I never realized exactly how much hammering and banging goes into replacing a roof until the new next door neighbor decided to have hers replaced. This morning. With an efficient crew of about 6.
Mittens is nodding yes and shaking her head no now. It’s too cute. Plus, Flopsy taught her how to give high 5, low 5, and fist bump. With her itty bitty fist.
Foggy and wet post-shower this morning and it’s the first day in ages that I feel energized. I really do thrive on “bad weather.”
The craft room has been in my sights for days. That sucker is getting cleaned up.
Every toy catalog that comes in the mail goes into recycling, do not pass GO, do not collect $200. The last thing I need is Moppet (and frankly, Pickles) drooling over brightly colored “educational” plastic toys, and following me around the house squealing, “ooooh, look at this!! Wait!! Look at THIS!!” Mercy.
Speaking of Christmas, it’s amazing how many houses in our neighborhood have tons of Christmas lights up pre-December. Some put them up before Halloween. 😬 Moppet begs on a daily basis for us to do likewise. It’s tempting, not only because it’s pretty, but because I’m tired of the pleading.
I would love to be quilting right now, but it’s wholly impractical. Too many other priorities. *sniffle*
Yesterday it struck me exactly how much I miss hanging clothes on the line. On a good, windy day with low humidity…
Tomorrow is the feast of St. Andrew. It’s the day our little Andrew died. He was born December 12 and buried the 15th. It was a difficult Christmas that year. May his memory be eternal!
How is everyone’s Christmas planning coming along? Are you the sort who focuses on food or decorations? If you’re crafty, how are your homemade gifts coming along?
Closing with a few additional photos of the church:
Praying With My Feet 
I am hiding and recycling catalogs here too! I get the mail in the driveway and have those things into the recycle bin before they ever enter the house!
Our neighborhood had a crazy hail storm last June and every house here had to have a new roof installed. There was so much banging this summer. The rhythm of it drove me crazy because it’s so irregular… I would be trying to find a beat, and just as one would come up it would stop. My head hurts even to think of it. I hope they’re able to finish that quickly and get on their way!
Now I really want a tiny fistbump. Memory eternal to sweet Andrew! Please pray for us, little one.
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Ugh, yes! The seeming rhythm, and then it breaks!
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Crafty is definitely not my gift. There were years when my kids were little I tried my hand at Macrame for everyone. Each year I would try the newest and greatest popular craft For everyone . None of it ever hung around more that one season though.
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My problem is I don’t do children’s crafts.
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Do you think I could get one of those tiny sweet fist bumps next time I see y’all?
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Try!
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I did buy a small artificial tree at Target. I’ve put it up in the living room with white lights; not intending to light it in November, but it’s so pretty at night, I plug in the lights around 6:00 PM. I have cut magnolia for the planters that Papa made. I bought some artificial red berries to add to the magnolia and will find some cedar in the woods. I guess that I’m getting like the children, I enjoy seeing the Christmas decorations, even early: though, October is early!
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I do miss being able to forage in the yard for greenery. There isn’t a single thing here.
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No focus on crafts unless I’m making something for me to wear. 🙂 No decorations before Dec 6th if possible ever. Ideally, I’d put everything up about Dec 21st then enjoy until about the 5th of Jan but as my husband is gone half the month every month we put them up by the second week of December. We saw a house in our neighborhood that had decorations up by the first week of November! Are we now celebrating the Theotokos’ eighth month of pregnancy?? Seriously?! It messes with the rhythm of Advent for me, of fasting then feasting, of quiet expectation then joy and proclamation. No ideas yet about food. I’m just so glad my husband will be home Christmas Day. It’s a rarity for us. Otherwise, trying to be still, calm and prayerful while most around me seem to be in such a hurry. I wonder what the last month was like for the Theotokos. No decorations, no parties, no bright lights, just quiet and probably heavy anticipation. How beautiful it would be to me if all Christians everywhere 1) celebrated Christmas on the same day and 2) lit their lights on the same date, like that lone star shining over the manger. One mind, one body. How lovely that would be. But maybe I’m being dramatic??
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It’s all together in heaven!
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So true! That’s something I must remember!
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