Merry Christmas and 2020 calendar

Good Monday everyone, and happy day before Christmas Eve! I may not get another chance to wish you all a very merry Christmas and I don’t want to miss the opportunity. Especially since I didn’t get my cards done and in the mail! No excuses, just not enough time to do it right and I don’t like to do anything by halves.

Much has happened since my last post. For one thing, I have accepted an appointment as Grand Esther, one of the 5 star points in Eastern Star at the state level. This appointment involves a LOT of travel around the state for receptions, schools of instruction, chapter visits, and exchanges with other surrounding states. There is a great group of folks, who are quickly becoming like family, that forms the state chapter, called the Grand Chapter. Thus, my title as Grand Esther. Esther is one of the books of the Bible and is one of the five Biblical heroines of our Order. I am honored to represent her.

The photo below is most of my Grand Family. Due to illness there were three unable to attend my reception, which is where this photo was taken. Yes, it was a formal affair, and I have one of the teal green formals that I wear to most functions. However, for my own reception I could choose to wear something else. My travel companion is my friend Paula, who is in blue, the formal color for her position in the General Chapter (national) of the Order of the Eastern Star. Believe you me, I had to get used to wearing hose and heels again after choosing to mostly dress in a casual fashion for the last several years. We have a lot of fun and have grown to be like family.

In addition to the travel involved with my appointment, I still have all the usual stuff at home and the volunteer work. Some of that will have to take a back seat, so I am still finding my way on that score. Probably I am still trying to do too much, but am learning to say ‘no’ to some things, at least temporarily.

Throw into the mix the holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas and I am as busy as the next person. Oh, yes, and I did manage to get my annual calendar finished and ordered. Here is a photo of the cover shot.

If you are interested in ordering one, they are $15 for anyone to whom I don’t have to mail it. If I have to mail it, tack on $5 for the PO.

With all that I haven’t had time to make cards for awhile, thus, no Christmas cards in the mail. I will do it, they will just have to be late.

Remember the Reason for the Season, and worship our Lord at the church of your choice. Since my family cannot come on Christmas Eve as they usually do, I will attend a Christmas Eve service. I will also read to my Great Grandchildren from the book, “Twas the Night Before Jesus”, by Herbert Brokering. It is the same rhyming cadence as ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’ by Clement Moore. The photo shows our Grand family dressed as Mary & Joseph, wise men, shepherds, sheep (yeah, I was a lamb!) and angels as our Worthy Grand Patron (we call him Dad) read the story to residents when we attended the Christmas party at the Eastern Star/Masonic Home.

I would recommend this book to everyone and the illustrations are as lovely as the story.

OK. All for now. I will try to get back to a regular posting after the first of the year when things settle down, at least a little bit.

Again, I wish all of you a Blessed Christmas, and a safe and Joyous New Year!

By the way, I am still a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator, so if you need any help with your paper crafting please let me know. If you care to order products you can do that by clicking on the ORDER button at right. Thanks for stopping by.