Flying

Sunday is here and it’s already the 11th day of the month. Time is flying…as it always does in December. I just snagged a half cup of coffee from the pot before it finished brewing and that will help me to gain some control over my wandering mind. Full control? Not even!

I did get a few things accomplished yesterday; I picked another large basket of mandarins from that “magic” tree that seems to never run out of fruit. But, this time, I think I can see the end…there are, maybe, 30 mandarins left on the tree. And I checked out the grapefruit; very sour! There are lots of grapefruit, but I think I need to let them wait a little longer before picking. It’s the same with the Navel oranges and the Placentia’s; I need to be patient. But once the waiting is over (January?) I will be flooded with ripe oranges from the two trees.

And we put up the outdoor Christmas lights yesterday. It’s a very simple display of white lights along the front of the house and down one pillar at the end. Last year, we were the only house with lights along this stretch of road.   This year, the neighbors to the south of us joined in with lights of their own; have we started something? I have noted that his display is larger than mine, extending to some trees that run along his driveway. Is that a challenge?

Inside, I have the tree up and covered with lights and the usual garlands. We will probably finish trimming the tree today. Then I will tackle my own little display, the entry at the front door. That will require a trip to Chico to find the very unique battery that powers the remote control for the lights I use. Laurae has begun her own decorating tasks, getting all of the boxes marked “X-Mas Decorations” out from their various hiding places.  

Today is the third Sunday of Advent and I’m looking forward to hearing the message from the pulpit this morning. Also, it reminds me that the great Advent messages I was receiving from the Bruderhof Community are no longer being sent. The spokeswomen sent a message last week that they were discontinuing all communication (The Daily Dig). “Dear Reader: We will no longer be publishing online, so this will be your last Daily Dig. This is only the beginning, not the end. We want to thank you for your friendship over the years, and look forward to meeting you face to face. Now the real contact can begin. We welcome you to drop by any of our communities any time to join us in our daily life and work.” They have effectively shut down their website as well. I looked at most of their websites, including the Australian and UK sites and they all have the same message. Here’s a little history of the Bruderhof…and here is another one, more detailed.