(If, like me, you can't say these 4 words without thinking of Blink 182, here's the link to listen while you read even though it doesn't match my sentiment and the video is rather disturbing!)
1) Having Blackpool illuminations on my doorstep.
After Thanksgiving, preparations for Christmas step up several notches here but particularly on our street. Blackpool illuminations are not a patch on this. Every house has something, whether it be white lights wound around the trees (not just one tree but about 7 of them), balls of light dangling from trees or candles in every window. We have lights on the porch but, really, we are putting on a very poor show! I'm waiting for a complaint to come through the door.
2) Visiting Oxford, Paris (well...South Paris) and Norway all without leaving the state! It was interesting to take a trip West and see more rural Maine and its many lakes. I can't wait to see them in the depths of winter when they freeze over so hard that they turn into ice fishing villages with tents and cabins.
3) Spending Saturday afternoon in good company doing some crafting. It was lovely to get creative making tree ornaments, enjoying the silence of concentration and then breaking out into chatter as we enjoyed coffee and the wonders of dark chocolate digestives...thanks Anne!
4) Spinning again. I've bitten the bullet and joined a gym. I'm sad to leave behind exercising locally and in the great outdoors but running in the dark here would be truly ridiculous and would qualify as an extreme sport. Plus the only way I could continue to swim at the high school would be to get out of bed at quarter past five. Never going to happen! So I trundled off to the Y and haven't looked back. I am already addicted to spinning again although am intimidated by all the other superfit people in the class.
5) Finding the eleventh commandment whilst attending 'Christmas at the cathedral'. Today I went to see/hear the Choral Arts Society's Christmas concert and it was beautiful. A wonderful sound to make me feel all christmassy. Soooooo much better than listening to christmas songs played non-stop on some of the radio stations here which has the opposite effect of making me into a Christmas misery. I particularly liked 'Gloria' from 'The Bluegrass mass'. See what you think!
6) Having a lovely dinner with some lovely neighbours.
7) Starting my animated London advent calendar with my class (thanks Karin). On Friday we decorated the christmas tree and all chose a decoration to put on. We also got to hear Big Ben chime 9 o'clock. So exciting! I also enjoyed opening my chocolate one (thanks mum). When I told my class this, their faces said it all...but you're too old. NEVER!!!
Happy December everyone!
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