Our weekend was not what we anticipated at the beginning of last week. We were excited to head up north to Georgia to visit our son and daughter-in-law/love (Darlene prefers "love" to "law" and that is fine with me! Our son is leaving for the Middle East (again) at the end of this week and we won't see him again for the better part of a year (maybe just 9 months this time). BUT they both got sick with horrid colds (Joey actually said he feels like dog poop!). They told us to come if we wanted to, but we said they sure didn't need us there when they don't feel good and we sure didn't want to come home with their dog poopy colds. SO... we had an entire weekend with nothing else planned. What to do!!?
We watched several Christmas movies. I cleaned out the freezer in the kitchen refrigerator/freezer, and (as I posted on Facebook) we now have room for some ice cream!! LOL
I called our cat-sitter, Mary Jane, to cancel her services. She came over for an hour or so on Friday to see the cats and talk with us a while. It was good catching up with her.
Our 91-year old friend, Helen, invites us every year to her church's Christmas Cantata and Dinner. We told her we would be in Georgia this year, which disappointed her. It has become a tradition for us to go with her each year. When we decided on Thursday that we were not going to Georgia, I called Helen to see if we were too late to participate with her and she said it was not too late at all!! We picked her up (her niece, Cheryl, has the flu!!!) and went to the United Methodist Church for services and the Cantata (which replaced the sermon). Dinner followed with ham, turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, and lots of desserts. Her Pastor sat at our table with a couple of kitchen volunteers. We had a lively conversation and a thoroughly enjoyable hour.
We arrived a little early for services. I snapped this picture of the sanctuary
with the huge vaulted ceilings.
I took a picture of the choir as they began singing. They were very good
and obviously worked very hard on the music.
Here is a list of the songs they did.
Diners in the social hall. This is just one section. The room was filled
with folks enjoying the meal.
It is sad that Helen's church is shrinking in membership.
There are no young people at all.
Today I will be cleaning! We have company coming at the end of this week and I need to get off my hind-end and get some things done!! I am excited to see my niece, Sara, and her mother-in-law Lisa, who is traveling with her. They will stay overnight Saturday and leave Sunday morning for the airport in Tampa. Sara is presenting a research paper at the American Reading Forum Conference in Sanibel Island this week. They are driving up to Lakeland from there when the conference ends on Saturday morning. Then, on Monday, nephew Jim D'Orsaneo and his wife and two kids are driving over from Disney to visit with us for the day. I told them I would have lunch for us. I am going to do fajitas and all the rice & beans and salsa, etc. trimmings. Their two kids are (daughter Emily) in college and (son Anthony) just out of college! We are looking forward to these mini-family reunions!
Wishing you all a good week ahead!! Peace & hugs!!
God bless!!
I was so interested in reading about that Christmas cantata. My choir has been practicing ours since September. This coming Sunday at 4:00 is our program, followed by a potluck supper.
ReplyDeleteI’m really sorry you didn’t get to visit your son. I certainly hope he gets well before he has to fly overseas. Flying can make a person even sicker, as Anthony found out the other year.
Sounds like you have plenty of good times to look forward to!
Sounds like a busy week ahead for you! So sorry your plans got changed, but you managed to have a pleasant weekend anyway. The pictures of that Methodist church really took me back. That is the same design that my home Methodist church was built by, the church we were married in over 50 years ago, in Tavares, FL. Sadly, that sanctuary burned down about 20 years ago, and they have since rebuilt a different design. I really missed that church. My sister's Methodist church in Maitland, FL, is also built on that same design! Must have been "the design" for Methodist churches built in the late 60's/70's! Thank you for sharing. Our cantata will be Sunday, Dec. 22, in the morning service. We are busy practicing these next two weeks. Our dress rehearsal will be Thursday evening Dec. 19. Praying we all stay well...this cough bug keeps going around and round. John has it again...praying I don't get it. Have a blessed week and enjoy your festivities.
ReplyDeleteSorry you couldnt go see your son but know you will enjoy those that come for visits. You will be a busy bee! Sending hugs and blessings.
ReplyDeleteThat's a shame that Joey + Darlene were both sick.
ReplyDeleteHelen's church is pretty.
You have another busy week ahead with lots of family visiting.
Have a great day!
What a beautiful church and it's been a long time since I've heard a cantata. When my husband was a music minister, we did a cantata almost every year. I really miss that. We were just talking last night and he said that working with the choir is the one thing that he really misses.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you have a really fun and really busy week or so coming up. Have fun!!
What a lovely church and I miss Cantatas...I have been reading on FB how my side of the family has been getting together, funny (and sad), we never get invited or told about it. I am so sorry about Joey being sick. I hope he gets to feeling better. I hope you have a very nice time with your family and how blessed you are, my friend!!!! smiles
ReplyDeleteBeautiful church..... sad so many churches are having a struggle. Have a wonderful day.
ReplyDeleteI love Christmas Cantatas ... you dont see them very much any more. I used to LOVE singing in them too. So much fun! ALL THE PRACTICE!!
ReplyDeleteThat church with the tall ceilings... that looks like the church I grew up in!
What a blessing you are to Helen! I've not seen a Christmas Cantata in decades; our little church has a choir, if you want to call it that -- usually 6-7 participants. When she was still living in Florida, my mother would bemoan the lack of young people in her church. Strangely, none of her friends seemed to mind.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful church Helen attends! I'm so glad you all could go with her after all. But it's sad to know the congregation is dwindling. Maybe God will turn things around . . .
ReplyDeleteAnd what a busy week you have ahead of you, Terri! I know you'll have so much fun with family visiting.
Blessings!
It is sad to see a church shrinking...on the whole, the younger generations don't embrace church. I guess they see it as another institution whose time has passed.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, glad you managed to have a nice weekend even when your plans changed. Have a blessed and wonderful week, Terri!
I'm glad you were able to go to the Cantata. It looks like it was very good! It's a beautiful church, but sad to see the membership declining. So many young people don't go anymore...
ReplyDeleteI am glad you did not go and get a cold!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteSometimes it is nice to do nothing....
Well, even with the changes in your original plans this looks to have been a very enjoyable weekend and next weekend looks really good, too!
ReplyDeleteIt is very sad (disheartening, even) to see fewer young people in church. They are missing out on huge blessings that will affect their eternity.