Aftermath!

We've had our busiest few days for ages- and now we are living  stumbling through our home in the aftermath of it all. 
Thursday - putting up Christmas Decorations at Church, including decorating two trees, OAP lunch
Friday- the School Play, The School Christmas Fayre, sorting out Festival Tree stuff
Saturday - Switching on of the Ferndown Christmas Lights [Bob doing lal the PA, I was staffing our church stand] - so we were out from 10am to 7pm.
Sunday - re:vive Breakfast Church, including children's activities [and then resting all afternoon]
Monday - putting up a Festival Christmas Tree in Wimborne, going to Craft'n'Coffee Group [and doing a demo] putting up a Festival Christmas Tree in West Moors, and trying to sort out play costumes.[Meanwhile Bob conducted a funeral, then went for a flu jab]
And the house is in utter chaos.

Boxes and bags of play costumes, some stuff sorted and ready to return to school. Nativity costumes waiting to be sorted and hung on the rail ready for Sunday's service. Half the lounge is full of this stuff.

Cable reels, mic stands, safety mats and other PA gear in the hall, waiting to go back up into the loft.

In the back bedroom, the airer is covered with laundry, and there are two baskets of clothes alongside, all waiting to be sorted, folded, ironed and put away. Finding clean underwear each morning has proved something of a challenge this week.

In the porch lurk boxes and a stepladder from the tree decorating activities.
But it has all been worth it - Two trees decorated - with the help of a cheerful 3 year old, and the set of Advent posters displayed in the church [thank you CPO] and all the other decorations [as yet unphotographed] make the premises look properly festive.

Here's one of the tables set for OAP Lunch Club. Doesn't it look inviting? And this isn't the Christmas Special - our dedicated team of volunteer staff work hard every week to make our senior guests feel welcomed. [Menu on Thursday was a pear and goat's cheese starter, main course, roast chicken dinner, and dessert of Cherries Jubilee, followed by tea or coffee - delicious, and only £4 to pay] 

Friday's play was brilliant, and School Fayre less so. However I heard of someone else who'd been there, and she had only had one customer, and taken just £1.50 - which didn't even cover her booking fee! The Lights Switch on was incredibly well attended. The organisers reckoned double the number from last year. I didn't have time to take pictures- other than Mickey Mouse, who dropped by my stand right at the beginning. I gave away around 250 leaflets, and between 30 & 40 groups came to have a picture in our Photobooth [mostly families, but also 4 dogs in different seasonal outfits with their owners] 

On Sunday I worked with the children to colour and fold Christmas fortune tellers /  cootie catchers / whirlybirds [these origami toys have many names] Inside there were various questions to answer - some factual about the Christmas story [who came to see the baby Jesus? where did he sleep?], others wanting their own ideas [what was the best gift you have ever given? what is your favourite part of Christmas? These two young ladies got very engrossed in operating their gadgets, and quizzing each other. Even the youngest children were confident with their answers.

Two more trees decorated on Monday. Wimborne got the "Names of Jesus" decorations which we used in West Moors in 2015. West Moors has "Christmas Crackers" and I have no close up shots of them [yet] Here is a picture of the team doing the final assembly a couple of weeks ago.

Yes it has been busy - but so worth it. There is so much sadness, and doom and gloom around right now, and it is good to see someone's face light up when they see a sparkling tree, or watch the children acting and singing, or enjoy a laugh with friends over a good meal lovingly prepared.
I am really glad we have joy, peace, hope and love as our Advent themes at Church this year.