A wonderful day

Cindi and I were up early as usual, and she got the turkey in the oven before heading up to sing Matins at St. Paul’s. The bells kicked off our joy with a setting of “Praise to the Lord.” We got to sing “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come.” Pastor Gleason was liturgist and preacher, and did he ever do an outstanding job on the homily! He nailed it. And so did Cindy Gleason as she sang her haunting Vaughn Williams solo: Blest is the Man that Trusteth in Thee, the choir coming in after her solo parts. After the homily we sang the Te Deum and the closing prayers. The final hymn was “Now Thank We All Our God.” Oh, and we were also blessed with Cole and Zach on trumpets, playing along with our amazing Kantor.

We had the Weedons and the Ibisches join us for Matins, but the Herberts didn’t arrive till a bit later. All in all, we were 19: our 10 grandchildren, our three children and spouses, Cindi and I and Opa. The meal was a feast and a half: turkey, ham, and rope sausage; green beans and mashed taters; two kinds of sweet tater casserole; salad; gravies; jello molds; bacon and mushrooms cooked in a wine and butter sauce. 

After the meal, we gathered in the living room for our traditional Advent / Christmas hymn sing. Then back to eating with dessert: carnivore pumpkin pie for Cindi and me (really tasty…you’ll just have to wonder); apple pie; pecan pie; chocolate marvel paleo pie; and some left over pumpkin cake. 

The Weedons had to leave early to celebrate up with the Zoschkes in Litchfield. But the others hung around, and the youngsters made gingerbread houses (well, that was the idea…lots just got eaten!). Now they’re all on their way home and Cindi and I are enjoying this (with the remnants of the hymn sing still visible):