Books

Grabbed a few books when in Chicago to quickly read. They were "youth" level, but pretty good. The two books I've finished in the last three days:

• When Santa Fell To Earth by Cornelia Funke (also author if Inkheart, Inkspell, Dragon Rider and The Thief Lord)
• The Fairies of Nutfolk wood by Barb Bentler Ulman

Now, I'm reading a book I picked up a while ago and need to read:

• Gideon the Catpurse by Linda Buckley-Archer

Coffee, Christmas cookies and the kids playing with new Christmas toys...time to read. :)

Happy Holidays!

I sit here typing, drinking my Earl Grey tea with milk (an activity passed on to me by a dear, English friend :)) and waiting for my unusually, red painted nails to dry. It is the holidays after all, so red nails, it is. :)

I have five minutes to blog before we begin to create our salad and fondue for the Christmas eve dinner. We are going to church at 5:30, where we are the advent candle lighting family, which means we four each say something about the waiting of advent being over, let the joy begin, and then my husband will light the candles. My husband's parents and grandparents will also be attending with us, which is special and joyful. Then we all head back here, to our home, for dinner. We have a tradition with my in-laws, where we try to create something new each Christmas eve. We started doing this about five years ago. In the past, we've had crab cakes, monte cristo sandwiches, turkey artichoke paninis and I can't remember what else. So, tonight is beef, shrimp, dipping sauces, cheese fondue for bread and vegetables, and chocolate fondue with amaretto and hazelnuts-recipe here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_23052,00.html?rsrc=search
for fruit dipping. Then, to top it off, Rachel Ray's Eggnog Bread Pudding. Here, I inform with the recipe:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_32458,00.html?rsrc=search

We had a great time in Chicago, packing many activities into four days and three nights. We had some transportation snafus, but nothing major and we were all safe. We visited the American Girl Place, Shedd Aquarium, Navy Pier, The Field Museum (including paying extra to see the King Tut exhibit, which was a long wait to see each item, but worth it. The historical value was tremendous, especially for our girls who enjoyed it and learned a lot!) We also swam a number of times in our hotel pool, went to some good restaurants and shopped the Magnificent Mile. Then we came home, and tried to catch up on chores and shopping to be ready for the holiday.

I got the many cards, photos and letters out in time for Christmas, and have received many in return. It's nice to receive items from long lost friends, photos of children and catch up on busy lives.

I sold some items on ebay, made about fifty-three dollars and found it was a pain in the neck to try to get everything shipped out in time to head to Chicago. I did some great shopping via ebay, though, getting some original, and unusual gifts for family. I'm pretty sure I spent more than I made, however!

Also, our church voted on the addition of the second campus, as I mentioned in a previous post. About two hundred people showed up for the vote. Thirty-one voted against, and one abstained. The rest voted for the merger, which is an exciting adventure for our church! :) Our recommendation was challenged at some of the question and answer sessions, but upon hearing our explanations, things were more well received.

Well, off to partake in cooking with my dear husband. He's the real chef around here. :) I'm the baker, he's the chef/creator. :)

Happy Holidays, dear readers, and be safe this season.

Pomegranates, Germs, Ebay

Our youngest daughter, on a recent trip to the grocery, talked me into buying pomegranates. She'd tried one last year at school, remembered that she liked it (although that was all she remembered) and thought we should get some. Well, I researched just a bit about them (finding some info here: http://www.pomwonderful.com/national_how_to_open.html ) and we had them with our dinner tonight. I did find out that they are great for your immune system! Which is wonderful for me, the substitute teacher. Teachers are always around lots of germs, kids who don't wash hands a lot, leaving germs everywhere, but subs are exposed to infinitely more, possibly seeing many different children every week. So, these immune boosting seeds are a little blessing. Thankfully, I'm not a germaphobe and don't think of these germs too often, even declining to get a flu shot (risk taker? Nah, just knocking on wood right now... :)) Anyway, I didn't see anything about side effects from eating too many seeds...hmmm. :)
I have also been shopping a bit on ebay, looking for hard to find items for stocking stuffers for parents and in-laws. It's been fun and I haven't gone too overboard. I did receive an item that one of them already had, so I'm trying my hand at selling on ebay...however interest in my item is low...
I'm up to my ears in Christmas cards I still have to do; as you know if you've read the blog or know me, I like snail mail and often handwrite letters...well, you guessed it, I also handwrite all 100 Christmas cards. I also have about a third of my (our) shopping to do for the upcoming holiday, although all I've bought has been wrapped, thus far. You readers know I need to inform in my blog entries: so here is how to write a Christmas letter (although I don't usually do this...) http://www.mormonchic.com/crafty/christmas-letters.asp
Or some other Christmas card info: http://www.abc.net.au/southqld/stories/s1518417.htm
And how to wrap a present neatly: http://www.wikihow.com/Wrap-a-Present-Nicely
and how to wrap a present uniquely: http://www.ehow.com/how_1699_wrap-present-unique.html
Our first forum at church, a short presentation followed by question and answer session was Sunday night and we had a nice turnout. It was a bit nerve wracking at first, and I take it so personally, that I was steaming a few times, but it all worked itself out, with almost everyone leaving with a positive feeling. We have another of these forums this coming Saturday morning, an open house that afternoon and the final vote on Sunday eve.

Church Presentation

Well, I am taking a break from a writing process. It's been a while since I had to write something multiple times/drafts, but it's been even longer since I had to present something in front of others. My church has the opportunity to take on another church in the area. The other church has a dwindling congregation, due to a pastor who has since left the religion to start his own church, and is in a changing area that has high diversity in its surrounding neighborhoods. Our church can vote, in a meeting next month, to help this church or not. If our church votes not to help, this other church will soon, probably, close its doors. If our congregation votes to take on the other church, our church will have all the business, funding, hiring, etc. aspects, but two campuses in two different areas of the city. I have been on a committee since August to research the current church's facilities, congregation, programs, surrounding neighborhood and nearby churches, to see what it would take/need to get it back in working order. Now, it's finally time to compile all of our data into a presentation/recommendation for our church to vote on. Now, I feel the pressure. I felt that our information gathering was purposeful, diligent and fun, but now, all eyes will be on this information and I've already written and rewritten my draft four times! We will meet tonight to put our pieces together, as well as another meeting next week, and then it will be Thanksgiving week and into the next month!
In other news, we will be heading to my home state on Thanksgiving for the annual deep fried turkey, too much other food, football and shopping in the wee hours on the day after Thanksgiving. I look forward to seeing one of my new nieces then, as well. I just can't believe November is half over and December is speeding towards us!!
I have been scrapbooking when I can, went to a "crop" (an evening of scrapbooking at someone else's house, as well as snacks and conversation) last night and am hosting a "crop" here on Friday. I must clean like crazy and make the snacks, as well.
Other than that, I've been substitute teaching, although not too many jobs this week, and running the kids around.
I think I forgot to mention that I had quit training for the marathon in August. I just couldn't fit the long runs in conveniently and sadly, I quit running altogether. I felt my pants getting tighter and began running again this weekend. Yesterday I didn't fit it in, but did a yoga DVD: my youngest daughter asked if she could exercise with me, so we did the video together and she asked when we could do it again! I just feel more like myself when I run/exercise! My husband started running and lifting again this week, too! That's about it from here....

Travel, Shepherds and Turkey Feathers

My husband and I have recently been talking about winter travel ideas, so he can plan his work vacation time accordingly. We talked about a cruise, Hawaii, beaches, Caribbean, and dude ranches. All sounded great...until I got to the price. I'm sure we could find some "deals" but it would be right before Christmas, so we didn't want to compile deficits to our accounts! We decided on a shorter trip to Chicago. We will be in the cold with no beach, but are sure a few days there would be fun for our girls who have never been there. We haven't been there for twelve years, either. We did get a hotel with a pool, so some swimming can be enjoyed. :)
Another interesting thing this month: our church started a Shepherd's program. Selected people keep in touch with one or two youth who have gone off to college. These youth can be close to home or far away, but are living at college. We send them cards, packages and let them know we're praying for them. I thought it was right up my alley, being that I love to send letters through snail mail, so I accepted when the opportunity was offered. I have taken on two college students and sent them each a card about a week and a half ago. I am planning on mailing another card to each tomorrow. Who doesn't like to receive mail-that isn't a bill or junk mail (which was the original mailbox spam! :)) I love it, and I truly love to send mail: letters, notes, cards (I was on a big stamping and cardmaking kick for a while...) and our girls' artwork.
This is a season when I send more mail: Our family mails out "Thankful Feathers". Back in 1998 I saw an article in Family Fun magazine about thankful feathers. The family made a construction paper feather, mailed it to family and friends. The family and friends wrote their names and what they were thankful for on the feather and mailed it back. I loved the idea, and we've been doing it for eight years. I type up a newsletter of what we're thankful for each year and how much we love and appreciate our friends and family-we truly do-and mail it off. I usually mail them on Nov. 1, but with unknown plans for subbing, I got them out today. Then we read the feathers, remember the need for being thankful, gracious, and and then we put them on a turkey. We have made paper mache turkeys, drawn them on posterboard, drawn them on my husband's office white board...multiple turkey ideas, in fact. :) The girls love receiving mail and we love the "message" of being "thankful".