Three Days, One Post

I know, I know . . . I haven't been keeping up my daily blogging. Well, I've been BUSY! :-) But let me give this quick summary of the weekend.

FRIDAY

Took the day off. Spent the morning enjoying coffee, Facebook, and the "Today" show. Answered some work e-mails, took a shower, and met Evelyn for lunch at Servatii's at Harper's Point.  Snapped some pictures of the baked goodies in the case before Evelyn and I enjoyed soup and chicken salad half sandwiches.

Looked for bargains and Christmas decorations at Stein Mart, Hobby Lobby, Michael's, Target, and Kohl's. Got bargains at the first and last place and Christmas wreaths and bows at Michael's. Scurried home and changed clothes in time to grab supper at the Indian restaurant in Mason before heading to church for the annual Christmas pageant. We enjoyed it, as always.

Snapped this picture of the choir in concert mode during Act II of the Pageant. And this picture of the final moments of the grand tableau with the wise men at the end of Act III.

Connected with Dave and Carol Ray at the pageant and ended up with them at Frisch's for dessert and sat and laughed and talked with them till after 11:00.

SATURDAY

Met Bill and Verna Weber at Bronte Bistro in Joseph Beth Bookstore for breakfast at 9:00. Caught up with each other till about 11:00. Back home, talked with Wendy Wagoner for quite awhile, and then jumped into the day's duties. Evelyn graded papers, and then we mounted the wreaths we had bought Friday on the windows in the front of the house. I bought floodlight holders and bulbs and hooked them up to light the wreaths. Hung the large lighted wreath that Ken Aulen gave us years ago and stood back to enjoy my BRIGHT creation. Evelyn thought it was too much, but she said today it's growing on her. We'll see if the floodlights make it till Christmas.

Enjoyed dinner at Macaroni Grill before heading to Music Hall for the annual Cincinnati Pops holiday show. 

Snapped this picture of folks gathering in the lobby for one of three sold-out shows featuring Amy Grant. It was a different holiday show than the casts of thousands Erich Kunzel always gathered. But the symphony was excellent, as always, and it was refreshing and gratifying to see Amy Grant perform. She told us she's 52 years old now; she's been traveling since she was a teenager. She still has the figure and the pretty good looks of a much younger woman, although her voice is weak on the high notes. But no matter--she comes across as down-to-earth, without pretense, and she offered a testimony to the Lord as she sang her best-known contemporary Christian hits, mixed among Christmas standards, all accompanied by her top-notch combo and two young  back-up singers, one of them the daughter of her husband, Vince Gill. In the middle of her concert, she called Vince to center stage and talked him into singing a song, accompanying himself on her guitar.

SUNDAY

I played piano in the Classic service. The bell choir played Christmas carols at the blended and the classic service today. Snapped their picture from the piano bench.

Afterwards, Evelyn and I stopped by the house to pick up a couple of coupons we had left there. Ate lunch at Panda Express--our first time to try it since it opened this summer. Picked up a picture frame and some other stuff at Kohl's, and then headed home to get on with the day. I went to Kroger's and then decided to take advantage of the mild temperature and dry afternoon to do some yard clean-up. Decided to set up our "gumdrop tree" on the deck where we'll enjoy it even though it's not out in front this year for most of the neighbors to see.
Jennifer called, and we had a nice visit with her before our usual Sunday-evening routine of "60 Minutes" and supper.
Now it's back to work for two solid weeks till more than 10 days off for Christmas and New Year's!