7 quick takes

1 - I need something beautiful, so we're going to listen to this song.
I look at the people around me and I wonder what we are all doing.  What in the world have we done, and what are we going to do?  For weeks now I have been heavy hearted.  I walk around feeling discouraged most of the time and occasionally even abandoned.  I am trying to choose hope.  I know that sometimes in life we have only hope or despair.  The two are laid out before us, ours for the taking.  I have tried to hope.  But I am tired and I feel defeated, worn down, and alone and so sometimes it is hard to hope.

2 - Sorry to start out on such a sour note.  If I've been grumpy about you putting up your Christmas tree last week maybe now you understand my scrougeyness.  Now that Thanksgiving is officially done with I am much more tolerable of Christmas music and merriment, though I'm not really "feeling it".  (I read the article "An Advent Plan for a Non-People Person" and laughed a little and nodded my head a whole lot.)  I am ready for Advent, though.  I am asking God to give me a fruitful Advent and then a joyful Christmas. 

3 - On a happy note, the song above is called "Grace's Waltz" and it was written by Fernando Ortega in honor of his grandmother Grace, which is sweet and lovely.  The first time I heard it I was enchanted and I swore I would walk down the aisle to it when I got married.  I did, and it was perfect.

4 - On Wednesday I was able to attend the funeral of a wonderful woman, whom I had the pleasure to call Grandma Ba.  She wasn't my grandmother, but my friend Sarah's.  My first day of high school I met Sarah - our lockers were next to each other - and we have been friends ever since.  Sarah is great about sharing her family with her friends and so I got to know Grandma Ba fairly well over the years.  She was kind, funny, and so proud to be Swedish. 

At the funeral we sang the hymn "This Is My Father's World."

Sarah and I actually sang this song in our high school choir and I've always loved it.  The last verse always brings a tear to my eye but in the context of Grandma Ba's funeral - well, let's just say there was more than one tear!

This is my Father's world. 
O let me ne'er forget
that though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the ruler yet. 
This is my Father's world: 
why should my heart be sad? 
The Lord is King; let the heavens ring! 
God reigns; let the earth be glad!

5 - Thanksgiving.  I took pictures to join Grace's link-up.  I took pictures to post of our awesome food.  And then I forgot the camera at my mom's house.  oops.
I wore jeans, a muted magenta top with cloth roses around the neckline, and a grey cardigan with small white dots.  I looked cute.

6 - I have a goal of getting Resa to take a bottle by December 14th so I can see The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

Oh seriously.  You can call me a nerd and I won't care.  WHOA buddy!  I am excited!  I really, really loved reading the book, and as a fan of Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" I am certain that this will be visually beautiful and intelligently done. 

Did you know Benedict Cumberbatch (he plays Sherlock on the BBC series that I love!) is in it? 

So is Martin Freeman, of course (Watson from BBC's Sherlock), and for some reason I have a small, silly crush on that man. 

(Okay, I know the reason.  It's because he always plays a kind man.  I like kind men.  But don't tell Travis about this crush because then he will tease me to no end.)  And James Nesbitt is also in the movie and I love him!  Okay, enough rambling.  I'm happy.  I'm looking forward to it.  The end.

Okay, ps. I told Travis.  He made fun of me.

7 - Here's a couple of recipes I tried recently and they were all hits.
Sweet and sour chicken.  I didn't use the eggs because JF is allergic but the cornstarch was enough.  They were great and everyone asked for more, and more.
Sweet dinner rolls.  I tried these last year for Thanksgiving and they were so popular I brought them back for Christmas.  Bread machine friendly recipe, but it can easily be made "the old fashioned way."

Have a good weekend, and thanks to Jen for hosting!