Getting Ready for Christmas

Today was a Christmasey day.
Finished up a Sunday school lesson I'm leading tomorrow; was given carte blanche, so decided to look at three sections from Luke 1 and 2 that I've looked at before. But it was a blessing to study it again for the discussion tomorrow morning.
Then dug into the Christmas cards and got them almost all addressed. Plan to finish up tomorrow, stamping and sealing them.
Took some breaks to help Evelyn pull out the Christ decorations, put away enough everyday dishes to get out the Christmas dinnerware and Christmas mugs. Went to the grocery and to Graeter's to get some gift cards and take advantage of their ice cream pint sale (cinnamon, peppermint stick, and egg nog ice cream for Christmas and following!).
This evening the Cincinnati Symphony and May Festival Chorus performed the first section of Handel's Messiah (plus the "Hallelujah" chorus) at our church this evening. It was a real treat to be so close to the musicians and to hear that marvelous sound fill our auditorium. I enjoyed it even more than I thought I would--a real soul-restoring event.
We came home to drink decaf homemade "lattes" and watch the hour-long Christmas special of the Annie Moses Band on public television. (THAT would be a DVD or CD worth having, by the way!)
Tomorrow--the tree!

 I snapped this picture of the platform at our church as concert-goers were arriving for tonight's performance of Messiah, and the picture before as the musicians were taking the stage.