A LITTLE QUIET BEFORE THE STORM

I have been enjoying a bit of quiet before the storm today. The grey squirrel perched on the window sill of my office comes by most days when I am here. Today, it came and rested. Perhaps soaking up some warmth from the bricks. It appeared to be grooming time as well. It stayed for quite some time, and I enjoyed watching this squirrel breathe, rest and groom.
   Maybe God sent this little creature today to offer some quiet before the storm of Thanksgiving into Advent into Christmas into New Year. I have been stressing about how I will ever manage to get everything done.
   LH & I will be heading to WI for Thanksgiving and a gathering of my family - 8 adults, 2 kids, 2 babies, plus 3 dogs.We haven't all been together since my niece's wedding 3 1/2 years ago. I feel
awful to think that my great-nephew is 2 years old and we haven't ever met him. So this will be very special for us. However - I will have to make the pumpkin mousse dessert, and cheese ball, wrap small gifties for the kids, and bring along 2 bottles of wine and table favors, plus pack warm clothing.
   We return on Saturday, have Sunday off after the long drive home. Which is good, because I will have to bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies (actually using red & green m&m's instead of chips)
to put in church freezer on Mon. for use on the first Friday of Dec. which is our community's Candlelight Walk.
    On Dec. 3rd, I have to buy 3-4 loaves of bread for the M Church's one Wed. Advent Service with soup supper. Wear an ugly Christmas Sweater (which I had to order, since I don't do ugly well) for the staff Christmas picture. It is Bible Study night for me.
    On Dec. 4th, I will be making Spinach Bites to take to M Church for the UMW Christmas Lunch.
    On Dec. 5th, I will attend said lunch and read some poems by Ann Weems. This is also LH & mine
32nd anniversary.
    On Dec. 6th, LH & I are making a road trip south about 3 hours to hopefully meet our new greyhound and the very last greyhound to be adopted out by the greyhound adoption group we've
worked with for 30 years.
    On Dec. 13th is the M Church staff Christmas party. Will need to make a dish to share, and wrap an ornament for the ornament exchange.
    Dec. 14th is the community theatre children's Christmas play at L church, an hour after worship
service.
   Dec. 15th is the Community Christmas Cantata hosted by L church doing Bach's
Magnificat with lots of musicians and singers.
    Dec. 24th is Christmas Eve with 2 evening worship services.
    Dec. 28/29 worship services
    Jan. 3rd - our belated Thanksgiving dinner(complete Turkey dinner)/Christmas get-together with
my sisters-in-law!
    In between, I have a Christmas Eve sermon to write,  the Christmas cards & annual letters must get out, especially to Europe. I have three boxes of Christmas gifts to wrap and get sent before Dec. 18th.
    I will need to prepare Star Words for Jan. 5th.
This is why we don't put up a Christmas tree anymore!!! One less extremely time-consuming thing to do.
   My hope for Christmas is to survive into the new year!!!!
    Watching that grey squirrel gave me some peace, because Lord knows, I'm gonna need it!!!!!!!!!!!!!