Joy, joy, joy ...

Like so many others out there this season, I’ve been a bit under the weather this week, but I saw my doctor on Monday and got a shot and a course of antibiotics and am well on my way to recovery. Thanks to all of you who keep checking in, and for all the lovely comments on the Dog Tired painting. If the Lord is willing and the creeks don’t rise, I’ll be back to painting regularly next week!

Meanwhile, we have 4 more performances of our Eastbank Theatre Christmas play, The Trial of Ebeneezer Scrooge, starting tonight. We opened last weekend and I’m happy to report we got a GLOWING review in last Sunday’s paper, and the writer had something good to say about everyone.

I’m trying to rest a lot, but we’re having a casual party here at our house Sunday afternoon after the last performance, and I keep thinking of things I need to do to get the house ready. Happily, though, all the major things are done; there is just a little cleaning up to do (like vacuum the carpet runner on the stairs - yuck!) and every time I pass the little hall table right inside the front door, I get a little burst of Christmas joy which keeps me going:


We got these Christmas carol singing dogs by Jim Shore last year, and they make me smile every time I pass the little table where they sit, singing their little hearts out. (They don’t really make any sounds, but I can imagine the music they’re making!)

The picture at the top of this post is our view off the front balcony, with the long winter morning shadows on the lawn. Then you can see the railroad which runs by right in front of our house, then the highway, then the river. I always thought it was kind of cool being able to see these three main forms of transportation right out front.

Because we live right at the intersection of our road and the railroad, we get to hear the train whistle long and loud every time one passes by. And whenever that happens, all our real-life hounds lift up their voices in chorus right along with the train. It always makes us laugh, because the dogs keep on singing for a minute or so after the train whistle stops blowing. And then, as if on cue from an imaginary choir conductor, they all stop suddenly together. It’s so funny.

I hope you all are finding many little things to be joyful about as this Christmas season rolls on!