The Sugar Plum Fairy dropped by...

Since the twitch in my eye has subsided (for the most part) & I’ve discerned a wisp of Christmas cheer, I believe myself fit for polite company again.

The office move went more smoothly than I expected; I supervised the installation of the new cubicles (which were naturally missing components) Tuesday, the computers on Wednesday, & finally the moving of our files & cabinets from the old office space will happen tomorrow morning. I have about 65% of my desk set up; the rest will stay in boxes until the missing cabinets arrive in a few weeks.

I hope you each had an enjoyable Thanksgiving; ours was blessedly undemanding & restful. Wednesday night turned cold, so I had a pleasant lie-in snuggled under a down comforter before easing into the day. Chris & I worked in the garden for a while after breakfast, setting up some temporary frames for draping frost protection & stringing up Christmas lights around them, to help keep the plants warm overnight. The girls looked a bit askance at the whole set-up, but it is rather effective & I think Fred is enjoying his personal holiday light display.

We chose to go a non-traditional route this year, since it was just the three of us; baked ham, mashed sweet potatoes, a pan of dressing, salad, & spiced cranberry/peach chutney, served with wine & sparkling cider, & followed with pumpkin pie. While the ham & dressing were cooking, we all went for a walk before setting the table & dishing up the meal. Following the requisite nap in the recliner while listening to music, we watched a fun made-for-tv movie I picked out at Net*flix The Librarian: Quest for the Spear with Noah Wylie, Bob Newhart, & Jane Curtain.

Chris had to work on Friday, since he will be leaving on Tuesday & is in the midst of training 2 new employees, & Sam had plans with friends, so I spent the day by myself. I went up to the fabric store to use my 50% off coupon (I’m making a new dress to wear at Ravenswood), stopped at Son*ic for a burger, onion rings, & soda, then took myself over to the little zoo at Micke Grove Park to walk around. I made it home about the same time as the guys, so as soon as they were cleaned up, we went over to the church to look for a Christmas tree. We’ve had an artificial one since Sam was an infant; last winter I donated it to a non-profit group our company supports to decorate for a fundraiser & I haven’t found a replacement yet. Our youth pastor decided to try a tree lot this year to raise funds for Snow Camp & Children’s Ministries, so I wanted to give them shot at our business; we found a reasonably priced Douglas fir, which smells absolutely divine, & purchased a new tree stand. Sam also decided to volunteer to work the lot over the next few weeks; the more money they raise, the less he’ll have to shell out for camp in January- besides, the kids have a great time together.

So Saturday morning, Chris & I dropped Sam off at the tree lot, & then drove into San Francisco to attend the Dickens Christmas Fair. Although we don’t go every year, usually due to other commitments, we always have a wonderful time. I was hoping to find a bonnet to wear at Ravenswood; I didn’t find anything in my budget that would work (the period really isn’t right- about 40 years too early style-wise) but had a great time exploring regardless. This year, we spent most of our time with the entertainment- we saw “Pirates of Penzance”, listened to sailor’s shanties & Mad Sal’s revue, sat in on a recitation by Rudyard Kipling & Annie Oakley, & attended the doings at Fezziwig’s Warehouse.

Well, I’d best wrap this up & get to work on my dress; I’d like to have it ready by the Yuletide Celebration on December 9^th, but I need to do some adjustments on the pattern to give myself a little more room in the bodice, a little less fullness in the back of the skirt & the lower sleeve, & shorten it enough to be functional. I believe that after the first of the year, I’m going to start a recurring series on Ravenswood & the work we do there- I foresee my role there being expanded in the very near future, so naturally I would like to share it with each of you. Ta-ta!