...B.C. strikes again

I continue to see amazing blessings all around me...
God answering prayers, uplifting His servants, blessing their efforts...
so of course, B.C.[basement cat] feels the need to impose himself on my life...
trying to bring me down, 'cause you know he just hates to see me smiling...

and he is really, insidiously sneaky...

he tries to pile up the usual holiday blues with my financial situation...
a deadly combination that can get to the most optimistic of souls...
my assorted aches & pains, not to mention being a bit tired & stressed...
with yet more painful reminders of just how badly I've screwed things up...

&, there it is, depression... lurking on the horizon...

but I'm NOT giving in to self-pity...

I may be broke, but God has promised to provide for me...
I have NO idea how... but He's promised...
I have to deal with the consequences of all my stupidity...
I hope to become a better person, but that takes time...

I've earned the uncomfortable place that I occupy...
as it were, "a sentence that I must serve"...

this is not a pity party, just the facts...

so, B.C.... you & your minions can go straight back to where you came from...
I don't want to play your self-centered games anymore...
if I "go down", I will not take anyone else down with me...

may all that I must bear, be for the glory of God...
and any blessings gained by bearing it...
be used to bless those who I have hurt...
or antagonized by my self-centered behavior...

God is good, all the time...
and He will deliver me from poverty, fear & loneliness...

...anti spam zone

I never considered my blog an art form...
though I may have had a few moments here & there...
and have enjoyed the dialog with readers through the comments...

I seem to have entered a period of little or no comments...
which happens and doesn't bother me...
but lately, there's been a disturbing trend of spam comments...
wanting me to buy something... or at the least, buy into something...

so my answer is to delete the spam comments...



perhaps I may have something to say again someday...
worth leaving a real comment...

as for you spammers...
please keep your get rich schemes...
and get out of debt scams...
to yourself...

...food for the soul, as well as the throat

our big dress rehearsal for Lessons & Carols is Saturday...
a 4 hour time-frame, but not constant singing...
[I know better than to ask singers to do that...]
this will be our only rehearsal with everybody there...
but they sound good, so I'm not worried...

after many years, of many different types of l-o-n-g rehearsals...
I've come to realize the benefits of the "singer-friendly" rehearsal...

ie,setting aside a slightly longer block of time...
not expecting the choir to stand for the entire rehearsal...
[having chairs, water & cough drops, as well as a warm church, really helps too...]
making sure that everyone knows the start & stop times...
and schedule at least one big break, with a couple of shorter ones...

which brings me to my point today...

for our break[s] on Saturday, we will have in the toasty, warm kitchen...



at least one of these with hot water...



an assortment of teas...



honey & fresh lemon [good for a scratchy throat...]



and real half & half, for those who want to coat their throat with the "good stuff"...
[there will also be the other usual condiments...]



some of this for the "die-hards"
[as well as the hot spiced apple juice mix...]



and this, for those who,"need" chocolate...

BUT WAIT, THERE"S MORE !!!



I'm going to make some of these...



some of these...



and these...



and if they're lucky, these...

[from scratch shortbread, dipped in dark chocolate w/orange...]

so I better get busy...

...worth the wait

since sometime in mid-August...
a car very much like this one...
[the license plates almost have the same numbers]
has been perched in front of my house...
about 4-5 feet from my driveway...

normally not an issue, but my neighbor across the street...
has several vehicles and one is parked behind the white Chevy...
snugged-up so as not to inconvenience my neighbors to the north...
as we all have 3 garbage cans[garbage, recycle & green waste]
and they are emptied by machine...& when we put them out on trash day...
there needs to be 3 ft on either side of each can [for the machine]...

what this has meant to me is that the 2 parking spaces in front of my house...
have been fully occupied for nearly 4 months...
leaving me NO room for all 3 cans...

just putting out my garbage has become a problem...
since to avoid hitting the white car...
the machine places the empty can, in my driveway entrance...

blocking my access & causing me to have to get out of my car...
leaving it in the street, move the can out of the way...
play chicken with traffic that has backed-up...
[very narrow streets] just to get back into my car...
so that I can enter & park in my own driveway...

my neighbor across the street who owns the "back" vehicle...
will move it if I ask him [he has 5 vehicles, so parking is a premium...]
and last summer, someone, NOT me or UnklePhil...
or the other long-time resident who has a couple of cars himself...
called the cops and 3 of J's vehicles were towed...

so you can imagine that I didn't want to report the white Chevy...
if it might cause the cops to tow J's vehicles again...

quite a lot of cobwebs had trapped a bunch of leaves under it...
but our recent wet & windy storms had cleaned things up a bit...
and I need to do some clean-up which means that I need to put out all 3 cans...
and there is NO place for me to put them...

so today, as I was leaving, I saw UnklePhil out raking leaves...
as we chatted about him borrowing my green waste can this week...
I asked if he had any idea who the white Chevy belonged to...
he said that it might be stolen or even abandoned...
something that had NOT occurred to me...

he sleuthed about the car and we discovered that the registration was expired...
there was some paperwork on the front seat, but not for this car...
I was writing all this down, so I could call the cops...
when suddenly, UnklePhil jumped out into the street, waving his arms...

it was a traffic cop, in one of those golf carts on steroids...
we explained the situation and he got out of his "chariot"...
and started writing a ticket, which he left under the windshield wipers...
he said that he'd check back the next day & if it hadn't moved...
it would be gone by Friday...[trash day is Thursday...]

after he left, I looked at UnklePhil, who's lived there longer than I...
and said," In the 21 years I've lived here, I have NEVER seen a traffic cop...
driving his little cart down this street..."
UnklePhil didn't remember ever seeing one before, either...

it may seem like a small thing, but that car, sitting in my way...
for over 4 months, had been vexing me...
so to see such a sudden and clear solution...
is a blessing to me...
especially, as God had just reiterated His promise...
to provide all my needs...

after the Bible study & Mass, Square Peg helped me figure out...
how to copy & paste the "graphic" business card I designed...
I made 8 which are quite different from the traditional ones...
these are like the "Catsinger" ones I posted a couple of days ago...

so I'm sitting here writing this post...
and FrToolbelt comes in & asks me to cook a dinner & a breakfast...
for about 14 people in a group he belongs to...
in January at the church...

with a budget, menu suggestions & everything...
which is good since right now, I can't afford to buy any of the things I like to make...

Deacon Hugh DID say that I should be "cooking for people"...
perhaps I should investigate making business cards...
for "Catsinger Catering"...comfort food, our specialty...
[lasagna, mac'n cheese, lentil soup, chicken fricassé]

rats, now I'm hungry...

but God is good, even when I'm not sure what's going on...
or what happens next...

...blessings abound

God's been making it very clear to me lately...
that He will bless my efforts of obedience to His will...
and will provide all of my needs...

but that I must pay out everything, holding nothing back...
if I am to receive all His blessings...
that includes trusting Him completely...
and dying to my old self...

Saturday, I had breakfast with my FFer buddies...
[former colleagues in teaching"]

I told them that God had been blessing me lately...
and as I cataloged all the blessings, big & small...
they were just blown away by the goodness of God...
and so am I...

whether it's seeing His "perfect timing" in the lives of friends...
or getting a big refund check in the mail[$703.86, baby...]
just as I had set-up a couple of large credit card payments...
[this should get me well into January's utilities & bills]
things are just,"happening"...

so far, so good...

I have prayed for God to put together, "His" choir for Lessons & Carols...
and He has... recently adding some important voices & spirits to the mix...
we sang the difficult, "Herself, a Rose", yesterday...
with only part of the group AND a cappella, to boot... and did very well...

we have a short rehearsal tonight, then the dress on Saturday...
I'm confident that it will go very well...
this music just blesses me so much...
I'm praying that it will likewise bless all the musicians...
as well as the congregation...

our Renaissance group's concert on Dec. 22, 2 days after L&C...
should also go well... the group has a lovely sound...
and the audience should enjoy it...

BTW... I have been relieved to learn...
that we don't wear make-up [thanks for the info., MM...]
it's not that I hate the idea of it...
if it's part of the costume, you wear it...

my concern was that I never wear it anymore...
so I don't own any...
and really didn't want to have to buy some...

I have also been informed that a comment could not be left for a post...
things seem OK here... at least according to Sitemeter...
I haven't done anything restrictive on this end...
if anyone else has a problem with a comment not going through...
try to let me know, if possible...

things here will be kind of busy for the next couple of weeks...
[at least, compared to my usual routine where I have LOTS of time...]
though I have come to discover that God will "make time"...
for anything that He wants me to do...

I'm going with Trumpetman on 12/17 to check out the church...
for the Ren. group dress rehearsal on 12/21, and the concert on 12/22...
we also have a rehearsal on 12/15...the last one at "chez Greenthumb"...
then on Dec.18, I'm "receiving" some Mudville Chorale music...
for storage at the church...

there are Lessons & Carols rehearsals, tonight, the dress on 12/19...
& the service on 12/20...
I also have an open house to attend the afternoon of 12/19...
north of Arhnoldtown...

of course, Christmas Eve has 2 services...
a 5:30 PM, with me leading carols at 5...
and 10:30 PM, carols at 10...
trumpet & choir, etc...

I have no plans for Christmas Day...
I'm sure that God will put me where He wants me...
as well as where He wants me to be at all other times...

after all, He is good, all the time...

...it's coming, it's coming

our Renaissance singing group is giving a concert...
Tuesday night, Dec. 22 at 7:30 PM...
at a church quite near my house in Mudville...
and we've been rehearsing diligently...

Trumpetman is our tenor & recorder player extraordinaire...
he keeps our rehearsals, uhhh, "relaxed"...
[especially if you enjoy extemporaneous musical clichés on recorder...]
I nearly hurt myself, "relaxing" Tuesday night...

he & I spent a LOT of time playing trumpet together, eons ago...
& we were hoping to play a couple of fanfares on natural trumpet...
to begin each half of the festivities...

but, alas, we have yet to score a trumpet for Trumpetman...
so I may have to play, solo...

we process in while singing,"O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"...
[I'm borrowing a couple of handbells from the church to assist us...
much more "period" than "boomwhackers"or "choirchimes"...]

the program includes a number of 3, 4 & 5 part songs...
some are church music, some are madrigals...
all of them are very enjoyable to sing & to listen to...

I especially love the Byrd motet,"O Magnum Mysterium"...
the quartet blend is sublime...[I get to listen]
& MizMinka's low lines are exquisite velvet...

other notables include a lovely solo rendition of "Sir Christamas"...
by Silversop, as she plays the guitar[we don't have a lutenist...]
with Trumpetman & his trusty recorder, obbligato-ing along...

there is a haunting Medieval trio of lower voices...
featuring MizMinka, Trumpetman & Bassodude...

a shimmering "Ave Maria" featuring Silversop, MM...
et moi, Catsinger...

a lively set of 2 selections from the 1608 work, Il Festino...
the first, a trio of Silversop, MM & Bassodude setting the stage...
then the "Madrigal of the Animals" sung by all 5 of us...

after the opening fa-la-la refrain...
Bassodude sings a "faux bass" nonsense line...
while Silversop "lives" the "cuckoo"part...
MM questions everyone [she's the owl...]
Trumpetman barks at us [he's the dog...]

and yours truly...? I'm the cat...!
[talk about your type-casting...]
but after all,...I am the Catsinger...
[you knew it was coming...]

you might think that all this frivolity is, "un-toppable"...
but you'd be wrong...
since we're also doing"P.D.Q.Bach's"...
"My Bonnie Lass, She Smelleth"...
[making the flowers, jealouth...]

so it will be a fun concert...
and to make it even MORE fun...
we wear period costumes...
and this is my "maiden voyage"...

in my dress...

[if you know me, you also know that this...
is the only dress I've owned for many years...]



mine is slate blue[they call it,"woad blue"...]
it was the only one that I could find in my size at the time...
I purchased a chemise to wear under it...
[I had to, what you see in the picture that's green...
is the dress, the white part is chemise...]

my chemise is not as nice as the one pictured...
the skirt & sleeves are too long...
[it's actually too big all over, but I have no way to fix it...]
the dress is actually a bit too big too...
[and about 3 inches too long...
but that just means that I can wear comfortable shoes...]

it has the cinching laces in front AND back...
so I can adjust it somewhat...

I need to eventually get a nicer[aka warmer...]chemise...
it's a bit "drafty" topside...
of course, if I looked like the girl in the picture...
I wouldn't care, nor would anyone else...

and since I have "un-period" length hair...
and couldn't afford a wig...



I have a "Goodwife's" hat...
which, of course, is tight...

we will have a dressing area at the church...
which is good since though I live less than a mile away...
there's NO way I could manage to drive myself there...
wearing that skirt...

I'm just glad I bought this costume last year, when I had the money...

so now, I should be all set...
even if the costume's a bit large...
wait...oh no...
I never asked if I have to wear make-up too...
we are, after all, "on stage"...

ARGH...

I knew that I was having way too much fun...
throwing out all that old make-up 2 summers ago...

hummm...

I could use pomegranate juice to stain my lips...

oh well, I'll just be the ugly step-sistah...
[hee hee...]
and NO, there will NOT be pictures of me in "my dress"...
on this blog anyway [sigh]...
at least none that don't, "protect the guilty"...

...a busy Friday

my Friday started earlier than usual...

I'm not sure why I woke up so early...
maybe it was a combination of lots of tea...
at the rehearsal the night before...
or the fact that my Select Comfort bed deflates overnight...
[it will drop 20 points in an hour or so...]
leaving me laying on hard things...
instead of the welcoming softness of the airbag...

just another of the many things at my house that need fixing...
and I don't have the money, so I get by the best I can...

God's been very clear...

I must spend it all out, holding nothing back...
for Him to resupply me as I need to be supplied...
I cannot doubt... I must trust...
I must say that I'm seeing SO many marvelous things lately...
not only for me, but for others who are trusting Him...

so I wait, and trust...

after going to the bank, where I almost lost it...
I was doing so well, trusting...
until one of "basement cat's minions"[in the guise of a nice teller]...
asked, "So, how are you doing with your money ?"

successfully fighting back the urge to snap off a nasty,"bite me"...
I croaked out,"Not too well, I don't have much left & I need a job soon"...
of course he didn't have an answer for that...
so he left me alone to make my escape across the street...

after regaining my composure & returning to the church office...
I went over to the church with S,[our organist] to practice for Sunday...



during Advent, several cantors have been singing Messiah arias...
during Communion instead of the choir singing more music...

and this week, it's my turn...

"Behold, A Virgin Shall Conceive", recitative[aka,sets up the aria...]
and "O Thou, That Tellest Good Tidings to Zion"...[the aria]


if you know something about music...
you see the problem all keyboardists have...
too many notes, not enough fingers...
and S is no different...

so after some misadventures in Handelia...
I suggested some alterations...
leaving out all the "decorative notes"...
and S, now happy as a lark, headed home to edit...
[I advocate "White-out"... if you don't see it, it can't cause trouble...]

then I returned to the church & my computer...
to schedule a large credit card payment...
I had talked to my alarm company yesterday...
and they gave me a credit for a whole quarter...
wiping out a $96 payment due soon...
[being a long-time customer has it's perks...]

I also found out that I can reduce my monitoring fee...
so if I have a job in March[the next payment]...
I'll do that...
in the mean time, I'm changing all my auto-pay accounts...
so that I won't get any nasty surprises...

then, my i-works project for the day...
making a brochure...

after choosing a template...
spending a certain amount of time dealing with my learning curve...
[sigh...] swiping pictures from my blog archives...
editing, trial & error, etc, etc, etc...



this is the front page...
the picture is from the church choral library I reorganized...



this is the "back page"...
[fuzzy on purpose...I'm not publishing my face, name or info...]
with a brief, "chatty" bio, directed towards my librarian training & experience...
the photo is from the church directory...
I have access to another good one of me smiling, but my eyes are closed...



this is the right inside page, listing services...
with pictures of previous de-clutterings...



this is the left interior page...
detailing charges and levels of cataloging...



this is both together...

if you see me regularly, you may be asked for input...

now I have business cards AND a brochure...
for a cataloging/archival/organization service...

now I need customers...

God is good, all the time...