It’s Christmas cookie time!

We have moved into the Christmas season. Last Saturday was the Christmas bazaar at Guilford church. Ellen, as usual, made hundreds of cookies to fill 40 platters that were sold at the bazaar. Sunday was the first Sunday in Advent. Mary Alice Amidon led the service at Guilford - a wonderful service with a huge choir singing "Wachet Auf," with Dwayne Johnson on trumpet. After church we had a good Bible Study session. But hanging over everything was the death of my friend, Tom Ragle, last Tuesday. He was 96 years old. He was my brother's age - 5 months younger. I will devote a separate blog post to him. He and his wife, Nancy, are responsible more than anyone else for Shirley and me coming to the Guilford Church. They have thus shaped the latter half of my life - more than half - the last 5/9's.

Top: Ellen, Robin and Ken filling platters. I was cutting ribbons. Middle: some of the finished platters. Bottom: The bazaar awaits!