Saturday, December 12, 2015

Three Guesses What I've Been Doing.....

And the first two don't count!

Of course you know I'm deep in candle season.  Quite deep, in fact.  It has been a very good time.  I love having my workshop!  I am not using this space as efficiently as is possible yet but that just means that next year will be even more smooth than this year.  I cannot begin to tell you how much it meant to be able to "get away" from it for some time each day.  When I worked in the kitchen I was never away...unless I wasn't in the house.   That was major stress.  I loved it but I also got sick every year.  This year....no bad cold.  :-)  I'm thankful.  This upcoming week is my last week before Christmas.  I have a LOT to make for the last two groups but then I can close the door and come back when I am ready to clean organize and consider changes to make the flow better.  I'll be working on some other details as well.  Like wicks.  I made some changes that work well but leave the candle vulnerable to a slower start if placed in a drafty place (like I just did).  Sometimes you don't see a possible issue until you burn in different conditions than the usual testing spot.    If I'm not 150 percent happy then it isn't right.  And so January will be a new time of wick testing.  Some things are just user error but when possible I want my candles to be fool proof.

A jump start and evaluation of current wicks.
Mind you....I always test before putting new wicks out there 
but there is always room for improvement.

The great news is.....
I've done other fun things too!

Like the Christmas Party for the theater that the rest of my family works for!
Oh.my.goodness!
I so totally loved the venue.
My family didn't see me for the longest time because I had to check everything out.
It was at the Train Museum in Strasburg.


All of these years I have passed by that place where the tourists go
and didn't realize how amazing it is.
It is huge!
So many full size engines and train cars to explore and enjoy.


As we walked to the building we could see a wall of glass and coming toward us on the inside 
were these adorable people.
Chelsea and Chadd got there before we did.
I motioned for them to pose....and they did...sort of.
I got Chelsea still moving.
But look how great they look.
So much more "grown up" for all they have been through.
I was looking at photos from the day they got engaged and couldn't 
believe the physical changes in both of them in just four months.


Can you see it?
Or is it just this mama knowing how intense it has been
and seeing the growth and maturity forced from
such hard times?


In my explorations I noticed amazing music coming from the speakers.
It was so beautiful that the thought ran through my head
that I wished it was live.
How cool would that be??

And then I came around a train....


And there they were!
The sound was amazing....
I can't rave enough.
Before the night was over people were dancing and it was a very happy scene.

In other years the company has used Hess's Barbecue as the caterer.
I have been driving by Hess's location in a nearby town quite a bit lately and have been getting more and more hungry for it.
Well....While I don't have photos of the food, I did get my wish!
Hess's was the caterer.
They did a fabulous job as always.
Since I can't eat bread, due to the headaches it gives me, it is wonderful to be able to 
have such wonderfully flavored meat and barbecue sauce.

There were some tables and chair groupings scattered amongst the trains.
We ended up getting a table and next thing we knew right over our heads came these people.


Those trains are tall and they were on the platform.
That is a co-worker, Emily, with them.
She is a great friend and is going to be a bridesmaid.

But that isn't all I've done!
I continued to attend Change of Pace through this crazy time.
Sometimes it was just for the worship time due to strict deadlines
and others it was for worship and part of the video or for time in the prayer room
but I made it!
It was needed.  Time out with the Lord and other ladies is just the boost we need
sometimes to keep on going.
This past week was the last for 2015 and it was so special.
After studying First, Second and Third John we were ready to put 
the Love of God into practice.
Sixteen ladies were nominated and chosen to be 
"Queen for a Day".
These were ladies who did not attend Change of Pace but of whom
someone from the study knew needed a bit of extra love.

I arrived to practice and found gifts being set up under the trees for our queens.


I also found our "sound lady" IN the trees searching for controls to make some stop blinking.
Such dedication!
Kathy and her family are moving out west and we are really, really going to miss her.
She would problem solve until she got the answer!
And always with a smile.


One of the "Queens for a Day" ended up spending it in the ultimate way.
She lost her fight with cancer the day before we hoped to honor her here.
But she won her place as Princess in Heaven!


You can see, Lindsay, who nominated her singing a song in her honor.
Lindsay is a songwriter and artist with her own album and she has a very 
clear and beautiful soprano voice.
We were all in tears.

You could tell that it meant much to the other ladies who were able to be 
there to know that they were lifted up and loved.

Anyway....these are a couple of the things that I've been up to.
Did I show you photos of our ladies tea at church?

oopsie.
I don't think I did.
Well, you know my friend, Deanna at Creekside Cottage?
She does a fabulous job every year.
And this year was no exception even with a wedding in the works for the end
of this month!!

Check these out!

 The theme was a Scottish Highlands Christmas  - Era 1920's.



We had Footmen!
They scurried around and brought us anything we wanted or needed.  
And the Butler, Rabe!
He was most attentive and efficient.
It was a lovely evening which ended with carols.
Sigh.
I could do that evening again.

Anyway.
It has been busy but I haven't felt cheated of preparation of my heart
for this Christmas Season.
In many ways it is a richer season for ALL of it.

Blessings to you.


4 comments:

Vee said...

I don't know how you do it all! Your workshop is a blessing. wonderful. And I know that you are making it even more wonderful. Do you have a tv down there? Some music? I have learned all over again that music makes everything better. Live music? Nothing can beat that. Your area offers so much to see and to think that you had not yet taken the opportunity. I feel that way myself about so much that is around me that I have not seen. Chelsea and Chad look happy. All good!

Deanna Rabe - Creekside Cottage Blog said...

So glad that your workshop is working out! I know how much it means to the family, and you to have it out of the kitchen.

You also are having fun and that's important during the holidays. We work so hard year round, that it makes it more special to have fun this time of year!

Thanks for the compliments on the tea. It was really fun!

Deanna

JD/ Jill said...

You always have the neatest pictures to see, and wonderful stories to share.

Jim and I went to see the railroad museum maybe 10-15 years ago. We went on his birthday and stayed at the Strasburg Inn. We were having the nicest time till my Mom had to call me home because my Uncle had passed away. I would love to take a return trip back there again sometime. (Maybe to finally get my Jim to see the Sight and Sound Theater. Hope all is going well for you...Blessings, Jill (who has it on her bucket list to get to see you again in 2016!)

Theresa said...

What a wonderful group picture! I know you had a great time at the tea! I am happy to see Chelsea and Chadd, their smiles say it all:) Have a blessed day dear friend, HUGS!