Just three more days before Christmas Eve and four more before Christmas. Christmas Eve is the night I have been waiting for such a long time. The service is at Faith Lutheran Church this time and at 5 o’clock p.m. For years it has been at 3 p.m. and none of my family could come that early. Now as the years have gone by, they have gotten out of the habit of Christmas Eve and what it meant to them. I sincerely hope they will remember this year and renew their acquaintances with what the day means to them.
I went on Monday to the City Council meeting. It was a very short one—just 15 minutes! January will be the meeting where two new council members will be installed.
I went to the funeral in Remsen on Thursday morning to a church that was filled to capacity. How gratifying for Boston’s family to see that, that many people cared. Because Boston was a donor, a person/persons will be given a second chance of life. May the memories of Boston be of comfort to his family and friends at this time. May he rest in peace until we meet again.
I had started on a quilt for a little girl that didn’t have one. I just didn’t feel like working on this quilt Thursday and would leave it until Friday. I can work on half of the quilt at a time as that is all the working table space I have. I had the edging to go on it and had planned on doing this on Friday until my plans were changed. At 10:30 a.m. Friday Bethany came and said if I wanted to go with them to see the lighted Christmas Tree train, I had to hurry as they didn’t want to be late. I thought she said at Maurice, Ia. and wondered why a lighted up train would be going in broad daylight!
I quickly put on my clothes, grabbed my stockings, and was ready in less than 5 minutes. Of course, we had to go in the pickup that doesn’t help my left arm at all. When we went past Sheldon, I knew we were not going to Maurice when the road sign said so many miles in Minnesota. They stopped a couple hours later for gas and I got one stocking on. The next stop was at McDonald’s about 2 p.m. and I got the last stocking on. That is when I went to McDonald’s rest room and I noticed I had my pajama bottoms on under my outside pants! I let them know that I had gotten ready so fast that I was more than dressed.
When it is said that Minnesota is home to 10,000 lakes, they are not kidding! It was close to 4 p.m. when we came to Elbow Lake, Mn. There is water on the left side of this town—as far as the eye can see and on the right side, just a little more than what would fill the ditch! We parked by the railroad track and waited. Finally a train came whizzing by and it was the lighted Christmas Tree train. I went to get my camera out of my purse and found I couldn’t find the “on” button. I told Zachary to take a picture with his phone but he replied it was dead. All that was in front of us were the last 4 cars that were outlined with red, green, and blue moving lights that changed color at different times.
Then I found that the camera I had was my old camera that had no batteries or memory card in it. That camera is never on the table but was when I left. (On returning home, I saw the camera I needed was where the old camera should have been. I still don’t know how the camera places got switched.) The train sat in place for a long time. I don’t know if this is an annual thing like the buffalo roundup in South Dakota, but it seemed the whole town was out to see this. I still didn’t really know what was on the fast moving cars.
We drove around and about a half hour later found a place where a few vehicles were waiting for the train to come back. It did come back but still wasn’t going very slow. Bethany did get a picture of one of the lighted up cars. The Canadian Pacific Railroad Holiday Express was (each word) on a separate lighted car. Other lighted cars had Santa, etc.—anything to do with the holidays. Now we were on our way home! We got home just before 11 p.m.
The Middle School Christmas Concert was supposed to have been on Thursday (Dec. 14) evening but there wasn’t any school that day so I don’t know when this Concert will be. Maybe it will have to be Monday or Tuesday afternoon as Christmas vacation begins on Thur. Dec. 28. (I understand now that the Middle School Concert could be after they get back from Christmas vacation. There is nothing wrong with this.)
I really think I should have planned Christmas activities right after Halloween! I still have to find out how many are coming for Christmas Eve supper so I know how much meat to get. I haven’t sent any Christmas cards out yet and people will be getting them after Christmas.
I was able to get a sermon on television after I returned from my church on Sunday where the minister came from Wayne, Nebraska. He reminded the listeners that Christmas shouldn’t be “what are we going to give xxx, or I want xxx, but rather what Christmas is really all about—what gift was given to us that the Profits had been talking about for years.
As I look back over the last two weeks of this month, I can’t help but think about those families that have lost loved ones—that person will not be sitting beside them at church anymore and there will be empty chairs around the table this Christmas. There are those of us that can have everyone present and be thankful for that as you never know when the Lord will call someone from you family home.
Remember in your thoughts and prayers those who have lost family/friends to death and have had their lives changed, have health problems some of which are terminal; are trying to make a living even though they have a job; help those who desire “wants” are more important than “needs”, that prestige isn’t everything and be with those who are still struggling to shorten the distance between family/friends to build a bridge instead of a wall. Count your blessings!
I will leave you with this quote: “He who lives for self and self alone is a successful failure.”