Trying to Decide on Christmas Plans

Are you getting Christmas cards and letters in the mail, or in emails too? Same here.

Although I still hope to get more of my business projects done I have started to draft my Christmas letter, and I have an idea for some small cards. I've designed a few but want to try out some more. I like to think I'll get these things all ready this next weekend, and then will try to get my huge batches mailed out over the next two weeks.

But you know me - I like to add personal notes to my general newsy Annual letter, and that is what takes the most time.

As for gifts...I've got ideas for my siblings, I'm still pondering what to do for my closest friends. I checked this morning and it appears that we can have small gatherings in our homes if we are convinced that all our guests are well vaccinated. So... I'm tentatively thinking that I could invite 3 or 4 single friends who have no other family members to spend Christmas with to come over as I did at Thanksgiving.

I was given a gift certificate for Walmart and have already had a spending spree there for some things I needed, including a good-sized turkey.

If you have seen the inside of my house you know there is not really any room for a tree, and since the long east wall is covered with books on book shelves, there isn't any room to put up decorations either. Oh, I did get a poinsetta from the church, which I have on the desk just to the right of my head, so I can enjoy glancing at it quite often.

About all I can do for decorations is to stand my incoming Christmas cards on the shelves in front of the books.

I have started my systematic Deep Cleaning and the pantry is nearly done. I hope to finish the last section of shelving this week, and on Saturday tackle the kitchen! Oh does it ever need a good cleaning!

On Dec. 18th there is a 2 hour social event planned for our ESL class at church, so my cleaning this office/dining/living room is going to be quite cursory - unless I throw myself into it on Christmas Eve. But there will be food to prepare in advance.... (Sigh! I'm going to run out of time!)

What I am looking forward to though, is my annual Retreat week after Christmas, when I put my feet up and review my goals and ask the LORD, for HIS agenda in the new year. Then I do what I can to get ready for it. I find that week of reflection and planning always builds up excitement in me for the next year!

<*> TIPS & SOLUTIONS: <*>

Get Your Fill of Beautiful Christian Christmas Music!

I know I've raved about this before, but just in case you've forgotten, let me tell you again. I am listening all day in the background to the online radio station at https://bbnradio.org. They broadcast in 8 languages globally, but I always choose English.

As always, at the stroke of midnight on December 1st they start playing Christmas music and this continues for the whole month of December!

I think, who needs Christmas trees and decorations, if you can hear these beautiful carols and hymns all day, and every day for a month?!!

They have some radio dramas and kids' programs and sermons too, but the rule is that they must have 50% music all day long. You will soon decide to stay there indefinitely.

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