A busy weekend

I started this weekend taking down and putting away all the fall decorations inside my house.  I think there were 4 boxes and two garbage bags full of stuff when I finished.  This included the orange and yellow glass items that were on the bakers' racks in the front window.  The next step was to get out the Christmas decorations.  I put red glass items on the racks in the window.  The morning sun shines through them and really sets them off.  Yesterday, I brought up 5 or maybe it was 6, boxes marked Xmas from the basement.  Managed to empty a couple of them, but two are still on the floor because they held tree ornaments as well as shelf and wall items.  Can't decide if I should take them back downstairs or just leave them in the living room until the tree is ready for decorations.  I have an artificial tree with branches that have to be put into it one at a time.  (It's a pain to set up and taking it down is even worse.)  I'm not sure I have a place for the tree this year, as the living room has been rearranged and a shelf unit added where the tree usually is.  I may try it between the bakers' racks in the bay window, but I'm afraid it is too fat for the space.  I'm thinking about buying one of those trees with lights and branches all attached.  Sure would be easier to put up and take down, but I'm not sure I can find one skinny enough.

So, at this point, I have the living room, minus the tree, decorated.  Still have the kitchen/dining room to do.  I don't decorate upstairs, thank goodness!  And I haven't done anything outside yet.  The fall scarecrow and gourds are still out there.  This week, if we get a warm day, I'll get the outside done.  I've been playing my Christmas CDs while I decorated, trying to get into the holiday spirit. I enjoy hearing the carols this time of year, but I know that by Christmas, I'll have had more than enough of them.

Yesterday, our church choir sang at a funeral for one of the members.  He was well-known and had a large family and many friends. The church was packed.  The service went on and on.  It was 2 hours before we sang and there was still more to come.  By that time, a couple of us had to use the facilities, so we slipped out after we sang and just went on home from there. 

Today, after church, the choir is going to sing at a nursing home where a former member now lives.  It will be a bit of a drive, but a fun thing to do.  At my former church, a group always went caroling at local nursing homes.  We did it at St John United (my current church) once some years back, but not recently.   I love to sing Christmas carols. The only problem with singing at nursing homes is that it's always very hot.  I guess that's because the older folks like it that way. As an older person, I admit that I had my heat turned up from when I had a cold, but turned it back to 68 today.  As long as I'm dressed warmly and keep moving around, I'm plenty warm.  When I sit down, I use a lap quilt to keep warm.  Maybe I'll start wearing gloves when I use the computer!  My hands are cold now.