Countdown to Christmas

December 20, 2010.

Outside my window...cold and dark. I never have been a fan of winter, in spite of the fact that I was born in Finland and raised in Northern Ontario. I could easily be a snow bird, or live some place tropical. I wouldn't even mind spending Christmas under a palm tree...but I digress. Tomorrow is the shortest day of the year, and then it will begin to improve.
I am thinking...I like having both girls at home. I enjoy their company and I love to hear them laugh together. My eldest asked for a book by the Puritans for Christmas, and my youngest wants us to make a donation to International Justice Mission on her behalf, in lieu of a gift. See why I love them?
I am thankful for...the C&C Christmas banquet going so well. I'm a micro-manager, and I don't usually like help in the kitchen, so for me to have nine people cooking, and also to not have been able to do any prep-work ahead of time, so they could learn by doing, was difficult for me. And of course, there were a few glitches, but we worked through them. I think they came away with an appreciation of how much work goes into meal preparation, especially a fancy seven course meal. It was a practical application to our lesson on hospitality last month. I posted the talk and the menu and recipes below.
From the kitchen...two homemade pizzas. One with pepperoni, bacon and onions, the other with sun-dried tomatoes, herbed goat's milk cheese, red onions and fresh basil. I call that second one a hippie pizza. It was pretty good, though.
I am wearing...jeans, a purple shirt and a grey sweater.
I am reading...Tomorrow we Die, by Shawn Grady, a suspenseful thriller about a paramedic.
I am hoping...to get my last few gifts bought. We're not really buying many gifts this year, but the ones we are getting are big purchases. We bought my mother-in-law a t.v. and my mom winter tires.
I am hearing...you know...the train. It's Monday and I'm on my way to work.
Around the house...this is an organized Christmas, in spite of taking on so many new things. I've been enjoying the past two months and sharing our new home. We've walked through the snow to the hot tub several times already.
One of my favourite things...entertaining guests.
Some plans for the week...I only have to work one night, then I'm off for six. Unfortunately, my husband has more time off after Christmas, but at least we're off for Christmas and New Years' together. We're having Finnish Christmas at home on the 24th, then we're hosting two men from church on the 25th, who don't have anywhere to spend Christmas, and then we're having Jamaican Christmas at my mother-in-law's on Sunday after church.