Two church programs to ring-and-sing and a Christmas brunch

Imagine these singers with handbells

I’ve had no “company” since the floors were all re-done, so I invited the eight bell ringers to a brunch. Why not? Our Christmas music presentation was December 14 and we wouldn’t be rehearsing until next year?

          You’ve heard that when one part of your house gets a new face (or floor, in this case), it calls for upgrades in other departments? Those’ll have to wait until next year. I’ve tried to repair the ceiling in the living room by hook and by crook, and up until I painted my handiwork, I was satisfied. Not now. All I could do was to hide it under a similar-colored, sheer cloth with push pins and spray glue. Time, time, time! Like reading the newspaper, it took ‘way too much time. I could almost write a BuzzFeed article, “Ten Ways to Waste Your Time Trying to Do It Yourself.” And I may—next year.

         To warm up the kitchen one recent morning, I decided to bake, using the peanut-butter cookie packet, the cornbread muffin box and one of the clipped recipes for pumpkin cake/pumpkin pie cake. I’d freeze the cookies and the pie-cake for the brunch and our family Christmas.

          The kitchen warmed before I started on the third item. And, because there were so many other things to do—do I have a short attention span?—I turned off the oven, loaded and started the dishwasher.

            As in 2013, this year, I toted the top tier of a 3-part, 6-foot, pre-lighted tree from the attic, set it in a fishbowl of marbles. Voila! Centered on a long, narrow table covered to the floor in maroon cloths and placed in front of the east window, it glows with symmetry--and pears.

           The dining table was re-dressed and readied for food. As BFF Dot knows, it’s hard to keep a dining table clear just for dining. It’s happened many times before: papers, notes, calendars, to-do lists got pushed off into a box and shunted under or behind or inside something. Hopefully, in all that clutter, no unpaid bills get lost. It’s possible the box will be forgotten until a deep-cleaning spell next spring—if then.

         In the meantime, two musical “programs” were planned—on the same day: early church at Bryant; late church at Salem. Sis Carolyn and I rang bells in both—she led the latter group, so we rushed out of the first service after we finished our part, then raced to the second venue to reset the chancel from THEIR early service to the traditional Lessons and Carols.

           With 3 bell tables, additional chairs for 3 brass players, the choir director was squeezed behind a bell player and the sopranos. I’m lobbying for a roll-out extension of the chancel for special programs—in both churches.

            But we survived, and after a long, Sunday-afternoon nap, and continued preparations for the bell brunch--which was a barrel of fun--well… here’s my post for this week.

           May we all slow down, breathe deeply and still enjoy the onrush to Christmas.