The Year Comes to an End

I spent some time this afternoon looking over my blog posts for 2024 in preparation for making another Blog2Print book.  Last year (2023) I ended with a post entitled "What Did I Miss?" I don't think I missed much this year that I want to write about.  We have done nothing more about senior living but have not given up on the idea.  We have had good health.  There were some concerns about providers no longer taking our insurance but as far as we know, those issues are settled with co-pays not as high as we feared or in one case, paying out of pocket being a far better solution than finding a new provider.  I have written enough about the political situation and our concerns for the next administration's plans.  

Last Friday we were invited to a lovely feast at one couple's home here at Barclay Square where we met a few other neighbors.  And yesterday our former neighbor picked us up and brought us to his new apartment for wine and snacks.  We are invited to his wedding in February.  Tomorrow our new neighbors are coming up the steps for a happy hour with us.   We almost always have people to greet at church thanks again to joining a Lenten small group and another group this fall.  My Barclay Square friend Peggy and I chat usually every other week--either at the playground or occasionally at the 1900 Building.  So after five and a half years, we do feel a part of this community.  And we love being able to see our children and grandchildren without having to travel 700 plus miles down I 80. 

I will add one more post about our adventure going into Philadelphia to hear Laura sing Bach's B Minor Mass.   Planning for this jaunt meant getting tickets on my mobile phone and reserving a parking place at Rittenhouse Parking--also with a pass on our phones.  All of this is a bit daunting for two 78 year olds but I will end the year with what I hope will be a happy account of our trip.  And I can start 2025 with Notre Dame's football team with its 12-1 record playing Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on January 1. 

------------Crisis!  Blog2Print no longer functions.  I spent quite a bit of time trying to find a safe alternative.  The parent company of Blog2Print sent me a suggestion.  I was hesitant to go to a site that might be risky so I have asked my IT person for help--my daughter-in-law Susan.  If she gives me the OK, I'll give it a try.  I was really frustrated because I have been making a book every January since 2009.  

-------------December 31 We had an adventure for our last day of 2024.  Laura was filling a long held dream of singing Bach's Mass in B Minor.  We bought tickets and enjoyed a magnificent performance at 4 pm by the Choral Arts of Philadelphia at Church of the Holy Trinity in downtown Philly.  The soloists were wonderful as was the orchestra and choir and it was a delight to spot our daughter with her sparkly necklace in the first row of sopranos.  The Sanctus in particular was heavenly! We were quite pleased with ourselves in handlinh the tickets and parking pass all on our phones. (Although we actually ended up showing folks the printed copies we had made). We were also very grateful to be home safely as we traveled an hour through Philadelphia and on I 95 in a terrible rainstorm in which it was very hard to see the white lines in the road.  

Tomorrow I will attempt to make a book from the 2024 blogs using intorealpages.com.  Susan gave me the OK to feel safe enough in spite of some warnings about security online. 

So this is the end of 2024!  For us personally, it was a good year.  For our country, we are concerned.  We enter 2025 with prayers! For ourselves, our family, our churches, our friends and very much for our country and peace in our world. My "lectio divina" for today was from the lectionary as always--"The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it." 

Christmas Part II

 We celebrated Christmas with our family yesterday at Laura and Michael's house.  There were 15 of us there.  We missed Dan and Alex who had just returned from their trip to Colombia and decided to stay home.  They dd Face time with us so we could greet them.

There were moments I want to remember. I had bought chocolate letters for the grandchildren from the Dutch Store in Grand Rapids as I do every year.  Little Henry who is almost five opened his and with great surprise and delight said, "It's the first letter of my name!"  How lovely when something is new!   And then there is the joy of our tradition of singing Christmas carols--mostly acapella and by memory.  We stumble a bit on the second and third verses but we make a joyful noise and to this grandma's ears, it is beautiful! I pray that the words "Let every heart prepare him room" enter into my grandchildren's hearts as they sang.  

Last night, Jim made the decision that we would do livestream church this am because it is bitterly cold and it is quite the walk to the muniicipal parking deck.  We worshipped from our living room and appreciated the Daniel Pinkham Christmas Cantata.

To be continued--with Christmas dinner at Jeff and Susan's and more livestream church services for Christmas Eve.  

-------------At first half of the string of lights on our tree went dark. So we readjusted them and it looked fine. Then last night the whole tree went dark!  Alas!  With some difficulty, we walked around the seasonal section of Target until Jim spotted boxes of lights.  We bought another string of 60 and all should be well in time for Christmas. 

 As we shopped, we impulsively bought a little Tonka dump truck for Timmy who lives downstairs to go along with the classic Eric Carle book From Head to Toe that we had already gotten for him.  We hope to get to know his parents and him better when we have them over between the holidays. 

--------------Christmas Eve--Jeff and Susan invited us to go to Christmas Eve Mass at their church, St. Paul's in Princeton--and to have our traditional pigs in the blanket before church.  The church was sparkling with lights and greenery.  The service was led by their former pastor Monsignor Nolan who was a familiar figure for us too.  He was very pastoral and emotional in his telling of a story--and emphasized Christ was born in you--as in Mary.  I got teary when I saw the throngs of people going forth for the elements--including our precious Katie, James and Michael.  Then home again where we caught the opening words via livestream of the Family church service at Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church where Ruth read the welcoming words.  

Maybe we will join the 9 pm service at Nassau Church tonight via livestream.  And we hope to have dinner at Jeff and Susan's tomorrow.  They are so good to include us in their family times--and it is only ten minutes down the road.  

------------There was a package at our door delivered by the deacons at our church.  A few years ago Jim and I helped deliver poinsettias to folks who were elderly--and now we are the recipients.  There were lots of tasty goodies and a small poinsettia.   

Christmas Day--We made banket.  Each year I say it is my last time and then I buy more almond paste from the Dutch Store and we do it again.  Jim was a big help today.  We brought some for dessert at Jeff and Susan's tonight where we had a great turkey dinner with Susan's legendary rolls made by Katie this time!  

Our big achievement of the day was downloading Netflix so we could watch the NFL games which were only on Netflix.  And we did it without having to ask anyone of a younger generation for help.  

The Real Luxuries in Life

This post on Facebook caught my eye.  In retirement, I have most of these luxuries.  A quiet mind escapes me at times.  Slow mornings--almost always--with time to do NYT Spelling bee and Connections.  Ability to travel--I am happy to be home and to remember all the trips we have made in the past.  A good night's sleep--not always but most of the time.  People you love and who love you back--every day!  Calm and boring days--I am fine with our more limited life.  And for now we do have health for which we are very thankful. Meaningful conversations--ordinary conversations of everyday things are also valuable such as "What is on for TV sports tonight?  Here's the mail for today--the usual requests for funds.  Do you want to go to the library today?  We need more purified water for the humidifier."  

What my Husband Does for me!

 

The first thing Jim did for me today was not appreciated!  I had gone to the guest bedroom during the night and he came in to say, "Are you still sleeping?"  I was not! I was reading my morning Heather Cox Richardson blog and I was in no hurry to get out of bed.  However, the next thing he did was to have coffee in the thermos for me which he does every morning.  And I do appreciate that first sip of coffee.

Then we do the NYT Spelling Bee together while I finish my coffee.  I had felt inadequate when he always could find more words than I could so now he stops-usually--at the point where I have stopped.  It is amazing how we see separate lists of words.  One day we each had 23 words before combining lists and there was almost no overlap.  

After we made our usual trip to get groceries at McCaffreys, Jim drove me to the Princeton Public Library and parked in the driveway next to the entrance so that I could get my two requested books and find a few more.  Then this afternoon we went to the Princeton Seminary Library where he checked out one book for his research and another one for me that I could not find at the public library or Better World Books.  The movable shelves could be a thing of nightmares for me but after I opened the slot a bit, he went in and found my book and checked it out on his card. 

Later this afternoon Jim will pour me a glass of wine and we will probably do a NYT crossword puzzle together--or just watch the Army-Navy game.  

I rely more and more on the cane he bought for me last April and sometimes am happy to take his arm as well. He encourages me to take at least one short walk each day.   I am thankful for my husband of 57 1/2 years and thankful for each day we have together and I pray there will be many more! 

------------One more thing!  On Sunday mornings, Jim drives the long way to church so he can drop me off right in front of the sanctuary so I don't have to walk from the municipal parking lot or even cross the street.  After church I do walk with him to the car. 

Christmas

 I have led adult church school classes three times over the years both in Raleigh and in South Bend on the topic of simplifying Christmas.  But I still get caught up in the stress of finding gifts for everyone on our list.  I love each person and want to find the perfect gift but am at a loss as to what that gift is. 

At least there are no work obligations or parties.  There are choir rehearsals with our Grace Notes Choir and our two Advent Communion services but that is nothing like some long choir rehearsals in the past--or playing the organ for Christmas Eve services.  Last  night we listened via Livestream to grandson Michael's George Washington Jazz Orchestra's Holiday Concert and saw and heard Michael featured with trombone solos a few times.  Maybe we can do some other livestream events for the Conway grandchildren.  

One traditional gift that is expected by the grandchildren is a chocolate letter of their names.  The letters have been ordered from VanderVeen's The Dutch Store and they have arrived.  I have learned to order them plenty in time for Christmas.  

Almost all the other gifts have arrived from Amazon and Land's End.  I miss seeing the stores all decorated for Christmas but online shopping is so convenient. 

I have ordered Shutterfly cards this year with a family photo of the whole VK gang--18 of us on the steps of the Ocean Grove cottage Laura and Michael rent each year.  I love getting family photos from others and so this year I will reciprocate.  

We have also learned to get our little table top tree on time.  Last year we found one with difficulty at a local nursery.  This year we went to Whole Foods where we have purchased trees many other years and found plenty of choices.  It is so easy to put it up--already in its little stand.  One string of lights is enough.  However, half of the string suddenly died today so we may need to go to Amazon one more time.  

I have made sugar cookie dough for a cookie baking session tomorrow with Laura and Ruth.  My sister sent me the recipe which she thinks I sent her years ago and that it came from our Grandma Vander Molen.  My memory is that  Grandma did not have a recipe but just did a pinch of this or that.  However, this recipe tasted to me like I remember her cookies tasted.  The dough has to be refrigerated for several hours so it had to be made ahead of time.  Ruth bought some fancy cookie cutters which she showed me on Thanksgiving.  They will even make impressions in the dough.  Good thing, because we searched everywhere and cannot find our cookie cutters--one more thing missing from our move here.  I found red and green sugars at Target this week so we should be all set to decorate. Laura and Ruth have made gingerbread cookie dough ahead of time because it also needed to be refrigerated.  This event has taken some planning! 

Every year I say I will not make banket again, but once again I ordered several pounds of almond paste from The Dutch Store.  The folks I have given banket to have been so enthusiastic about it--including Alonso, one of our maintenance men here at Barclay Square who even wondered if I could make it for Halloween too!  It went over very well with our grand-daughter's partner's parents who brought some home for the grandmother on his side.  So I will probably take a deep breath and roll out the crusts and fill them up again. 

I will add photos of the baking session tomorrow. 

December 8 An unexpected joy while walking to the municipal parking lot after church was coming up on the Tigertones, a Princeton University male Acapella group, singing O Holy Night.  They were huddled in a doorway and sang without printed music.  It was so beautiful.  It gave me chills.  It was a Christmas gift to me "O Night Divine, the night Christ was born."  I told one of them I had never heard it sung more beautifully and that was true for my 78 years!  

Cookie baking with Laura and Ruth was a treat in many ways.  Good cookies and good company! And Ruth requested a Scrabble game with her grandmother--and helped hang ornaments on our little tree.

----------December 13  One small crisis was averted I hope.  Land's End sent me just one of the fleeces I ordered for James and Michael.  I checked their website and the second one was backordered for January 25!  With some difficulty I contacted Land's End and used text messaging to change the order to another size and color.  That is being processed right now--I just checked their website. So we may get that by Christmas after all!