Christmas 2020

THE GEOGRAM WEEKLY...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

I returned to Vancouver from Alexandria on Wednesday, Dec.2.

The weather here was mild, though cloudy the following weekend.  Grandson Zach helped me fetch the Christmas decorations.  I like to do red and white lights around the edge of the yard.  Problem was that half on the string of lights was lit and half was not, both for the white and the red. I could not figure out how to make the entire set work. I had a similar set from the year before.  SO, by adding that third string the entire yard glowed red and white.

How many years does it take to finish a DIY decorating project? 3? 4?

The problem was the letters are "stick on" felt which don't stay sticked on in the PNW rain.  The 1st year the unfinished wood was painted a nice satin white. The next year the felt letters were glued on and then came unglued.  The 3rd year the project never left the garage. This 4th year letters were reglued and the entire sign smothered in 5-6 layers of spray on "Ultimate Spar Urethane" (available at your local home care store---use adequate ventilation).  

"Candy Cane Lane"...red and white theme. 
                                              

It was also time to send out 20 Christmas cards to grandkids.  It's handy to have that many because I can do everything assembly line style.  Everyone gets the same card and almost the same message and same $10 bill....well not the SAME one.   

I need to brag a bit. I purposely put the wrong card in siblings envelopes.  The most fun reaction was from Burt and his 5 boys.  They opened their cards one at a time.  Logan was confused when his card was addressed to one of his brothers.  Eventually they all realized they had someone else's card.  They spent a bit of time discussing this with their parents, trying to decide if it was on purpose or if Gram G was starting to lose her mental alertness.  They even took bets on which it was.  

They wouldn't tell me who bet on which.😉

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

FROM GRAM G!!

Here in VC we ended up with a Covid Christmas.  I am fine but Debbie's family became sick over the previous weekend.  She tested positive on Christmas Eve.  Today, Dec. 29, 7 of 9 family members are sick. They are slowly recovering. Jake and Baby Autumn are well.

A Christmas afternoon chicken soup drop off  at the Miller house...

A Monday afternoon chicken soup and grocery drop off at Zach's new apartment.  

I went for a walk on Dec. 26, the feast of St. Steven, also my dad's Birthday.  The sky was blue and the temperature almost 50!

Four calling birds, plus three

The Christmas Rose...

 I caught a glimpse of the Christmas Star on Christmas Eve!

REFLECTIONS 

     There are times I feel like Scrooge at Christmas and think "Humbug", at least to decorating.  I don't mind receiving presents.  But the endless shopping and awful "store music" annoys me.  I like to see oodles of lights and lawn ornaments that others have put up.  And I like to see MY house decorated and festive.  It's just that I don't want to do it when I think of all the work involved in putting it up and then taking it all down again.  Then I think, what better way to occupy the long dark hours of this time of year. It's now that we need something to give extra light, not just physically but emotionally as well.  What better reason to decorate and celebrate than in honor of Jesus' birth, the light of the world.

This has been a good GeoGram week in the life of Gram G.

"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.' " (John 8:12)