Christmas is Coming!

Lovely service at church today. In keeping with this year's theme of "To heck with Advent, let's just cut straight to the Christmas carols!" we sang "Good Christian Men Rejoice," which I particularly like, as well as "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming," which is also lovely but far, far beyond the capabilities of our congregation. Our priest's wife played the flute, coffee hour was excellent -- it was very nice!

And on the way home we went to Walmart to "pick up a few things." Sigh. We needed to go, we got what we went in for but... well... at any rate we shouldn't have to go there again until after Christmas, and That is a blessing!

I did a bit of baking in the afternoon and then popped over to my parents' to drop off some cookies. And admire their tree! Isn't it pretty? The same ornaments they've been decorating with all my life -- I love that tree. 

And I got to have a peek at my mom's Christmas present! An exercise bike!

Actually, I got to take it for a spin, and it really is quite the amazing little machine! Very quiet and comfortable, and the little screen up front keeps you posted on how fast your heart is beating ("frantic"), how many calories you've used ("laughable"), and how fast you are zipping along ("not very"). It gets all that from sensors in the hand grips, I am told.

And now that we are on holiday, Travis is finally Building His New Computer!

Very exciting, but also, given the cost of the components, rather nerve wracking. For Travis mostly, but for the rest of us as well. Cross your fingers for him and send good wishes, if you are so inclined. It will be a great relief when he has the operating system installed and it all actually Works!