Peg, You go girl. So glad you got a live tree and that you sure are on top of things to have it all up and decorated already. It is beautiful. I like your white theme. That and blue are my favorites for decorations.
I actually bought a live tree this year, although small, just a table-top sized frazier fir and though I dont have it decorated yet, I was excited. I did put up my small door wreaths and mailbox greens, as well as the greens over both my lamplights alongside of the door. Seeing the wreaths on the front of the house always helps to put me in the spirit and of course the lighting of the advent wreath at church this morning.
Our Christmas will be small this year, as on Christmas eve, Sarah will be driving up to Athens to pick up the children from their dad"s, so they can have Christmas morning at home with her. Then we all are going to my neice's home for Christmas dinner. Laura and Joseph will of course be in Paris. Ginny and family always celebrate at their home. They dont like to travel at Christmas.
Besides our usual Giving Tree at church where we pick tags off the tree with gift ideas for the less fortunate, and wrap and deliver back to St Vincent DePaul, this year, Our school has decided to dispense with teacher to teacher gift exchange and instead adopt a family for Christmas, so will be buying gifts for a family of four, given to us by FAMLIES FIRST. So much better than buying for all of us who dont need more things!!!!! Today I took my first walk thru a couple of stores just to see whats out there and was as usual rather dismayed at the overkill of stuff that no one really needs. Having been in Italy 12 years ago,at Christmas, and seeing that the simple decor of just tiny white lights and Nativity scenes with glowing white stars over all, was so much more poignant and meaningful, it is now hard to accept the total commercialization of Christmas that we do so wildly in the U.S. I havent been able to drag out most of my old decorations since then. Thanks for putting julie on the blog, it was great hearing from her and I hope Patrick does see that she gets a computer. And thanks for Bretts e-mail address. Actually I even love what you may describe as just your daily meanderings on the blog. You are a gem for keeping the family all in touch. We love you for that. Happy Holidays, Love. B.
Hi everyone. Just wanted you to know that after getting Brett's e-mail address, I sent him a short message yesterday. Lo and behold, on my e-mail this morning, Brett had responded!!!Amazing -from Afghanistan! He sounded good and he wanted me to let you know that he had responded.
I will try to write about life here sometime soon. This is first of month and I have a lot of computer work to do.
Today I went to Curves for the first time. (I got a free month. It was interesting. We'll see if it's for me. Also , Sue says one has to make a year's commitment-and with our summer lake time out of the community, I really cannot do that. It's spendy too.
Good to hear from all of you. Peg, the tree is beautiful. We got our Advent wreath together yesterday and finished putting up our village. We have the tree standing in the dining area-it is artificial-but we will not decorate it for a while. We try to do it the 3rd Sunday of Advent.
Mike, I trust you were not at the Mall today. So sorry to hear of that tragedy in your neck of the woods. Now that Brett is able to get email, he is hearing from you and is most grateful. Thanks everyone. He told me today he has now gotten a lamp and a mattress. Things are really looking up for him. He is certainly learning to be appreciative of the small things in life! Fred, he hasn't mentioned getting your package, but I'm sure it's on its way. He hasn't said anything about getting some that we sent. Looks like we're going to have a white Christmas! I hope everyone stays safe. Keep updating us. Love and prayers, Kathe Mike, give us the lowdown on the goings on out there.
Thanks for Bretts e-mail address. I also got a nice response from him yesterday and a great link to the Vanity Fair article about his Platoon, which you all should read as it really gives you an eye-opening idea of his day to day activities. Great article. Good to know he got a lamp and a mattress. I suppose that when they do get a chance to sleep, they must be tottaly exhausted, after such heavy physical exertion each day. Just carrying around that 120lbs of ammunition and weapons all day, let alone, the walking, climbing and digging in their surroundings cant be for the faint hearted. What a dedicated soldier he is. We must keep him in daily prayers.
Peg, You go girl. So glad you got a live tree and that you sure are on top of things to have it all up and decorated already. It is beautiful. I like your white theme. That and blue are my favorites for decorations.
ReplyDeleteI actually bought a live tree this year, although small, just a table-top sized frazier fir and though I dont have it decorated yet, I was excited. I did put up my small door wreaths and mailbox greens, as well as the greens over both my lamplights alongside of the door. Seeing the wreaths on the front of the house always helps to put me in the spirit and of course the lighting of the advent wreath at church this morning.
Our Christmas will be small this year, as on Christmas eve, Sarah will be driving up to Athens to pick up the children from their dad"s, so they can have Christmas morning at home with her. Then we all are going to my neice's home for Christmas dinner. Laura and Joseph will of course be in Paris. Ginny and family always celebrate at their home. They dont like to travel at Christmas.
Besides our usual Giving Tree at church where we pick tags off the tree with gift ideas for the less fortunate, and wrap and deliver back to St Vincent DePaul, this year, Our school has decided to dispense with teacher to teacher gift exchange and instead adopt a family for Christmas, so will be buying gifts for a family of four, given to us by FAMLIES FIRST. So much better than buying for all of us who dont need more things!!!!! Today I took my first walk thru a couple of stores just to see whats out there and was as usual rather dismayed at the overkill of stuff that no one really needs.
Having been in Italy 12 years ago,at Christmas, and seeing that the simple decor of just tiny white lights and Nativity scenes with glowing white stars over all, was so much more poignant and meaningful, it is now hard to accept the total commercialization of Christmas that we do so wildly in the U.S.
I havent been able to drag out most of my old decorations since then.
Thanks for putting julie on the blog, it was great hearing from her and I hope Patrick does see that she gets a computer. And thanks for Bretts e-mail address. Actually I even love what you may describe as just your daily meanderings on the blog. You are a gem for keeping the family all in touch. We love you for that.
Happy Holidays, Love. B.
Hi everyone. Just wanted you to know that after getting Brett's e-mail address, I sent him a short message yesterday. Lo and behold, on my e-mail this morning, Brett had responded!!!Amazing -from Afghanistan! He sounded good and he wanted me to let you know that he had responded.
ReplyDeleteI will try to write about life here sometime soon. This is first of month and I have a lot of computer work to do.
Today I went to Curves for the first time. (I got a free month. It was interesting. We'll see if it's for me. Also , Sue says one has to make a year's commitment-and with our summer lake time out of the community, I really cannot do that. It's spendy too.
Good to hear from all of you. Peg, the tree is beautiful. We got our Advent wreath together yesterday and finished putting up our village. We have the tree standing in the dining area-it is artificial-but we will not decorate it for a while. We try to do it the 3rd Sunday of Advent.
Will close for now. Love, Mary C
Mike,
ReplyDeleteI trust you were not at the Mall
today. So sorry to hear of that
tragedy in your neck of the woods.
Now that Brett is able to get
email, he is hearing from you and
is most grateful. Thanks everyone.
He told me today he has now gotten
a lamp and a mattress. Things
are really looking up for him.
He is certainly learning to be
appreciative of the small things
in life!
Fred, he hasn't mentioned getting
your package, but I'm sure it's on
its way. He hasn't said anything
about getting some that we sent.
Looks like we're going to have
a white Christmas! I hope everyone
stays safe.
Keep updating us.
Love and prayers,
Kathe
Mike, give us the lowdown on the
goings on out there.
Thanks for Bretts e-mail address. I also got a nice response from him yesterday and a great link to the Vanity Fair article about his Platoon, which you all should read as it really gives you an eye-opening idea of his day to day activities. Great article. Good to know he got a lamp and a mattress. I suppose that when they do get a chance to sleep, they must be tottaly exhausted, after such heavy physical exertion each day. Just carrying around that 120lbs of ammunition and weapons all day, let alone, the walking, climbing and digging in their surroundings cant be for the faint hearted. What a dedicated soldier he is. We must keep him in daily prayers.
ReplyDeletePeg, whats up with this comment section again? They changed it so we cant put our name as before. That last one was from me. Bonnie
ReplyDelete