Life in My World -- Random

1.  Our neighbor, Elliot, gave us four new laying chickens because he had too many.  Our chickens haven't yet told Elliot's chickens they're allowed to molt in our coop, so we got four eggs right off the bat.  Our batch of chickens HATE snow.  They won't go out in it for anything . . . not even for corn on the cob. 

2.  One hundred and seven comments later, the soldier's Christmas stockings are finished.  I loved each and every comment.  The power of your appreciations was amazing --the ones from the dads, the ones from the moms, the ones from the grandmas, the ones from the kids (they included jokes like "What is black and white and gives out a lot of pain?"  and comments like: "I know you are a long ways from home but I hope Santa still visits you on Christmas" and "Miry Chrismoes. I hope you donte feel lonilee rite now. I hope you make good frens in your grupe and hope you donte get sik. I hate bein sik wen I'm not at home. I will pray jus for you" -- and I appreciate each one.  Thank you.

3.  Michelle is here!  We felt badly she couldn't get here in time to be here Sunday night with the rest of us, but she made it on Monday and Monday is better than Tuesday or Wednesday.  She's running a fever and not feeling very good today.  All the more reason to watch movies, drink orange juice, and make cookies.  Michelle says sugar always tastes good whether you're sick or not.

4.  Last night Grace and her friend, Jamie, hosted an ugly sweater/ornament exchange party.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.  One winner of the ugly sweater contest wore a jumper made of Christmas fabric.  It looked to me like it waltzed straight out of the 80's and knowing me I probably would have worn it into the late 90's.  The other winner was a crocheted Christmas tree that sits as a table decoration.  It came fresh from the Senior Citizen's Center.  The winner wore it as a hat.  Oh she sported it well.  It was so darn festive and funny.  Grace made her sweater by gluing sparkly pompoms to the front of a turtleneck in the shape of a tree.  It was a perfect contestant; however when Daisy, Jamie's little three year old girl saw it, she ooohed and ahhhed and wished it for herself.  I wore a sweater of Calvin's.  He said, "You look cute.  Hey!  Isn't that one of my sweaters?  Why are you wearing it to an ugly sweater party?" I just smiled. 

We played bingo and the winners chose a wrapped ornament from the table.  After one or two ornaments had been unwrapped, I could see I was in trouble.  I had brought a comparatively hideous ornament.  I quietly decided that when it was my turn I'd just choose my own bag so that no one else got stuck with it, discreetly open it, then quickly stuff it back in the bag.  Chris, wearing her crocheted-tree-table-topper-hat, got a bingo before I did and chose my bag.  I quietly hissed, "Chris, you don't want that one.  Trust me.  Put it back on the table."  It was too late.  She'd already peeked inside and was crowd-committed.  Everybody wanted her to hold up what she got  After she put it back down I whispered that I'd steal it when it was my turn so she could get another.  But the whispering spread and snatches were repeated aloud and I feared I sounded like an oornament snob dishing on someone else's ornament.  Discreet be damned.  I had to own up to the whole group that the ugly one was mine.

5.  This month our home teachers invited the families they visit to supper.  They literally gave the message: "The Christmas season is wonderful in many ways. It is a season of charitable acts of kindness and brotherly love." It was just such a grand evening with them . . . 

The conversation (one of our home teachers is very animated and laughs easily and both home teachers have traveled extensively and have stories from all over to share.  Both of our home teachers' wives are fun to visit with, too) . . .

The food (chicken broccoli casserole, brown rice, pomegranate salad, fresh rolls, pickled green tomatoes, and mixed berry cobbler with ice cream) . . .

The atmosphere (I visit teach the wife of one of our home teachers and she visit teaches Grace.  She showed us her latest quilt projects.  Her work is amazing.  The other home teacher's wife is a friend from long ago, but they've been gone for three years on a mission.  It felt good just to sit by her again.) . . .

6.  We received a wonderful gift of music yesterday afternoon.  It's so good I've played it through six times, repeated individual songs more than that, turned up the volume to the maximum level and called Cali on the phone and said, "Listen to this song."  It's the Christmas Cello by Steven Sharp Nelson.  It makes Christmas dreamy.  Truly.  The music is playing in the kitchen, it's snowing outside, I'm making Wienerlangders , and I put pajamas on after my shower.  It's a pretty grand day.