BIRTHDAY WEEK FAVES

 

Today is Friday, so time to link up at Susanne's site and share FIVE of our FAVE blessings from the past week.  It's usually pretty easy to find 5 things that God brought to me and which made me take note and smile or say "Thanks!"

image courtesy of boardg*megeek 

• CHRISTMAS PARTY #1:  Last Friday evening from 6:30-10 pm, Dave and I hosted the small group Christmas Yankee Swap party.  Several of the people attending had never played Yankee Swap. It was great! Everyone brought a gift and we had a blast "stealing" from each other. I ended up with a woodpecker suet feeder and it was from Dave! My good friend Dar ended up with the one I bought and she loved it.   The snacks and desserts were scrumptious, the drinks were delish, and the rousing game of Taboo with the men and women against each other just made us laugh and laugh.  The women won! I'm thankful everyone had a great time and I'm looking forward to hosting more events come Spring.

image courtesy of hymnary website

• FIRST CHOIR PRACTICE!  Sunday after the 11 am service, we had choir practice in the gym.  It was the first practice for the 24 of us who were accepted into the Christmas Eve choir and it was amazing!  We covered so much and the above song already sounds wonderful.  I was made "Section Leader for Altos" and started to get to know the other women in the section. Dave is a tenor so he is getting to know the men in his section as well although he isn't a section leader. One rehearsal down, two to go! I'm thankful we had a great practice.  

• CARDS!  This past week, Christmas and birthday cards began to arrive in our mail. The picture shown above are the first 3 cards I received for my birthday.  Deb from this blog sent the one on the left, my youngest daughter brought me the one in the middle when she came to dinner Monday evening, and the one on the right is from my hiking friend and sister-in-Christ Cindy (she's also my prayer partner!). And so far we have 8 Christmas cards hanging on our basement door. I'm thankful the Lord has brought me to age 63 and that I have some sweet friends and family. I love cards!!

Do you see the doe in the middle of the woods?

one last red leaf

Majestic tree

Where the Hudson River meets the Mohawk River

late autumn in the state park

Deer Run Trail
Peebles Island State Park
5 December 

• AFTER WORK POWER WALK: Monday was just gorgeous although by the time I got the local state park, the sun was starting to go down and the wind had picked up so it was only about 45 degrees.  Thankfully, I had a hat in the car. I hiked the Deer Run trail to the section of the Perimeter trail where the 2 rivers meet, and then took the FireRoad trail to another section of the Perimeter trail and back through to Deer Run.  This is a state park that is only about 6 miles from my house. I'm thankful I had a good 1.4 mile power walk after work. It felt great to get my heart rate up and to move my body.  Movement is key as we age and I'm thankful I can walk briskly in beautiful surroundings when I can't get to the mountains to hike. 

 Birthday/Xmas gifts from the woman I co-teach with

birthday gifts from my best childhood friend and hiking buddy

• UNEXPECTED GIFTS: Yesterday, the  teacher I work with gave me my birthday/Christmas gift:  dragonfly socks she found on Cape Cod this past summer and 4 dragonfly highball glasses.  She knows from facebook that our marriage symbol is the dragonfly.  This year we told each other we were only buying combined birthday/Christmas gifts as I have a December birthday and she has one shortly after New Year's Day. And in the mail when I got home from work yesterday, 3 packages were waiting for me:  2 hiking whistles (one in silver and the other is gold), a bear bell (I needed one), and hiking socks for warmer months. They're from my friend Cheryl whom I've been besties with since 1965.  We hike together often throughout the year. I'm so thankful for thoughtful, fun gifts. 

 That wraps up my faves.  Because the private preschool agency I teach for gives us our birthday off with pay (a perk!), I don't have to go in today!  I'm planning on going to Saratoga to do some last minute Christmas shopping, having lunch out, getting a neck massage and adjustment, and then going out to dinner tonight with my husband to a fave local restaurant that's a bit "tucked out of the way" so never really crowded.  They have amazing cocktails and food so I'm really looking forward to it. 

Have a blessed THIRD WEEKEND OF ADVENT everyone!