Atira's Duet

Atira has been anticipating this evening's Christmas program at our church for several days. Ever since she volunteered to sing a duet with Stephanie Jones, she has been diligently practicing during the waking hours, and each night falling asleep to the CD. When performance time arrived, she didn't look or sound nervous but did admit afterward to some shaky legs and a racing heart. I'm very proud of her hard work and the resulting beautiful song.

Spoiled By Scott

This evening I attempted to watch a musical version of A Christmas Carol with no luck. I didn't even manage to get a full half-hour in before turning it off. I'm sorry but you cannot watch Kelsey Grammer muddle through the role after you have seen it splendidly portrayed by George C. Scott. It would be an insult to compare the two! Last Friday we had our annual pre-Christmas screening of the Scott version with Mom, Dad and Beth. We began the tradition when I lived in Eastport and it was broadcast on one of the four stations that you could pick up Downeast. Back then we watched it on the cabinet encased floor model given to us by Francena, and adjusted the rabbit ears for minimum snow effect. Though the visual enjoyment has increased greatly with technology, the story has remained timeless with no need for improvements. Each family member has their favorite scenes and lines that are recited right along with the actors and each year we laugh at the same places, though we've seen them a hundred times. My favorite scene is when Marley's ghost takes off his headwrap. I couldn't tell you why but that has always cracked me up. For me, Scrooge will always look like George C. Scott.

Crash

I would have preferred to post a lovely blog describing a festive evening filled with laughter, joyful sounds of a family decorating the Christmas tree and the music of the season resounding throughout the house. Instead, Jim and I were in the midst of an argument and the kids got bored halfway through the decorating process and resorted to wrestling on the couch. The music portion of the evening began well with A Charlie Brown Christmas but when it was time to change the CD, Nolan was insistent on Manheim Steamroller but I had already decided on Bryan Duncan. Frustration set in, fueled by the lack of traditional eggnog. In the end, at least the tree was set up and decorated....or so I thought. In the peaceful quiet hours of the late night, as everyone was sleeping, I sat on the couch to enjoy the twinkling lights of the tree.....until it came crashing down, smashing several bulbs, including a Hawaiian one from Anth and Laura. Indeed, it was a fitting end to the evening.

Village People

I began setting up my Christmas village on Saturday and completed it this evening. I'm satisfied with the end result although there are a few changes I'll make for next year. My starry night fabric backdrop has gone missing and the black plastic tablecloth I picked up to replace it is not the look I wanted. Also, the harbor cliff I made will need more stryofoam added next year. I haven't added any houses for a few years. I like the size of the village at the moment. A Fire Station is the only other building that I would like to acquire for next year. Enjoy the photos.

Scented Pine

The scent of Christmas is now in the air since I have arrived back home following one of my favorite events of the season, our church's wreath-making night. Is there any aroma more comfortable than the scent of pine in December? With my handmade wreath now hanging over the fireplace, my Christmas village only lacking a few details, and the crunch of snow beneath my boots, I'm ready to enjoy this season of my Saviour's birth.

Build-A-Birthday

Atira turned 8 yesterday. I wasn't planning a big party this year so I wanted to do something special for her. I invited her friend Cara to join us in the morning and we headed down to the Build-A-Bear store in the Maine Mall. After surveying all the options, Atira decided on a pink, (is there any other color in her universe?), bear and used money from her Gramma and PopPop to buy the bear a fancy pink satin dress, sequined purse and, of course, matching pink shoes. This bear is ready for a night out on the town. Unfortunately it had to settle for lunch at Arby's. After dropping Cara home, Atira and I made strawberry cupcakes. The smell of them cooling attracted Jubal who was quite disappointed when he discovered it was cake he was smelling and not strawberry milk. Ever the artist, Atira decorated each cupcake individually, assigning one for each person attending her party. I think the effect was quite nice and they were a delicious end to a lovely birthday.

'Tis the Season

Well, it's that most wonderful time of the year again, time to decorate the house and tree for the Christmas season. I'll add some Nutcrackers to the decor this year, once the kids have finished painting them. I spotted them while shopping at Christmas Tree Shop with Heather and thought they would be a good idea for a Christmas art project. I was pleasantly surprised to see that even art-challenged Jubal was enjoying the painting this afternoon, although I was forbidden from posting any photos of the event that included him. Atira decided not to clothe her soldier in pink, opting for a more manly purple, while Nolan coordinated his in basic primary colors. For Tell's creation, we rewrote a well-known Christmas hymn.
"We blue kings of Orient are"
"painted by Tell, we look quite bizarre."