procrastinating

So I realised that I haven’t posted to this blog in quite a while.  Thus, although I am supposed to be writing evals, I prefer to think of this not so much as procrastinating, as keeping up with my responsibilities.  I was going to say the reason I haven’t posted is because nothing has been going on, but then I looked at the photo card.  Apparently I haven’t posted because we have been so busy.  So since the last posting we have done the following:

David:  Remarkably little out of the ordinary.  Helped run a Lessons and Carols service put together by Jan Lindquist (the amazing) and the South Bend Children’s choir.  It was great.  I thought Jan (that’s Jan Banga) might be more interested than he was, but he wasn’t and played with trucks on the floor in the back (good thing that wasn’t Jan L, eh?)
He also has done some more construction-y things on the bar in the family room.  It’s looking pretty good.  We now have a working sink and faucet.  It’s kind of a dilemma because the way the room is currently, there is a lot of furniture right in front of the bar, making it hard to get to.  However, the only way to change that, really, would be to put the big sofa where the TV currently is and there are 2 problems with that:  1) that would be right in line with the doorway to the kitchen.  The kitchen is the most freezing-est room in the house in the winter and you’d feel a lovely chilly draft on that side if you were to sit there.  2)The TV would have to go on the west wall of the room where there are currently a love-seat and a recliner.  Not a huge issue, but the cable input is currently on the wall the TV is and running a line 14 feet across the room may not work.  I do not know about such things.  David mostly objected to 1), I think because it might mean giving up/moving the sacred recliner.  So, we remain in a state of dilemma.  It may be we leave the room as ’tis with the bar somewhat inaccessible as a symbol that such things shall not overcome. ha ha.
I couldn’t remember if I’ve ever posted a final photo of the fireplace, so here it is.  Here is the bar too, covered in construction stuff, but looking pretty good.

David has also been working diligently at church getting ready for Christmas, which isn’t quite like getting ready for Easter (thank goodness), but still is an extra service.  Plus, the big news, which isn’t so big because he’s been talking about it for ages, is that he and Mark (Roeda, our pastor) are responsible for putting together a big service etc at the Calvin Worship Centre Worship Conference in January.  They will be gone a week, or at least David will because he is also responsible for putting together the new hymnal (which you will all LOVE and SUPPORT and CHERISH and NOT ARGUE about).  (EVEN if it’s a HIDEOUS COLOUR which David has promised it will be when I suggested green.)  So January will be a big month for him.  Thus, I move on from his doings, to mine.

Me:  I have been working diligently on finishing the semester and everything that entails.  I didn’t get many Christmas presents from students this year.  This recession is difficult, ha ha, I’m such a whiner.  But seriously, I think all things ended well and now I am in the thick of writing those reports I am supposed to be currently working on instead of writing to you.  For Christmas/necessity, David surprised me with a new laptop computer because my big red laptop has been giving so much trouble.  It never was great, but now this one I am afraid to do anything with because I’m afraid I’ll mess this one up too.  But it sure is nice to not have it freeze every couple of minutes.
In other things I’ve been doing:  I did indeed make a whole bunch of pumpkin cheesecakes, but I fizzled out before I could get them done for the neighbours we don’t like.  Honestly, I had planned to.
I’ve also been keeping the house clean because of all the get-togethers/parties we have been having.  ‘Tis the season after all.  Here are some photos of our small group white elephant party which was riotous.  The words “what the heck” were uttered quite a few times and some of you may enjoy the regifted fruit of our not-so-labours.   No offense to the original gifters.
Here we are, some of us, “helping” Peter L learn his school choir music.  Of course, I don’t think we were much help, but Peter is too nice to say so.  Troy is holding a flashlight because it’s so dark in that corner (makes it the perfect place for a piano, right?)

  Joel thinks the white elephant gifts are pretty great.

Troy got a ???? that is apparently good to put on the head.

Jan:  has been working on going to children’s worship on Sundays which means he needs to sit through the first half of the service with the big people and go up and sit nicely during the children’s sermon.  These things are a bit challenging and I usually have to go sit up on the floor in the front of the sanctuary with him.  This is mostly because although he is an angel (ha ha ha) other children are not so I have to protect my dear one from evil influences (ha ha ha ha ha ha).  Other than that he has been fairly sunny lately except for the usual struggle over food – not an eater, this one.

  Tunnel with the couch cushions.

So that’s pretty much it for us.  I hope you have a great Christmas and a blessed New Year.  We’ll be going up to the old Minn, so perhaps there will be an update from the frozen north(west).

(Driest tree in the world.  Most of the lower branches are now lying on the floor. But it still looks good.)

oh yeah, and we did finally see Harry Potter #7 part 1 and it was great.