first week of December

I had a bit of a panic attack this afternoon. It struck me most clearly that this month, Christmas month, is already one week done. What????

Here are a few of my distractions this week:
Most of Monday I spent decorating inside and out, doing some much needed cleaning along the way.

Tuesday was my half day at the school library. Fun and satisfying.

Late in the afternoon I had to rush to make my nametag for the quilt guild challenge that evening. I  literally finished it the last moment before I walked out the door. When will I learn not to procrastinate??? You could have knocked me over with a feather when it won the viewer's choice award!

Wednesday I was able to drive into Onalaska with Elin to purchase the foam form, pins and wire we need to assemble corn wreaths to decorate for her daughter's barn wedding. The dried corn tassels are already cut and waiting for assembly day this coming Monday. This is a photo of my prototype.

My house plants have gotten little attention this fall. I finally got around to pitching the worst of them and taking cuttings of some that were out of control. Potting up my old amaryllis bulbs with new soil was way overdue. This year's new bulb trumpeting away reminded me it was time to do the job if I wanted to have any new growth this winter. They're getting pretty old now, each at least 5 years.
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Thursday I spent a few hours shopping the craft sale in the medical building in town. I'm happy to report that lots of local art and craft will be delivered to family and friends by Santa this year. I'm already wishing I hadn't talked myself out of buying more... Shhhhh. Can't really show any photos of these treasures.

Today I sat down to design our Christmas cards. That job always seems so daunting until I remind myself that simple is best. It took me all morning but the design is chosen. However, before I got started I had to make an "I'm sorry" gift for my favorite antique store owner. Last weekend while Terri was with me I broke an item in Joanne's shop in Westby, Treasures on Main. When I told Joanne I had knocked it off the shelf and it fell to the floor behind the display, she told me she had already done the same thing herself, twice, and had glued it back together before I made it take its last dive and it had to go into the dust bin. Still, I felt responsible for the loss. Today I put together and delivered a box of gift cards thinking Joann might like to enclose a little bell card with each sale.

The cards are 2 inches square and are black on cream, the same colors as the old fashioned paper bags she uses. The jingle bell stamp is one of my favorites. There are 50 cards standing inside one of the hand folded boxes I made from an old quilt calendar. I explained the box to her and she said she couldn't wait to share it with her 10 year old granddaughter who loves to make things for people.
I did find a couple of things at her shop today that had to come home with me. I almost always do.
But these little brass candlesticks from India I bought at another antique store just down the block. They were sadly tarnished and nearly buried on a dusty shelf in the very back room, but I had faith that they'd be perfect once I cleaned them up a bit. The surprise was their price, 75 cents for the pair. I used Heloise' trick for taking off the tarnish.... ketchup. Don't they look spiffy with the peppermint stick candles? I'd been looking for narrow holders that would work with these candles for nearly two years.

And then I needed to take time for a couple of paper cranes that I hope to send to Earlham on Monday.

Jerome called from his office this morning to tell me to quickly tune into WFMT radio via the internet. They were broadcasting a hymn arrangement done by a former music director of Saint Lukes Evanson, Richard Webster. The hymn is  Lo He Comes With Clouds Descending.  For several years we had attended Advent Lessons and Carols and each year this hymn was part of the program and we all got to sing. It was Jerome's and my way of embracing the season by walking purposefully through advent to Christmas. Hearing the recording gave me goose bumps and left me nostalgic for times past.

Being the 7th of December, events of the past of another sort were on my mind. I had been thinking of my mother's brother Milton, who 71 years ago today survived the attack on Pearl Harbor because he chose to get up early and go out fishing. He was on the water far enough away from the island and his ship when the Japanese planes arrived.
I see that snow is forecast tomorrow night into Monday am, perhaps as much as 4 inches along the way.  I plan to go to the indoor farmers' market early tomorrow but have no other need to be away from home before Monday morning. I hope to watch any snow that might fall from inside, settle into my preholiday projects, listen to some holiday tunes and movies, and sip the first cocoa of the season.
What's on your weekend plans?