ACTUALLY...

 One of The Grandbaby's favorite usage of an adverb is the word "actually".  "Actually" is defined as "the truth or facts of a situation; really".  

Actually, my life lately has been tremendously busy working at my office--so busy in fact that I struggle to get everything done in this season of Christmas.  That, along with the change in our world due to Covid-19, has caused a lot of changes in what I usually do.  Of course this year church life is different with no Christmas caroling or program.  There will be no deacons' gathering for a meal that The Husband and I would have supplied.  It fell The Husband's chairmanship's responsibility to do that.  There will be no neighborhood widows' lunch at my house this year.  That's really about the extent of my entertaining as The Husband and I live a quiet life.  I can sit around, be tired from work, and mope but maybe I won't.

Actually, the season of Christmas is so much more than these things.  Granted I will say that having The Grandbaby puts a big happy scope on things.  She helped me decorate the tree this year.  "Oh, Neema, this ornament is beeaauuutttiful".  She also helped me decorate the rest of the house, even choosing at my prompting some ornaments from my stash to decorate her little bedroom tree.  

There's the ornaments The Husband and I painted our first Christmas together and our store bought Hallmark ornament from that 1979 year.

There are many handmade by The Girl with the oldest ones of the popcorn wreath and sandpaper Rudolph at the top of that list of treasures.

There are ornaments that serve as reminders of the blessings of old friendships that remain today....

and reminders of children who gifted ornaments through the years...

Of course there are many treasures reminding us of the real reason for the season and that hallelujah, WE BELIEVE!

The new ornament is the star at the bottom of the photo that The Grandbaby crafted for my tree..

There are a couple of antique ornaments that decorated the tree of The Mother-In-Law for many years and came to me after she moved to heaven and there is a new ornament for this year as well.

Actually, that whole post segment turned out longer than I anticipated.  As I grow older, I find myself a person of many words.  :)  So I will carry on from here.  My apologies for such a long post.

With the changes and such this year, we have found time to cook and do it in style as my Lunch Bunch girls gifted me with two aprons and some cooking supplies for my birthday this year.

The Poppa, The Grandbaby, and I also did our traditional gingerbread house at our sleepover this weekend.  I was reminded of the reason I love the ones that are already put together ready to decorate.  This one was not.   Actually, though, I didn't let that fact steal my joy of the moment.

My photos are out of order as my blog has been revamped and I haven't mastered the photo in order technique yet.  This photo shows the problem with a non-pre-constructed house.  Oops.  Photo above shows improvement.

Actually also this weekend, The Poppa and I were invited to go to a parade with The Son-in-Law, The Girl, The Grandbaby, and some close friends.  The Poppa and I, while not anti-social, just don't have much of a social life.  We do go to bed early lately.  But actually, with that said, we had a great time and got home in time to go to bed almost early!

The Grandbaby wanted her coat open so folks could see her shirt and the baby Jesus.

Actually, the times may be different and may be hard some days but the bottom line is that the feeling in our hearts always remains the same.  As the sermon yesterday was about the light of Jesus, there is nothing in this world that can change the light of Jesus in our hearts.  Actually, while things may seem different, we have the assurance that Jesus will never change nor will the promises his birth brought to us.  So actually, let's rejoice in the season!

And all you faithful blog readers just got an added lengthy post for me to get to that point!  

Consider.....