I shall have a couple of decorating tips. I know it's not what you wanted but it's what I wanted. ...tough bananas. Tip #1 was posted in the comments of Amanda's blog. For persons unable, or unwilling to have a Christmas tree.....simple search out or purchase some seasonal foliage and place it in an appropriate vessel (urn, sap bucket, or other tall container ...10gallon pail wrapped in burlap....) and voila...Christmas in a pot.
Tip #2- decorating over a window or patio door. Detach curtain. Throw in laundry. Take an artificial pine garland and wrap it around the curtain rod, or simple fasten in the middle and the corners so it can drape gracefully....or lay upon the shelf over the door. Take various kinds of branches(dogwood, pine, cedar.....) , nature thingies(teasels, rosehips, stalks from grasses...) and insert at random. Garland will keep the various inserts in place....you can also use artificial berries on picks from Dollarama or last years Christmas center piece. I have also used the berries from my firebush. Go crazy... usually very therapeutic.

Must go now and deliver spouse to meeting, then attend parent teacher interviews. TTFN....

Seeing Stars....

Another fun day today. I got a little roadtrip in, not quite as far as Randall and not with that many teenagers in the car. Two friends and I went to Exeter and shopped the little shops there. They have such lovely Christmas things there. I purchased a number of cream coloured stars of various sizes. I hope to put them on the front of the garage. First I have to convince Ray that the garage won't bleed if I put nails in the wood...

Speaking of Ray and the garage.....he has successfully created a rack in the garage for both canoes to rest on AND leaving enough room for the car to be housed indoors for the winter. I suggested a couple of tweaks to the original design, which ended up making the car fit even more easily. I was about to take a picture BUT my batteries are dead. Maybe tomorrow....

I am doing a load of tea towels and they are spinning out for the last time. A family had a gathering at church and we went and tidied there after my company Christmas dinner. The ladies I paint with and the lady I work for , and the guy who does the home inspections and maintenance all had Christmas dinner together with our spouses. It was such a fun evening....

Well the lads are back from hockey, Ray played defense and still managed to score 3 goals!
Have a good first Sunday of Advent! Ik mat noadich op bed!