Saturday, Dec. 1

December already! I'm sure not ready for Christmas.

Up at 7:30 to get ready to go to the art gallery downtown to conduct graham cracker cookie Christmas house workshops. After breakfast and getting ready for the day, Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house, where she stayed while we did workshops in the morning and in the afternoon.

Granddaughter and three great-grandchildren arrived around 9 a.m., and a few minutes later, we went to the art gallery to set up for the workshops. Granddaughter and the kids were a wonderful help in getting things ready.

A dozen kids participated in the morning session (five of whom were supposed to be in the afternoon session, but forgot what time they were to be there, so they came in the morning).

There were some very creative houses, including one that featured "dead animals" in the yard, and one with Santa sleeping on the roof. Both of these were done by boys, of course. Most of the girls were careful and precise in their work.

I was amazed by a very elaborate one done by a girl about six years old, until I learned later that her Mother had done most of the work. Some Moms tended to want to "correct" their kid's work, instead of giving them free rein to create on their own. No wonder our ceativity is stifled by the time we are adults.

After the first session, we came home to have a lunch of soups and sandwiches, with a dessert of ice cream topped with chocolate syrup, for the kids.

We were back at the gallery before 1 p.m. Only a few kids attended this session, so I urged fourteen-year-old great-grandson to make a house. He did, and his creation was really good.

Back home afterward, Granddaughter and the kids visited for about an hour. While they were here, we gathered Christmas house supplies for them to take home for two other great-grandchildren, who were unable to attend the workshops, because of illness.

I also supplied the family with constuction paper for making a Christmas chain, and gave them a large stack of 750 to 1000 piece jigsaw puzzles that we will never attempt, and which were taking up space in the storeroom. Granddaughter is a huge fan of jigsaw puzzles, particularly the challenging ones, so she was excited to get these.

She and her family left for home around 3 p.m., so they could get home before dark. Shortly after they left, we discovered that two of our cats were missing. The door in the sunroom had been inadvertently left open by one of the kids, so we feared the cats might have gone outside.

I eventually found one of them in the storeroom, but we searched everywhere indoors and out for the black cat, and couldn't find him. As I was accompanying Mother to her house, I thought I saw him on her porch, but when I called out, the "cat" didn't move...because it was a metal decorative one. Before I left Mother's house, I heard meowing on the porch, but when I checked, I found that it was one of the outdoor cats.

The black cat is Hubbie's favorite, and as it got darker outside, Hubbie became more and more concerned. I was convinced he wouldn't be found tonight, and maybe never, if the onery male cat outside ran him off.

But around 8 p.m., Hubbie grabbed his flashlight and went out once more. This time, he found the cat, huddled under one of the bushes in front of the house. He didn't resist when Hubbie picked him up. Inside, though, he wanted nothing to do with Hubbie for a while. I guess he was mad at him for not finding him sooner, as if it was Hubbie's fault that he dashed out an open door.

Spent the rest of the evening relaxing in front of TV, and playing on my laptop, including posting photos from the workshop today to my social network page.

A long day, but a good one. Tomorrow, we are expecting Son and Daughter-in-Law to visit. Can't wait.