Getting buttoned down for winter

Today I was up early. Despite the late evening arranging cookies, I was awake at 3a.m. and slept sporadically, if at all (it's hard to know sometimes) until I got up at 6a.m.  I stoked the fire and photographed a file folder - the last one from the "sermon file." -  though this file was not sermons. It was notes for a series of bible study sessions at the Guilford Church, held mostly in the late 80's and 90's, maybe 20 sessions in all. I had sort of forgotten about these notes. One series was five or six sessions based on questions people in the congregation had submitted. Questions of faith like, "Believing in a kind, loving God, how does one then understand and accept the suffering of children? What could be the meaning? How can God allow so much suffering in the world?" My task was to take this question and prepare a study guide on how one would try to use the Bible to wrestle with it. That was an interesting series.

At about 8:30, I called our friend Judy Kinley, who in past years had helped us assemble cookie platters, but this year was not able to help, because of a mysterious illness that was plaguing her. I remembered that she usually got two platters to freeze for the holidays, and I wondered if she wanted them this year.  She did, and also said she had just had a consultation with a physician in Boston and was feeling much more hopeful. So I went down to the church and got two platters. I got there just fifteen minutes after the opening and got the last two large platters! They were selling like hot cakes!

Today was a day we planned to go to Northhampton to a Winter Fair at Tamar's school. She was in a choral performance. But the day promised to be perfect for outdoor work, so I begged off since we were also going to see Tamar tomorrow in a piano recital. Ellen went off and I had a lovely time raking leaves and getting the wood pile covered. There are still things to do, but I'm beginning to feel ready for the arrival of winter. It is amazing that I'm able still to be doing chores like this on December 5th. Often, there is snow by now. But today it was in the low 50's!

                          Getting buttoned down for winter. 

                           Think we have enough wood? I hope so.