Sunday, Dec. 4

Around 3 a.m. this morning, Mother heard a crash and came to the den to fetch me. We explored the storage room and discovered that a stack of plastic totes, with a metal file on top had toppled over. Not sure how that happened...whether the stack was just unbalanced, or if a critter, like a mouse, was up there and jumped from the table to the stack, toppling it.

Up around 7 a.m. After breakfast, I helped Mother take a shower, and then got ready for the day myself.

After that, Mother went into the kitchen to cut up round steak and slice onions for smothered steak. I seared the beef, added onions, garlic, salt-free seasoning, pepper, paprika, a can of mushrooms, and a can of low-sodium beef, and let the meat simmer for a couple of hours.

While the meat cooked, I downloaded photos from yesterday's graham cracker Christmas house workshop, and uploaded pics of Great-Grandson and Great-Daughter to my social network page.

After that, I gathered laundry for the washer, and then read the Sunday newspaper. By then, it was time to finish getting lunch ready. Hubbie had scrubbed potatoes for the oven, so I heated a can of spinach, and cooked a few ears of corn-on-the- cob. The meal was good and very satisfying.

While we enjoyed our meal, we watched a Christmas movie from the Lifetime channel. I debated whether or not I wanted to go on a tour of historic homes this afternoon, but the weather was so dismally rainy and cool, that I abandoned the idea. I feel sorry for the four families who spent hours getting their homes ready and decorated for the tour, only to have the floors and carpets trod upon by groups of wet or muddy-footed guests. Hopefully, they laid some sort of material down to serve as paths through their homes.

After the movie, Mother went to her room for a nap, and Hubbie and I got ready to go to a local church for the annual Festival of Lessons and Carols." This is always a wonderful service, and today was no exception.

The service included the local flute choir. This year, the choir featured a mezzo-soprano (student of the nearby college), who sang "Sweet Little Jesus Boy." Another member of the choir whistled "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," and then played a tambourine as the flutists performed the song.

One of the professors at the college sang selections from "Messiah," in his deep bass voice. A mezzo-soprano also sang selections from "Messiah." Very moving.

Something different this year was a bagpiper who performed "Good King Wencelas." We wondered if the bagpipe would be overpowering in this very small church, but it was fine.

Also included in the service were nine Biblical lessons, interspersed with traditional carols sung by the congregation.

Back home afterward, Mother was awake and ready for supper. I heated the rest of vegetable soup for her, and Hubbie and I settled for chicken salad sandwiches. Then we watched another Christmas movie on Lifetime channel. Mother went back to bed afterward, and Hubbie and I continued watching TV for a while longer.