For the third year in a row, I am dealing with health concerns at this very busy, crazy time of year. How about that? Am I so insane that I must be forced to slow down?
It's entirely possible that without Instigator #1, the Advent table manners will improve. At least through December 17. After that, all bets are off, because all 3 kids will be home. But now I've got to rethink the whole "who gets to light and blow out the candle" thing. Maybe I'll delegate that job to Middle Sister and tell her to find a way to make it fair to everyone.
Things are chilly here at Chez SFO Mom; our heater cut out sometime Friday (when we weren't here) and yesterday the repairman came out to give us the bad news. While he was able to pronounce our last name with no difficulty whatsoever and even told us what it means in Polish (pine cone, in case you're wondering), he was not able to fix the furnace. It needs a part. His boss will order it. I wonder how long that will take. I bought a space heater for the family room and some wonderful friends lent us 4 more. When Middle Sister and I plugged those in, we blew a fuse. We are now only heating the family room.
I'll probably be baking a lot today. Yesterday I made Michelle's molasses crinkles, the chocolate-peanut butter cookies from the back of the Reese's peanut butter chips bag, and almond biscotti.
At Mass last night, Father H started his homily as he does most Advents: by asking us to contrast all the decorated, brightly-lit houses we'd passed on the way to church with the minimal decoration (Advent wreath and Jesse tree) in church. He made a good point--he said he was not going to rage against those who get into the Christmas hype early, because so much of our economy and so many people's livelihoods depend on that. BUT he encouraged us to remember the reason for THIS season.
So this morning I headed down to the basement and dug out what I need to get Advent started: the Advent wreath, the candles, the Nativity scene. I need to remember that I don't have any more candles left--a few years ago I was an overachiever and bought 3 sets all at once. I took the last box out today. Everyone's still sleeping. I think that I'll get things ready now, so when they wake up, they'll discover that Advent has come!
1 comment:
We had a visiting priest yesterday from OK. Wonderful homily. He said his sister sent him a text picture of her tree she'd just put up and he called her and said, "What are you thinking?!? It's Advent first!"
Again, I don't knock those who get it all up and out by Thanksgiving Day (I used to have it all out by the day after Thanksgiving) . . . but once I learned the traditions of the Church, I fell right into them. ;)
My advent wreath is out on our table. I need to dig out the Christmas table runner so it looks more in place there. But, other than that, no tree until Gaudete Sunday). Putting it off makes it more fun - and I'll actually be sad to put it all away come Three Kings . . . because it won't have been up as long . . . only during the proper time.
I'm sure I'll get asked when I host bunco on the 11th, "Sarah, why haven't you decorated yet?" I'll be ready with loving detail.
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