Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Last Saturday was an awesome experience: Dora and Ron took us (about nine people from the camp) to the Bethlehem Walk in the Clear Lake United Methodist Church. We went there last year and I was very excited to get the opportunity again this year!  Outside the church, there was a real live camel, plus sheep and a donkey and shepherds, wise men, centurions and a wedding party, all in period costumes (well, the animals didn't really need to dress up . . . )  Everyone lined up to enter a tent, where a couple gave us the lowdown on the town of Bethlehem - all in character.  From the tent, we proceeded down a dirt path (mulch over the floor of the church hall) which wound among market stalls, where local people explained their wares and children got to sample cheese and candy - and watch rope and pottery and other things being made.  At the end of the path was a little alcove containing Mary & Joseph and the baby Jesus. Quite extraordinarily well done, authentic-feeling and fun!

Helen with two centurions!

A woman at a well!

Joseph and the baby Jesus!

Sunday, the Moody choir sang all twelve movements of Vivaldi's Gloria - went really well. It was positioned right in the middle of the 11:00 service, which was interesting. I guess that's sort of like the Lessons and Carols service we used to have in the Anglican church. That was always an opportunity to sing lots of anthems and carols. Well, in churches other than my father's, actually - he believed that it was wrong to start celebrating Christmas before the day - so we never sang carols until Christmas Eve (and that's when our Christmas tree went up, too!) It took me years to accept that maybe it was okay to decorate before December 24th! The Gloria was really fun to sing - since it's been a number of years since I last sang it - and I got two rehearsals only to practise - I sang pretty much p or mf most of the time.  Moody has some really good voices - although Tracy had to insert a few ringers into the tenor section, which is a bit thin.

I've put up more decorations this year than I have for a long time - the influence, once again, of Rob and Helen, who decorate like crazy!

My cute little fibre-optic tree - thanks to Mary Lee!

My blue lit window!

                                                               The palm tree outside my door.  The lights on the leaves are actually pink flamingos and palm trees  (all that I could find . . . )

Rob & Helen's RV

 Yesterday was a totally down day: I sat outside in the sun for two hours, walked Rob & Helen's dogs (they're in Houston for a few days for her surgery) and booked a hotel in Niagara Falls for Jan. 2 to 4, which took about an hour and a half (researching to get the best deal possible). If anyone happens to be in Niagara Falls at that time, do look me up!