ADVENT II

On Sunday the second candle of Love was lit on Advent wreaths in homes and churches around the world.

I woke up last night and thought "I didn't update my blog!"  So I better do that this morning.  I have a big kettle of hamburger soup simmering on the stove so that will be our lunch along with some whole wheat buns.

We enjoyed two special evenings last week.  The first was on Wednesday evening when the Torquay Fifty and Over club had their annual Christmas supper.  It was a lovely turkey and ham supper catered by EB's of Estevan with warm apple crisp for dessert.  Christmas carols followed with my accordion providing the music and Vickie leading the singing.  Then we enjoyed our $10 gift exchange.  I got to draw first and was happy with a box of Rubbermaid containers.  But I didn't get to keep it very long and then I ended up with liqueur chocolates!  Because I was number one I got to draw again at the end and "stole" my containers back again.  Alan was #14 and got Noel shower gel and a Joy box of yummy chocolates.  He is sharing them with me!  Christmas oranges were passed around and soon it was home time.What a treat to go outside to such mild temperatures, barely below zero!

On Saturday we drove to Estevan in the afternoon as we had some shopping to do.  My Ruby needed a car wash too.  There shouldn't be any muddy roads to mess it up for a while!  We had supper at the former Houston Pizza which is now called "Fired Up Grill."
The 45th annual Celebration of Christmas Music "He is Born" took place at Trinity Lutheran Church in Estevan presented by Northwest Chorus and Orchestra Association Inc. and Southeast Chorus Association Inc.  It was directed byEd Retzer with co-director Harlan Johnson.  We enjoyed this progam very much with a variety of Christmas music, many old favourites and several new songs including "Moonlight Sleigh Ride" and "Fruitcake" both on the lighter side.  "The Hallelujah Chorus" was my favourite and Alan's was "Silent Night".  Again, what a beautiful evening both inside and out!

I've been concentrating on getting the Christmas mail ready.  I mailed the U.S. cards on Monday as well as many of the Canadian ones.  I had quite a few permanent stamps on hand as well as some older ones that needed additions.  Some letters ended up with four stamps on them to equal the 85 cents that is needed for our first class mail now.  That's quite a change from the five cent stamps we used fifty years ago and I think the service was better back then too! I have a special God Jul (Good Christmas) box from Norway that I put the mail that is received. There are a few cards and letters from some "early birds". Over the years the first Christmas card usually came from Aunt Ruth.  I will think of her tomorrow as Dec. 9 was their wedding anniversary.  They were married in Shaunavon seventy years ago.  

Two couples in Estevan celebrated 70th anniversaries in November.  One of the couples was Ruby and Camby Forrester, formerly of Torquay.  They were both residents of Hillview Manor in Estevan.  Ruby passed away last week after a lengthy battle with cancer.  Her daughter, Louise (Hartley) Halvorson said that her mother never complained.  The memorial service for Ruby will be held on Friday, Dec. 18th at 11:00 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Estevan. We extend our sympathies to her family of four sons and four daughters and their families. She was predeceased by daughter, Sharon Hutt and two grandchildren.  Her obituary can be seen at http://www.hallfuneralservices.ca/book-of-memories/2306753/Forrester-Ruby/obituary.php

The guys are still busy with outside work these mild December days.  Bobby Cranna dug a big pit that is gradually getting filled up with "Johnson junk" that has accumulated in the yard over the years.  We should have taken before and after pictures!

I bought an amarylis bulb and was hoping it would bloom in time for Christmas.  Now I'm not sure if the blooms will last until Christmas so I'll call it an Advent flower.  It has three large blooms and another stem might wait until Christmas to bloom.

Well, I have caught up for now so will sign off and mix up a batch of Jule Brød!