Miss me?

Step 1. Recover from astonishment that it is thundering and lightninging on December 28.
Step 2. Recover from astonishment that it is 2:30 pm, I am still in bed dozing, and my back doesn't hurt.
Step 3. Get out of bed.

Oh, so much as happened since the last time I blogged. Let us experience a rundown:

1. Friday night...Watched The Great Train Robbery with my family after dinner, while eating lemon curd chocolate cookie tarts after dinner.

2. Saturday afternoon..Visited with my aunt and cousin for a little bit on Christmas Eve.

3. Christmas Eve...Danced at two Christmas Eve services to Dad singing "Sweet Little Jesus Boy."

• 6:00 pm--Arrived at church. Warmed up, practiced with Dad and pianist, and then walked about barefoot as if I do this all the time.
• 7:00 pm--Service. Sat up in the choir loft with Dad, pianist, and music director. Sat on the floor to stretch. Danced. Got a massive hip cramp in the middle of piece. Finished the piece in true diva style, without grimacing in pain and pretending that, in fact, in pain is the only way to do an arabesque. Sat back in the choir loft and cried when adorable little angel, part of the Holy Family, comes skipping up the aisle in a billowy dress and wings.
• 8:00 pm--Stretched and tried to get rid of crazy hip ache. Almost practiced with choir for difficult anthem piece and ultimately decided that one art is enough for tonight.
• 9:00 pm--Service. Sat up in choir loft with unexpected brass group, sax-playing family, and choir. Smiled when awesome Broadway singers sang "Go Tell It on the Mountain." Cried when Wendy Scott sang "O Holy Night." Tried to be free of tears and whatnot before dancing. Danced with no hip cramps. Sat back in choir loft and laughed at two sisters in congregation blowing each other's candles out during very solemn candlelit "Silent Night."
• 11:00 pm--Left church. Went home to eat.
• Noteworthy--Our church is hosting the Korean United Methodist Church in the area while they rebuilt their church or something. Usually they have separate services, but they combined for the Christmas Eve services, which meant people could sing in either language, and scriptures were read in both. It was really sort of exciting and interesting.

4. Christmas Day. Woke up at 11:00 am and ate brunch. Got some tea and Tylenol (I'm not young anymore; my body was TIRED from five hours keeping my body in good form). Opened presents with the family for over three hours (we're one at a time people, and we bring a lot of presents...my sister and I have an elaborate system of creating present moats with the larger gifts so the littler ones don't get lost. This setup takes a half hour in and of itself). My "haul" included, but was not limited to:

• Funniest gift: Darth Tater, a Mr. Potato Head with Vader accessories.
• Cutest gift: Tie--T-shirt that said Princess Sparkle on it, below a My Little Pony, and a firefly jar with battery-powered fireflies in it.
• Prettiest gift: Tie--Skirt that shall be worn to New Year's Eve party at Steve and Liss house, and a set of Russian dolls with Swan Lake ballerinas on them.
• Most handcrafted gift: Pen set and caddy with earring from Great Aunt Elsie on top.
• Tastiest gift: Basket of spices...real ones, including saffron...SAFFRON!

5. Christmas dinner. We had beef this year, lots and lots of standing rib roast. It was delicious and accompanied by Yorkshire pudding and artichoke heart stuffing, and I was, in fact, duly stuffed.

6. Monday... Saw my sister and brother-in-law off, then went back to bed, since I didn't sleep much the night before. Then, heck, while I was at it, I caught up for some other nights I haven't gotten much sleep. Got out of bed at 5:30 pm. Watched TV. Ate yummy stir fry and watched Andromeda Strain. Went back to bed.

7. Tuesday...Drove back to Ohio after picking up more Framboise Lambic. Rocked out in the car to Shakira. Picked up mail. Stayed up until 3:30 am watching, in order, seaQuest DSV, Gilmore Girls, Ghostbusters, and Dark Water, while trying to put things away and overhaul my closet for cold weather and sort out a few things for Goodwill. Ended this task with no clothes on the floor.