I Like #192

Welcome to another week of things to like!  In general I really really love Advent,  the time of preparation, of getting ready for Christmas.  It feels simultaneously like a time to emphasize generosity and giving, a time to begin the church year anew (new beginnings feel so important after this year), a time to meditate and mentally thing about what the incarnation of Jesus means to the world, and of course, also a time for all the fun stuff.  

This year is really different.  No gathering at all, which is sad.  We're trying to put together virtual services for Christmas, and complete our typical giving ministries through church virtually.  Everything feels much harder, but I'm lucky that I've found joy anyway.  

It's been interspersed with lots of  minor frustrations- problems with my sewing machine, challenges with Bentley's declining health, and many many challenges of living with a puppy.  But I'm just grateful for the people in my life who are there for me!!

My sister and her husband went to a cabin in the woods last weekend, so I went to Dallas to take care of the kids.  Of course we didn't go anywhere, but we did lots of cooking and baking and Christmas crafts.  The five dogs all played fairly well together, and the weekend was really fun.

My sister's kitchen was really out to get me, but we made and decorated a tasty chocolate cake.

We made snow globes, decorated transparences to hang in windows (they're kind of translucent, a bit like fake stained glass), and cast and painted plaster ornaments.

It was lovely weather so we spent a fair amount of time outside, walking to the lake, riding bikes, and just playing in the backyard.  

I wish I had a porch and backyard and basket chair!  My sister has really done a lot of work in her backyard this year and it's a fantastic place to play and hang out.

And just for fun a picture of one of Becky's sweet sweet rats emerging from her rat hammock.  We didn't get them out while I was there, but I was pleased that the dogs just ignored them as usual!

One of my favorite Advent traditions is sending Christmas cards, I always make my own in photoshop and get them printed, and then I love writing messages and sending them out in the mail.  I usually go and pick a bunch of different cool stamps, but this year it was even more exciting because I had bunches of stamps my grandmother gave me when she moved out of her house.  She collected stamps for a long time, and had a bunch leftover (not in albums) that she and now I use as postage.  It's a little sad since each of these stamps used to send a whole letter but not because of inflation your need at least six on each, but it was so fun to see all the old stamps and put them on all the envelopes.  Most of these were from the 70s.

And of course, there are more puppy pictures. Spooky is growing fast, always hungry, and teething and chewing constantly.  The other day I turned around and noticed the Christmas tree lights weren't on.  I went over and realized he'd chewed the plug off while I was sitting right there with my back to him on a zoom meeting!!!  He seems to be fine, and I just plopped on another string of lights and picked up the whole plug power strip off the floor.  ARGH.

I hope everyone is finding a little something to be happy about!  Click over to LeeAnna's for more things to like!