Happy Christmas

Well, I'd intended to post much more during advent.  And now Christmas Eve is nearly upon us.

Life has been predictably busy, although this year had the slightly more unique task of making a lobster costume (a lighthearted moment in the church nativity).  I did not wear it, although I did get to stand in as one of the narrators at the last moment.  But, of course, I needed to try it on to see if it worked.

Sigh.

Sigh (again).

The main body was a simple sheet sewn together (a challenge for someone like me - I'm not practised with sewing machines).  The claws were made with sheet, stuffed, using faulty pond gloves that would never be used as pond gloves as their centre - that's how the claws stayed on.  I added the darker fabric using fabric glue, although that alone was not enough - I had to stitch all the covering pieces of material together.  The result was a very plush looking pair of claws, but a sore-fingered Lucy.  That stitching took a loooonnng time.

Aside from that I've been doing the usual preparations for Christmas, together with the distraction of the snow.  It's mostly melted here now, with just patches here and there, but my parents-in-law cannot get to us for Christmas this year.  We've arranged to go and see them a little later.  As usual the actual dates of 24th/25th seem to have come very quickly.  But I've learned not to hang the whole season on those two days.  It puts a lot of weight on them!

However, now that they are nearly here I will say simply this:

Happy Christmas.

Remember the child: he who formed galaxies, clinging to his mother's arms.

Remember him, for we expect him still - returning to make everything new.

Maranatha.