Advent

This is where we went to church yesterday.

We were ten minutes late, so we had to sit in the balcony, the one to the left of the lights in this photo. There's another balcony to the right (directly across from where we sat), and another in the back. We got there just as a baptism was finishing up, in time to hear the announcements, including one about the governor being in attendance. The sermon was very good, the organ music was simply awesome, and the people we were squeezed in between were courteous and kind, and very upright (in the best Presbyterian sense). After church, one of our high school kids asked why we didn't go to the Presbyterian church after all. hee

(In fairness, she was confused about the line in the Apostle's Creed: "I believe in ... the holy catholic church..."--note the small 'c'--and she and I haven't gotten to that in our confirmation meetings.)

Then we shopped, mostly here:


It was really fun. Some of the girls had never been on a train before, some had never ridden a city bus, some had never been to the city, and I had never eaten in a food court that worked the way this one does: you are seated at an assigned table, and given a credit card, which is used to scan in your order wherever you want to eat and you pay on the way out. MUCH easier than the usual food court!

I bought a couple of presents, wandered around stores filled with cheap clothes and terminally skinny shoppers (including the teenagers I was with!), and was glad not to be outside. It was a fun, loads better than the last time we did this when the weather was probably 20 degrees colder with a substantial wind chill. Yesterday was rainy, and we all had clothes on that were too warm, but we weren't freezing (till we got off the train at 6:00). Sparky was really annoyed that everything cost so much ("Baseball caps are $25, Mom!! All of them. Nothing is any cheaper!"), but he managed to find some things (at least for his dad) for Christmas. I may be getting a CSI jigsaw puzzle (he called me to ask if I'd prefer 'regular' CSI or CSI: Miami--d'oh!). Best part: we only spent two hours actually shopping, not long enough to get totally, completely bored out of my mind, just long enough to realize that I can't find clothes for myself in 90% of the stores that sell clothes--either because of the size, or because of the style, or because they are shoddily-made.

And today, Beast leaves for a trek around his sales territory. I'm not sure how long he'll be gone, but certainly much of the week. Sparky just came down after his shower, and is doing all the advent calendars: we have about 6, including one with pockets that hold treats. Ooh, I just remembered...I have a new one this year!!

It's Monday. Life is pretty good. Honestly, I can't think of anything right now that requires whining or complaining.