Decembering

The bright and beautiful madness of December!  Sitting here at the tail end of this month, dog beside me, in the glow of the Christmas tree at Claire's house, I am taking a breath and looking back at it all, the rush of concerts and lights and wrapping and baking and working and being festive.  Crazy and fast and wonderful, it was.

Kicking things off with Krampusnacht!  

... and then straight on to Straight No Chaser!

And then the first of 9 total concerts, the St Ignatius fundraiser with COC...

Nat's final Reaching Heights annual meeting, where he was honored for his 6 years of service on the board and his term as President.  I am completely certain he will find something else to fill his time very soon.

Time to get festive around this house!

New outdoor lighting!  Our beloved snowflake bit the dust this year so we decided to just go big with this extraordinarily bright wreath.  I love it so much.

Also decided that instead of putting my planter pots away I'd turn them into evergreen displays and I love them so much too.

I didn't have room for all of my own decorations this year so did not put out many of mom's- -but this little angel found a home and makes me happy.  It's been a little surreal, preparing for a Christmas without her.  Without her to bake with or wrap with or do Christmas Eve church with.  Without her to buy presents for.  I still find myself looking for white Weller pottery at estate sales, or seeing cute little things that would make her smile and almost picking them up for her.  I miss her a lot right now.

But December does not allow for much downtime to sit with grief, now does it?  

Windsong kept me extra busy this December, with several caroling gigs in addition to our concert.  I cannot say no to caroling.  Or to chances to get to know this new group of lovely and supportive humans.  I've never felt at home so quickly in a new choir. 

Had the joy of watching Lillian perform with the Children's Chorus.  So very very proud of them.  And believe it or not Ivy is considering autditioning in January!   

Next concert on the docket-  Windson Broadway Extravanza!  Went very well, with a wonderfully engaged and responsive audience.  And  I did a solo on a mic and didn't even die!  A miracle indeed!

                                         

After party at the Kensington.

And then it was time for Ivy's band concert!  Look at that badass girl with the tuba.  I am so stinking proud of her. 

Let the wrapping begin!

And... let the holiday concerts begin!  Seven more to go before the 24th, with all of Christmas to prep, too.  A mad dash indeed. But wonderful.  Wouldn't trade this opportunity for the world and I am so grateful to my family for putting up with my general absence and exhaustion for all of December just so I can go sing some Christmas carols.   Which I literally never get tired of doing. 

As evidenced by my attending Cocktail Choir on my one night off from concerts during week one.

                                   

It was a heckuva night, with a big crew of my new Windsong friends in attendance.  We closed down a wine bar down the street after the singing.  These people know how to have fun.

Up early on Saturday to see this boy dominate at the Viking invitation.  He qualified for finals in the 100 free and the 100 breast and ended up 24th and 18th overall in those events. So proud of him.

I bought a button maker!  Because in the midst of all this Decembering we also came up with a project, to make these buttons for our chorus crew.  (I'm a "effing" volunteer.)  They were very warmly recieved, so totally worth it.  Also used it to make coach Dan a "100 wins" button so we are well on the way to maing this investment worthwhile. 

Every now and then... a cozy moment or relaxation.

Had so much fun with my little students on the last few days of school before break.  They were tickled pink to build-- and then subsequently destroy-- a gingerbread house.  They are such sparks of light, these little ones.  Reveling in gratitude that I get to be their teacher. 

Also reveling in gratitude for the opportunity to vist our very favorite winter wonderland with our very favorite people.  We fit a Monday night visit to Stan Hywet into our crazy busy schedules and it was was so worth it.  Even worth the rather harrowing drive home up 77...

Also squeezed in another swim meet for Jack and the Windsong holiday party. 

Had a few days off of school to spend wrapping and baking like crazy.  And singing in my final 4 concerts, of course.  All seven holiday concerts were a joy to sing- lovely music and even better company.  Its crazy to think that last year at this time I was tenatively making small talk at breaks but still feeling less than confident about my place in this choir.  This year, I chat easily with everyone in my section and feel comfortable and at home. That's thanks enitrely to these people- brilliant, talented, irreverent and loving humans who have accepted me into their midst whole-heartedly, and who feel like home.