Christmas Notes

....some melody notes, some harmony notes....

1.  At the late service, I was part of a small group of women who sang Selections from Benjamin Britten's "A Ceremony of Carols."  Six of us, just two on each part.   Singing "This Little Babe" is kind of like going down the rabbit hole in "Alice in Wonderland."  

2.  Preaching at the late service for the first time felt odd and disorienting.   

3.  This morning got up early to start cleaning the house for company before going to church to preside at Christmas day early.  Got tablecloth washed. 

4.  This morning, I also saw a smile on our worship coordinator's face this morning when she said she was going to spend Christmas with her 4 1/2 year old granddaughter.  I gave a brief introduction to the gospel procession to two new worship assistants.  "Always follow the cross," I said.  "Just like we do in our whole life."

5.  At the beginning of the service this morning, I read the Christmas Proclamation, while our bell ringers stood in the aisles and rang softly.  Then, at the beginning of "O Come, all Ye Faithful" they broke out!

6.  After the service, a man asked about "The Christmas Proclamation."  I gave him my copy.  I downloaded it once; I can download it again.

7.  I got my house clean-er for Christmas.  Did not get it totally clean.  Somehow we muddled through in my small kitchen, reheating the Christmas turkey and accompaniments from local upscale grocery store. Everyone liked the mashed potatoes.  We forgot all about the cranberry sauce.

8.  Scout wore her new red Christmas bandana, and was a Good Dog, mostly.

9.  We opened a few more presents.  The hit?  A melodica. 

10. I had this dream of everyone going to the nursing home to visit my dad together, bringing guitars and mandolins and voices and having a little mini-concert with him.  Between the dinner (a little later than I thought it would be), and opening a few presents) and waiting until we could eat again before eating the pie, the dream didn't happen.  We visited my dad in shifts, without instruments, just before and while he was eating his dinner.  I did sing a few Christmas carols with him.  When I said, "I have to go home now," he said, "Take me with you."  I said I couldn't do that and he said, "You could if you really wanted to."

Today is the Nativity of our Lord.