There’s a lot to do getting ready for Christmas! I had about 2 of my 35 boxes (???) of Christmas decorations, and sprinkled them through the house (and outside) to make it festive. I put the chipped ham BBQ on at about 9am, and it was perfect when we ate at 3pm.
I waited until the last minute to shower and dress – in my Santa shirt and Christmas earrings, necklace, etc. Connie wore her Christmas shirt and had a BIG jingle bell necklace on. Connie also came a little early with a big basket of extra decorations, and we scampered through the house and added them to the décor. Gwen bought us all elf ear headbands and we wore them most of the afternoon!
Kathy had gathered up bells from Mom’s collection, and she offered them up and a small remembrance for everyone to choose one. The girls were very excited to get one of Mom’s bells, and it seemed like there was the perfect bell for everyone – and no one wanted the same one! Even though I had one, since there were so many, after everyone chose I took the small one from Colonial Williamsburg. Near to my heart!
I had tables set up in the garage (which I had cleaned and sort of decorated!) for the food, and it saved everyone from going up and down the steps. That is very tricky, especially with a plate of food in one hand! It was very hot at first, and then it rained, so we just got comfy inside – we ate, and visited, and shared, and I read my traditional short story as entertainment. The girls were very generous, and I received several very special Christmas presents as a hostess thank you! Sweet, sweet cousins! THANK YOU!!!
Karen V had a Christmas craft planned, so we cleaned up the food and moved into the garage and made Christmas frames into wreaths – or just kept them as frames. I was the odd man out and made a patriotic frame. I like the way it turned out – and that’s rare for me, because I glue myself to things. I actually glued myself to the frame about seven times before it was finished.
We decided to have round two of dessert (cookies, Boston cream pie, Pineapple delight, Jello pretzel salad), and then sat on the deck for a little while between showers. Jen stopped over for leftover for Nate and she took a few pictures of the SH girls.
back row: Gwen, Beth, Kath, me, Karen V, Karen O, Holly
Front: Connie, Gail
The day went so fast, and it was after 8pm before we even realized it! I was sad to see everyone leave and we are already trying to plan the next event. I will carry the happy memories of our day together – food, family, fun, laughter, stories, sharing, and more memories – for a very long time. I am blessed beyond measure to have these ladies in my life. I love each of them totally and am so thankful for them! Merry Christmas, girls – Linn Run, here we come. (Just have to decide when!!!)
First I will say that Hempfield’s special music today was by Patty Buschek and her grandson Jonathan. He has a wonderful voice, and he had just shared with Patty that he was choosing to follow his grandfather Ron into the ministry! She teared up when she shared that with me! Jonathan looks so much like Ron – but Ron couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket. So he takes after him Grama Patty for that one!
I will share Hempfield’s message today – Steve Fulton from Mountain Mission School in Grundy Virginia was our guest speaker. He spoke about the ministry of Hope. God is on our team, and we can be on HIS. There is a 1) Purpose, which is to get noticed. Stand strong in the storms. Everyone gets rained on, it’s how you handle it that gets noticed and makes an impact. 2) a Plan – God picks the most unlikely person. One that obviously fits the ‘old is gone, and the new is come!’ We go from fear to hope. 3) Power – HE can do more than we can ask or imagine. It’s in His power! Let him work in and through you. Check out the website for Mountain Mission School at www.mmskids.org to see this wonderful place and the amazing stories of lives changed.
On this day in 64AD the great fire of Rome began under emperor Nero, and in 1864 President Lincoln called for 500,000 volunteers for military service. In 1938 Douglas ‘Wrong Way’ Corrigen arrived in Ireland after a 28 hour flight – supposedly having left NY for California! (A little off course, I think!) In 1969 Ted Kennedy drove his car off a bridge, swam to shore and spent the night in a motel, and called the police in the morning; his passenger Mary Jo Kopechne died in the crash. Jane Austen died at age 41 in 1817; Machine Gun Kelly died at age 59 in 1954 (on his birthday!). General William Westmoreland died in 2005. In 1992 Whitney Houston married Bobby Brown. Birthdays: Yesterday, Country artist Luke Bryan celebrated, and a friend and former Hempfield minister Bill Pullin had a birthday yesterday. Happy one-day-late birthday, Bill! Hope you had a wonderful day and can celebrate all year! God bless! Today: In 1867 the Unsinkable Molly Brown was born – she’s called that because she survived the sinking of the Titanic. Machine Gun Kelly, gangster, was born in 1895; Red (Richard) Skelton in 1913, John Glenn – astronaut – in 1921.
TODAY July 18th is:
TOMORROW July 19th is:
Since I didn’t post yesterday, thought I would include today’s NATIONAL day – simply because there may still be time for you to have ICE CREAM! I intend to! God bless….
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