Thanks for all your kind comments. Amy, your dream about your Opa brought tears to my eyes.
I've
made a couple of things over the past week but haven't taken any
pictures. I tell ya, it seems like you turn around and it's dark
already. As determined as I was to keep things simple this year, I seem
to be doing alot of running right now. None of it has anything to do
with shopping, though! I have bought one thing. One! Oh well, I mainly
have to get stocking stuffers because I'm giving the boys money this
year. Oh yeah, I need to make stockings. I pulled theirs out of the box
and they just didn't look so good and I said "I think I need to make
you guys new stockings." Nick said, "Oh no, poor you, having to sew and
make new stockings..how awful for you." Would you say he was teasing
me? lol
I've had a lot of last minute stuff pop up. Last
Wednesday night I was asked if I could sing Sunday night at "The
Journey to Bethlehem" and I did. I enjoyed it and I'm glad I did it.
Yesterday I had a woman's circle (Presbyterian Women) meeting that
began at 9am and ended with lunch. I got home after 1pm. I thoroughly
enjoyed it, though. Some of those ladies have so many wonderful stories
to tell. Some were telling Christmas memories from 80 or more years
ago.
I just had this thought about the women's group. When I
first came to the church 20 years ago, there were certain women who did
just about everything that got done. You know how that is. There are
always people who can be relied on to get things done within the church
or wherever larger groups gather. These ladies were all in their 40s
and 50s then, as I am now. It just dawned on me that it's still these
same women who are doing everything. Younger women are working or just
not interested. They did start a group for some of the younger women
that will meet during the Sunday School hour once a month and I think
that's great, but I do think something is missed by not rubbing elbows
with these wonderful women with so many amazing stories to tell.
I
regret that I spent so much time away. But I fully appreciated the fact
that I had come full circle in a way, as I was being installed as an
officer yesterday. It was while I was moderator of this group that I
began to turn away from God and from the church. That was almost 10
years ago (unbelievable) and it felt good to officially become a part
of this particular group again.
I am rambling. I interrupted
myself. I was trying to make the point that there is no group of
younger women standing in the ready to carry on the work of
Presbyterian Women in our church. There are plenty of younger women
working in the church, mostly with youth-related activities. That is
entirely appropriate and I'm not criticizing. It's just that there will
always be parents for youth-related activities. It works out that way,
conveniently enough. But where is the drive for younger women to come
once a month in the middle of the week, just because? It really is a
throw-back group, in a way, I suppose. Each circle, as the groups are
called, has a few more than 10 ladies. They each have an organization
(like womens's shelters,etc) that they help every month. Did you know
that people still roll bandages? I kind of enjoy that one. They take
care of business, collect the things they need for their organization,
take up a small offering for other things that may come up and then
have Bible Study with an appointed teacher. When this meeting is
finished, there is a general meeting with hymns, devotional and some
sort of program. Sometimes it is a speaker and sometimes music. Once we
even learned all about vintage linens and how to take care of them from
a very interesting lady who collected such linens. She rode in on a
Harley. I can enjoy a dichotomy. :) After the program, we adjourn to
lunch which is made up, generally, of sandwiches (pimento cheese, cream
cheese and olives, etc), jello salads and the most yummy desserts..pies
and cakes that look like they came from magazines. Each month one of
these delicious lunches is made by a particular circle. They take turns
throughout the year.
I suppose it's a little antiquated,
although from reading way more blogs than I should, I know that there
are women out there who would love these kinds of meetings. So, where
are they? I wonder if these women who have been doing everything are
tired? Do they worry that there will be noone to take over and let them
rest a little? Do we all rely on them just a little too much? How long
has it been since they just went to church and enjoyed an event from
the pews rather than from the kitchen or from just outside the door?
Well,
thanks for letting me ramble on about this. I used to write things like
this in a notebook where they didn't bother anyone. lol Now I make you
suffer through them.
I started out posting just to let you know
that I'm fine; just busy...and now look. I hope everyone has a good
day. I'm attending a funeral at 11am. After that, I have no plans.
Tim
finished the shed yesterday! yay! So we'll probably spend the day
clearing spots that have been driving me crazy for a few years. I'm
pretty excited about that. Flylady is wrong. You can organize clutter.
ha!
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