Merry Christmas

Music! Music! Music!
My favorite gift this year was hearing Lei and Xin (Zhaolei Xie and Xin Zhang) play for our University Baptist Church PrimeTime luncheon. Lei is our choir accompanist and Xin often joins him or plays the organ. We all were mesmerized, thinking there must be more than four hands playing to make this much sound. It was not all loud, but a concert showing skill and deep feeling. Lei often amazes us with his preludes and postludes, and we are blessed that he shares his talents with us.

 

 Our choral director, Taylor Hightower, led us in singing some carols. Taylor plans wonderful music worship experiences all year--another blessing!

 A string quartet added to our special music enjoyment last Sunday. Thanks to Alejandro Junco, Rodrigo Zafani, Flor Cozza, and Patricia Rezende, all USM orchestra students.

Another neat musical experience was hearing Jim Reyelt play classical guitar for another luncheon club meeting at the Purple Parrot.Jim is a doctoral student studying with Nick Ciraldo.

My quilt guild, Pine Belt Quilters, donated 170 children's quilts at our December meeting to several agencies, including a family who had recently been given keys to their Habitat for Humanity house.

I enjoyed a box of Harry & David Royal Riviera Pears. My family received fruit gifts when I was a teen-ager and I thought perhaps my memory of these pears was inflated and that I would be disappointed today. But no! They were just like I remembered them. Like no other treat!

Current cat news--Elizabeth seemed to enjoy a visit from three-year-old Charlotte Hightower. At least she was still and patient with the petting and ruffling of her fur.

Rahrah isn't content to curl up in my lap. She prefers to get higher and try to put her legs around my neck. It's difficult to photograph, but I tried.

Tarbaby sometimes acts like he has forgotten how high he can jump. When trying to get on a cabinet, he might do several "practice jumps," even looking at me and meowing pitifully as if asking for help. I have no idea what's going on with this.

A definite surprise for this kitten foster mama--on my way home at 6 p.m. from the Christmas Eve service, I saw a small black dog at a corner near my house. I backed up to see about it, and when I opened my car door and walked toward it, the little fellow walked right up to me. I could not leave him at this busy corner. He was happy to be picked up and put in my garage where he drank a whole bowl of water and then a bowl of cat food and looked up for more. He curled up on a fleecy blanket and spent the night and Christmas Day. He needs medical attention for a skin condition that makes him very uncomfortable. I posted a notice on the Mississippi Lost and Found site and will take care of him until the shelter opens Dec. 26. I will see if he is microchipped and hope the vet can help him and get him into foster care and find him a good home. He is lovable and sweet--tempting for me to keep--but my three cats are traumatized by the strange sounds and suspicious smells already, and this would not be fair for them. So I must be sensible.