The wreath sent by my girlfriend-in-law. I'm using sake cups as candleholders for the Advent candles. Sailor loves to bark along when we light them.
The presents are what Bernadette sent for her person.

I missed the Northern California Diarists' Gathering yesterday. I dithered about it all last week, but finally decided that I really didn't have the time to go to Berkeley this close to Christmas. (This, and I'm shy, and I'm old-fashioned enough to have been really squirmy at the topics Xeney mentions (the entry for the 13th). I know hardly any of them read my journal, and I could be in one of my phases when that matters, when I don't want to be judged and found wanting. At the Sacramento BBS meetings we used to have, I was on equal footing with everyone else. In fact, I was co-sysop or aide for a couple of the BBSi. I still have my friends from this group. Actually, most of my friends come from this group! Next time, the NorCal meeting for sure!)

In the event, I went to my meeting after Church. My sponsee never comes, so I'm about to drop out of this. I might join up again next class, and pay more attention to the person I'm sponsoring. I don't think I'd know Lisa if I saw her on the street. Then at home, after my Internet time, I took Sailor for a walk. He's massively shedding. Rich vacuumed while I was gone, and then when the dog had been in the house for 10 minutes, the spot where he lay looked like it had never been cleaned at all. I pulled out tufts of undercoat all along the way, Rich vacuumed him when we got back, and he still is a walking dandelion. What we need is some December weather. There's a sunflower out in the rose garden, on December 13. I'm sure this has some deep symbolism, but I'm too tired to think of it right now. (Later note: up in the mulberry tree is another sunflower seedling!)

I wound up going 4 miles, mostly along streets I'd not been on before. I admired Christmas decorations, mostly icicle lights. There was also a path lined with huge lollipops and another place with a huge stuffed Santa sitting on the porch swing. What I enjoyed most, though, was something I didn't see. Actually, something I didn't hear. I saw a lot of people out raking, but no one with a leaf-blower!

I lost no weight last week. In fact, I'm at 5 pounds under where I was the first of the year, but at 5 pounds more than I was about 6 weeks ago. Argh. The goodies at the party on Saturday couldn't have helped. I didn't walk at all last week. No magazines, one box mailed (and I bought Christmas stamps and can't find them! If I don't want to mail my cards with spider stamps, I'll have to go back! I also apparently need more cards. I thought I'd bought 4 packages, but only have three.) I messed in the back room a little, to bring out the coffee table for the tree, but that only made it worse. We put out a bag of stuff (mostly the sports bottles) and one of the old VCRs for the charity pickup today.

I got back just in time for us to dash to the car and drive across town to the concert put on by the Youth Symphony. This was actually the three youth orchestras, the Junior Orchestra (who had a few places to wince at), the Academy, and then the best, the Symphony. The Junior group was about the quality where I finished my violin lessons. I did make it to State Orchestra one year, next-to-last chair in second violins, but remember, Wyoming is a very small state. One of the pieces they played was Handel's "Toy Symphony" and the nightingale was in costume. The president of the board played the cuckoo whistle, and the whole thing was charming.
I was looking for my dentist's son's name, as he plays first oboe. We talked about this when I had my teeth cleaned last week. He must have a different last name, though, because the first oboe was listed differently than I expected. Oh, well. The Academic orchestra played some Russian Christmas music and it was definitely very dark and "Volga Boatman"ish. The Youth Symphony played the Nutcracker Suite, besides some other songs, and both Rich and I feel a need to re-watch "Fantasia."
The concert was free, though we were supposed to take a can of food. We were too late to find a parking place in the lot, so we had to settle, darn, for a place right across the street, closer. All in all, a very nice two hours. And home to write more Christmas cards.

So, while I do wish I had been able to go to the meeting, and while I will definitely get to the next one in Sacramento(!), it was best I stayed home.