'Twas four days before Christmas...

This lovely outdoor nativity scene will be explained later. I just wanted to start out with this lovely picture to help me get back into the right frame of mind and heart for writing tonight.

 Yes, it is only 4 days before Christmas, and all through the house a lot of creatures are stirring...maybe even a mouse! Well, not really, thank goodness!!! Although we do have some kind of critter that keeps digging holes in our yard and trying to burrow under the house.  We think it's an armadillo, but we haven't seen him with our eyes yet...just his holes in the ground. Anyway, that has nothing to do with Christmas, so let's move right along! LOL.

Speaking of our yard, our azaleas have been blooming for the past couple of weeks...they are so beautiful...

These are some of the plants I planted since we moved here 3 years ago.  The weather has been so warm lately that they have been blooming a bit early.  But the weather is about to change...freezing temperatures in the low 20's are on the way for the weekend! That may not seem so bad for many of you, but here in Florida that is very cold, and can be quite harmful to the economy of the citrus growers and ferneries and other agriculture in the state.  I know many places up north are going to be having blizzard conditions and sub zero temperatures, so we will definitely be praying for you as well. Please stay warm and safe.  I hope your Christmas plans won't be upset too much by the weather. 

Yesterday morning I had to have fasting lab work done (routine), and so when that happens we usually go out for breakfast afterwards.  We had begged off from working at Dixie Cottage yesterday so that we could also go do some shopping afterwards, and so we did.

Here's the place where we had breakfast:

I liked that little chrome tea pot full of hot water for my tea, so of course I took at picture:

I also liked that handsome man across the table from me drinking his coffee, so I had to take his picture too:

I liked the food we both were about to eat, so I had to take a picture of that as well! LOL.

And I also liked the fresh orange slices they gave us with our meal, so hubby took a picture of me about to eat mine:

It was a great breakfast, and then we did go do some shopping until time for lunch, so we headed home to eat and then rest up for a special evening last night.  And that is where that picture of the outdoor Nativity Scene comes in.

This is the indoor nativity scene inside the church we visited last night.

Last evening our church choir traveled to a neighboring community church and we had a Candlelight Christmas program with them and also another church choir joined us. Each choir sang a couple of songs from our Christmas cantatas, and then our pastor was the guest speaker.

This is the beautiful scene inside the church. We do this every year, and I've shared pictures from there before.

Here we are when it was our turn to sing. I am standing in behind the others to sing a solo in one of the songs, and needed the microphone.

Here's the rest of the choir...

We had such a great time. After the service we all processed out to that lovely outdoor nativity scene, holding our little candles and singing Silent Night, Holy Night. It was very moving.

Also during the program they had a guest organist play a medley of Christmas music on the church's new pipe organ. He was extremely gifted and truly blessed us with the music he played.

I spoke with him afterwards at the little reception/fellowship time in their fellowship hall, and learned that he also is an organ repairman!  I told him about the organ that we have at our house that used to belong to my parents and now it belongs to our son Scott, who loves to play it but he doesn't really read music. He loves to make up his own music and has always called it his "therapy".  Anyway, I told this man about the organ and that it needs some work done, but it is so old and out of date, one of those 1970's era synthesizer type organs, and he said he knew all about them as he used to sell them. Anyway, he said that perhaps sometime when he is coming back through our area to maintain some area church organs he will let us know and stop by to evaluate the organ to see if it is repairable or even financially feasible to do so.  I sent him some pictures of it this morning so he will know what he's looking at:

It does still work, but needs some "tweaking". We shall see what develops. It may be cost prohibitive and if so, Scott will just have to continue to enjoy it "as is".

This is a picture of Scott, when he was about age 10 or 11, playing the organ at my parents' home.

And a picture of Scott playing the organ while we were "in transit" (moving).

Today found me again out "shopping until I dropped"...I know, I know...most of you have had your shopping done for months or weeks or at least days.  And most of you have everything wrapped and neatly stacked under the tree already...and the cookies are baked and the house is immaculate and everything is under control.  I commend you all for it and I appreciate the organization and creativity you each possess when it comes to getting ready for Christmas.  I truly wish I were more like you, but I'm not. When it comes to shopping, I procrastinate until the last minute. I have a thing about shopping...I do not enjoy it.  I have meltdowns in aisle 5 or wherever I happen to be when I have finally had enough and just can't take one more step or look at one more cute thing that someone surely must want for Christmas. I don't even like to shop online. Too many decisions to make...too many comparisons...and I can't see it in person or feel the quality of it or make sure it really is true to size...yes, shopping is a literal nightmare for me. So there! Now you know it.   I would be SO happy if we could just be together and enjoy a nice visit over a cup of tea or coffee and some nice cookies or pie or some other goody that will eventually get baked, and spend time laughing and talking and sharing our life's stories with one another...no pressure...and whatever gifts are exchanged are gifts from the heart. 

Okay, rant over. Now let's move on to more pleasant subjects...LOL. Forgive me. I hope I didn't offend anyone here. It's just something I go through every year and at this age it's not likely to change. And yes, we will have a wonderful Christmas, full of the joy of the real gift of Jesus our Savior...and there will be many gifts exchanged and loved and cherished...no matter the cost or how big or small...it's the love between family and friends that matters most and that will be celebrated.

Speaking of gifts...You may not fully understand or appreciate this "gift", but it is an "early Christmas gifts".  While hubby and I were out shopping, I found this rolling drawer cabinet at Big Lots. I told hubby I wanted, no needed,  this particular item to help restore my sanity.  Let me explain.

Do any of you struggle with the myriads of plastic bowls and lids that accumulate in your cabinets? Now, we all know that we need plastic bowls and their matching lids (if they can be found) to store leftovers, etc.   Well, storing these items has become a matter of some frustration for me, because the only place I could put them was in a lower cabinet, where I had to literally sit down on the floor and search through the lids and bowls to find what I needed, and then try to get back up off the floor with said bowl and lid and hope it fits, etc.  Anyway, I've been saying for some time that I want some drawers to put these in so they can be more easily obtained. Since we no longer have a dishwasher, the space where it was is vacant. It would be a perfect spot to install a cabinet with some drawers big enough and deep enough to house these plastic bowls and lids.   I had mentioned this to my carpenter son some time ago, but since the start of Dixie Cottage all extra "projects" have been put on hold. 

Therefore, when I saw this plastic rolling cart of drawers for sale, I measured it, and knew it would fit and that it would work perfectly! We loaded it up and brought it home and voila! I am a happy Mama!

I know, it's plastic, but hey, it works. And if my son ever gets enough time to build a real cabinet, then this can be used for something else. But until then, I am very thankful to have found this.

The bottom drawer even had some room for some bottled water that had been sitting on the floor in that space before.

Okay dear friends. That's it for now. I hope you forgive my grumbling about shopping, etc. Actually, I love being able to give gifts to others...I just wish I was better at it.  Someday...

Let us not forget about what is the most perfect gift ever:

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

John 3:16

8 "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; 

it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast."

Ephesians 2:8-9

Jesus, the perfect gift from God, given to us so that by believing in Him, we will have the gift of salvation...all it takes is faith in believing and accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord!  There can be no greater gift than that...and we don't have to go shopping for it, or spend lots of money to obtain it, or work hard to earn it.  It's a free gift...ours for the taking!  

Good night dear friends. And I pray you have a blessed and very Merry Christmas, filled with the joy of the best gift of all. Amen.