Sigh

The travel log is at last done, the pressure is off. The trip pictures are posted in my Picasa web album, even though I might add some.

The "Christmas Concert" was a success at Church yesterday and a live Frasier Fir is standing in the sun room earlier than we have ever had a tree up. It is going to stand there and settle in for a while before I get around to decorating it.

Since our daughters are grown and no longer live at home I have thoughts of not putting a tree up. But then my extensive collection of hand blown glass ornaments would stay in their box in the crawl space. A lot of people collect "things" bells, teacups, figurines, thimbles, salt and pepper shakers, bird figurines, Hummel figurines, license plates, ad infinitum. I have never thought of myself as a collector though I have way too much stuff. when my children were young I collected children's books especially those illustrated by Paul Gobel or Ann Ophelia Dowden. My mother collected little bird figurines of all sorts, emphasis on the word little. She would bring them back from foreign countries as her mementos when other people might bring back spoons, or plates or ashtrays. It occurred to me last night that I collect had blown glass Christmas ornaments. Ergo I HAVE to put up a tree even if I only hang the glass ornaments, or they sit in the crawlspace and never see the light of day. I guess that is part of the reason I never take the tree down until around Valentines day. Thank goodness Frasier Firs keep their needles and look good for months.

And now a less frenetic count down to Christmas can continue. A time to contemplate Advent and live into the season more completely. Gads that hardly sounds like my words. They sound more like Tand. A time to spend a more preparatory Advent. Working leisurely at preparing for Christmas. Not just the stuff we do like making lists, planning menus, shopping, cleaning house, and gradually putting up the Christmas decorations, but also trying to remember to pray more and read something more contemplative including my Bible. And get some exercise so I don't blow up like a blimp eating all the goodies. Hmm Lent and Advent are preparatory seasons, I should be resisting gluttony now too.

Sigh.