I must share with you this new album I purchased yesterday. It is by Sarah Brightman…A Winter Symphony. Such beautiful, beautiful music. Many of the songs are traditional…but not necessarily traditional Christmas. There are a few carols along with some new music. The arrangements are so moving, and her voice is such a pure instrument. She is joined by a choir of children on several of the selections. According to the Amazon review, this music is very British, and quite typical of British Christmas music. I could not say for sure if I agree with that or not…since I don’t know what traditional British Christmas music is supposed to sound like. But, I do know this. The music on this CD is so beautiful, it makes me weep. Now, it takes a lot to get me to that point. I am not a crier. But, listening to Amazing Grace, one of the tracks, in my car on the way to work this morning…I was moved to tears.

Don’t buy this looking for a happy, ‘Santa’ type album, although there is some of that. But, if you believe in the worship worthiness of the Christmas season…this is the one for you!
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I bought it at Barnes and Nobel, but it is available on Amazon.com for $12.99…and worth every penny and more!

We had a meeting yesterday with architect and builder to compare lists of things still to do at the Creek House. So, after covering several things that needed attention…we were told that we could move in on the 15th of December. Everything should be finished by then. We have been waiting for some time for the rest of the travertine to come in…from Turkey. Well, it is finally in this country. And they should be able to finish the porch and the pool deck next week. Then the landscaping will start. We are in a heavily wooded lot, and want it to stay that way. But, there are several trees and bushes and vines that need to be cut out. There will be a potting shed added to the back, and a wooden fence and an iron fence. The steps and a few other places need to be mortar washed. Several of the appliances have to be changed out, and we are waiting on the cabinet man to build Alex’s bed. It will be custom made for him, with all controls located in the bed. The TV and sound systems have to go in, but not until the locks are changed…because I can not open them. The keys stick in the lock. Then a final clean up and it will be ours!

You know, I have been thinking that we would be able to move in November, and at first I was very disappointed about the change. But, upon thinking more about it, I realize that God has been working out this plan all along. I am so wrapped up at school right now with 3 programs to practice. And guess when my final program is? December 15! How’s that for timing? In all honesty, I tend to get way stressed about this time of year…programs, shirts, shopping, decorating, meal planning, etc. But, this year…I can concentrate on my programs. There will be no decorating, and the shirts are already at the printers. The majority of the shopping has been done, as has most of the packing. So, this moving thing should be easy enough without all that extra to worry with.

Good plan, God, good plan!

Do you ever have the feeling that the strange, weird and incompetent people of the world just seek you out?

While shopping recently, I purchased several gifts and some decorative Christmas items. In one store, I bought 2 very lovely mercury glass vases. Not outrageously expensive, but not cheap either. The clerk put one of them into a plastic bag and was attempting to put the other one in the same bag when I stopped her. “I think these need to be wrapped before they are bagged, please,”I said. “Oh, ok then,” she replies. Then she proceeded to put the second vase into its own bag. She got a bigger bag and was going to put both of the vases into the bigger bag. “Mam, I am travelling and I am afraid these will break if they are not wrapped,” I said as kindly as possible. “I wrapped it in the bag,” she answered sharply. “Well, do you have any tissue paper you can wrap around them so they won’t knock against one another?” I said. “No, all I have is this white paper…you will have to go to the back if you want them gift wrapped,” she answered. (What she had was a stack of white butcher paper used for wrapping fragile items). So, I asked her if I could have a few sheets of the white paper. “I’ll have to find out how much it is…there is no price on it.” YES, she really did say that! So, I decided to just watch and see just how looney she really was. Turning to the girl at the register next to her, she asked her how much to charge me for the sheets of paper. Clerk 2 looked at her like she had lost her mind. I could have told her that I had already ascertained that yes,indeed, her mind has gone on a permanent walk around the block!
“You talking about the wrapping paper?, she asked. “No, I told her where the wrapping was…she wants to buy some of this paper here.” The Clerk 2 looked at me like ‘is she for real?’. I explained, “I bought 2 glass vases and just wanted them wrapped in some tissue to protect them since I am travelling. Clerk 2 looked at Clerk 1 and said, “Give her the paper.” “Just give it to her?” asked Clerk 1. “Just give her the paper!” There was quite a line formed by now and several other people were enjoying this spectacle of “ain’t got a clue”. Clerk 1 is still looking at clerk 2 trying to figure out if she was going to get in trouble for giving me the wrapping paper. “Oh for pete’s sake!” said Clerk 2. She then left her register and walked over to the register where I was. She took the vases out of the bags and proceeded to wrap them in the butcher paper. Then she wrapped each one in several plastic bags, she cushioned the bottom of the shopping tote bag and carefully placed them inside and then cushioned them with more tissue. Those vases were gonna ride safe and as well protected as possible. Clerk 1 was just standing back, watching, and chomping on her hot pink bubble gum. When Clerk 2 finished, she turned to Clerk 1 and said, “that is what you do with fragile items.” And Clerk 2 walked back to her register. (NOW THIS IS TOO GOOD.) Clerk 1 said to Clerk 2, “Well, you still didn’t tell me how much to charge her for the paper.” Clerk 2 turned around very slowly, she smiled sweetly, “Honey, we’re giving that paper away today.” Clerk 1 said to me, “Wow, it’s a good thing you came today.” “Yes,” I told her, “I was thinking the same thing!”

As far as I know, I did not lose any friends over my post yesterday! Thanks for not taking it personally! (Sure glad Sherrie has a sense of humor!)

So, here I go again. But, don’t worry…you are safe from my ranting this time. Unless one of you happen to be a magazine publisher.

I just bought a magazine while I was at Target. After arriving home, I sat down to read it and enjoy a few moments of solitude. Instantly, upon opening said magazine, I was bombarded by an avalanche of subscription cards. Now, I kid you not, out of the new Country Home magazine fell 8 different cards offering me all the benefits of subscribing to their lovely periodical. I really enjoy reading magazines and I subscribe to several, but since we are moving (hopefully SOMETIME before this year is over!!!!!) I have let all of my subscriptions lapse. But, this so infuriates me, that it makes me not even want to subscribe at all. Why, with the ‘greening of America’,would any responsible company put so many throwaway cards in their publication? And since I am kicking the mags here, let me go on to say that I do not like the cards that are glued into the magazine at intervals for various reasons either. It keeps the book from lying flat, especially if you are reading propped up in bed as I am known to do. Now, I don’t expect to have the magazines suddenly change their policies because I put up a fuss. But, I feel better just getting this off my chest.
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Now…tissue paper. Not toilet, or nose blowing, but wrapping presents and fragile things tissue. I looked the store over for a package of printed tissue paper. Now this is not a Target only problem…this is everywhere. When you find some lovely tissue that would be just perfect for you to put in the bags that you bought for your Christmas gifts causing them to be all color coordinated and everything…look closely, you will find that in a package of …say 20 sheets, only 2 of them are actually printed. The rest are some sad ‘ole color that doesn’t even come close to matching. BUT, they fold it all together so it LOOKS as if you are getting a package full of the desired print. This is just not right.

Target has some of the best looking wrapping supplies available to us here in my town. And, I was so excited today to find a complete coordinated collection that I really liked. Printed bags, small bags with handles, big bags with handles, huge bags with handles, boxes, gift card holders, bows, tags,…all in one convenient place. I gathered some of these and a few of those and 2 or 3 of those over there…and several of the gift card holders. And then, I bent to get the tissue paper that would pull it all together. Sure enough, 2!!! coordinating pieces and the rest were white! This would totally cause my wrapping color scheme to fall apart, and look as if I used leftover packing tissue. I would have had to buy at least 15 packages of tissue to get enough to pull those packages up to the level I had envisioned sitting around the bottom of my tree…in the middle of the den…in the Creek House…at Christmastime…(IF we ever get there!!) I just wanted to put the whole selection back and forget it…but, my time is limited, and I really liked it. I did not, however, buy any tissue. Instead I will traipse around our fair city in hopes of finding another color to use. This will take extra gas, and time, and wear and tear on the body, and additional mental anguish. But, I am committed to having pretty packages…whatever it takes! And since I have NO MOVING DATE as of yet…I have the time! Or, I could just forget it all, return all the gifts, and give everyone a gift card!
(this is not the wrapping collection of which I am speaking…just a pic to illustrate)