Lots accomplished, lots of fun stuff too

Okay, now I'll try to catch up here.  Going back to last Monday, December 5th.  Destiny works on Mondays from 2:30 to 11:00 pm.  So they always stay here on Monday nights.  That evening Elizer became increasingly warm and seemed to have no life.  I gave him a bath, he sat with Grandpa for a while, and then he fell asleep on the sofa.  He seemed better in the morning, so I took him to daycare and told them to call if he seems to be sick.  He was fine at school, and in the evening was back to his happy, funny self!  (Bottom right picture.)

I took this picture of Destiny's front porch.  The welcome mat plays Christmas music when you stand on it!

Wednesday was a really full day.  I was planning to go Christmas caroling with a group of women from church on Thursday to a retirement home.  I remembered from last year that when we gave the residents a chance to pick songs, they picked ones I did not have music for.  So this year I wanted to be prepared. I copied a bunch of songs from books I have and also bought a bunch more songs from musicnotes.com.  I compiled them in alphabetical order in a notebook.   That was my morning.  Actually it was my evening too till I had it all finished.  In the afternoon I made air-fried chicken and roasted vegetables for us and for Anthony and Lori's family.  I took their food over to them, picked Elizer up from daycare, and came home to finish my music project.  

Christmas caroling with the elderly residents on Thursday morning was fun.  They were a lively bunch. I had a nice grand piano to play. 

Destiny worked late again on Thursday, so Elizer kept things lively around here that evening till she got here. 

On Friday Destiny and I went to check out the furniture sale at Nittany Lion Inn.  Penn State is getting out of the hotel business.  While they will still own it, it will be operated by another company.  The furniture sale had started Monday, so things were pretty much gone by Friday.  But it was fun to walk through such a grand old place with so much history.  Lisa had worked there in food service one semester when she went to Penn State.  

We went to Cracker Barrel for lunch after that, then I took them home.  Elizer was sleeping before we made it out of Cracker Barrel parking lot!  That evening Destiny met Alex half way to give him Elizer for the weekend.

That evening also I was working on my blog post and found out my brother-in-law Elvin had passed away.  If you read that post you saw the picture I posted of him and Pauline.  Here are a few of the pictures from a post I made on Facebook.  Top right is the bridal party of my sister Janet and Elvin's wedding.  Top left is their family with son Scott and daughter Lori. Middle left is their family on Christmas 1998.  Middle right is his wedding to Pauline in 2007.  In case any reader did not know, my sister Janet died in 2004.  Bottom left is his family in summer 2021.  Bottom right is Elvin driving his boat.  He was a gentle and wise man with a wonderful sense of humor.  He will be tremendously missed.

On Saturday I took my good old time getting our tree strung with lights and the other things hung on it.  I also got the rest of the decorating done, imagining how I would need to get it out of the way when Elizer comes!  Dick had gotten the outside decorations done on Friday afternoon.  I LOVE how the house smells and feels and looks during the Christmas season.

On Sunday afternoon we went with a group from church to see the musical "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever."  We weren't allowed to take pictures of the show, but I took one before it started and we got a friend to take a picture of us afterward.  

 

The musical was done well and was really funny at times.  Of course I'm always the loud laugher.  However, I had read the book to kids at some point, and also Destiny and I had listened to the audio version of the book during a trip between State College and Reading years ago, and I really liked the book better than the musical.  

I was going to be meeting Alex on Monday afternoon to get Elizer, but they decided he would be keeping him the rest of this week.  This is Destiny's last week of work before Christmas break.  She has off WITH pay!  I felt disappointed to have him gone a whole week, but actually, I had a boatload of music prep to do for the Christmas services at church.  I had other catching up to do as well.  So I have kept very busy anyway.  I told Dick this morning that I think my house has kept cleaned up for the longest in over a year!

Last evening I met Dick at work at 5:00.  He had cleaned up and changed clothes in the rest room there. We then headed to Duncannon, an hour-and-a-half drive, for Sammy's middle school concert.  I had packed some things for us to eat on the road.  He plays percussion with the 5th and 6th grade band.  There was also a 7th and 8th grade band and a chorus that was really big.  I was so impressed that a smallish rural school district had so many middle school kids involved in music!

As soon as they came onto the stage we could see Sammy looking for his family.  We were all sitting together.  He looked so handsome up there!

Afterwards we got some pictures.  Jenn's parents were there too, but they had left as soon as it was over.  

We got back to State College soon after 10:00.  Of course we had to go to Dick's shop first so he could get his truck.  After I drove away from the shop I took this picture of a very decorated frat house up the street. 

And now I'm all caught up at last!  We're supposed to be getting ice and snow tomorrow.  At least I won't need to worry about picking Elizer up from daycare.  Actually, they already closed for tomorrow.  Destiny said Starbucks in the library where she works will be closed too.  Guess I'll have time to do some more catching up on other things.