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.