“When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.”  Well, it wasn’t eight tiny reindeer but it was six fat squirrels that have gone bats this morning with their chasing and running and jumping on and off of the roof of the house and the sunporch. Tails are swishing everywhere; in the trees, on the roof, on the feeders. They have raced across my roof at least ten times while I have been sitting here. Silly critters. I have no idea what is going on with them whether it is play or a territorial dispute this morning. And they aren’t the only ones. The cardinals have been chasing one another too and even the finches are flitting about like crazy. I suspect there may be a weather change coming or something that is making them all anxious. The weather dude did use that “s” word in his forecast for the weekend.

Ms. Kate got a cortisone shot in her hand and in her wrist yesterday. The “good part” of it hasn’t set in yet, she still sore from the injection. Hopefully by tomorrow it will be much better. It is affecting the thing she wants to do like lifting baking trays in and out of the oven. We went out for supper last evening and she even modified what she ate because she couldn’t use her knife to cut anything like a steak. Bless her heart.

I took the Christmas cards to the post office yesterday and they are officially on their way at last. I hope they all make it before Christmas. There was a line all the way out of the building waiting to send packages and stuff and only two clerks working. Luckily all I needed to know was what the rules were concerning extra postage on the cards and I happened to see a postal worker going into the office. So I asked him and then stood at the table out in the lobby away from the line and put my stamps on the cards and slid them through the slot. Whew!  I dodged that bullet.

Ms. Kate is out for a hair appointment and permanent this morning and I have some writing to do today. Tomorrow I have a meeting with Pastor Art and I need to do a little prep for that meeting too. Friday we are meeting our friends Bob and Brenda for lunch so our one day of no appointments this week is Thursday. I suspect we’ll be cramming a lot of stuff in on Thursday what with Julie and Jim and the pups coming on Saturday morning. Sunday there will be a morning service and an evening service and it will also be Ms. Kate’s 70th birthday. Then, before we know it, Christmas will be over and life will return to whatever our definition of normalcy is. And then —- it will be 2018. Wow.

So —- before all of the chaos ensues I must stop and give thanks to God and remained myself that life is not about the rush. Life is about appreciating the blessings and sharing the blessings. If that causes us a little rush sometimes; it should be because we are sharing ourselves and our love with others. On that note, I bid you a good day and pray you find the peace that comes with the birth of a Savior called Jesus, the Christ. Shalomn