Sunday Salon, late edition, December 11th

The Grinch is stealing my daughter and son-in-law's Christmas lights right off their house! (Cute decoration.)

Weather: cold and drizzling. We were up in a little community in the mountains and it was snowing there.

Still, Still, Still: Once a year our church choir visits a small community Presbyterian church in Mineral, Washington. It is a resort community in the foothills of Mt. Rainier. Today as the choir rehearsed the song Still, Still, Still it began to snow outside. There was already snow on the ground from a previous weather system. It was a very Currier and Ives moment. The whole atmosphere was still and beautiful.

Hello Basti: Yesterday we drove to Portland to meet Basti, our niece's new husband. Basti and Samantha were married in Germany so this is the first time we have met him. The family gathered in a fellowship hall of church and we all enjoyed being together and meeting the newest member of our family.

We raced back up the freeway: Leaving Basti and Samantha's party we turned right around and raced back up the freeway to attend the National Guard Christmas party at the General's house. We got trapped in pretty terrible traffic in Portland so had plenty of time to listen to Xmas music on Sirius Radio. I am on the lookout for Christmas songs I've never heard before and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy's Last Night I Went Out (With Santa Claus) filled that bill.

Snow event and flat tire: We had a bit of snow on Thursday evening so our school district called school to start two-hours late on Friday. As I drove to school in the light on Friday morning I saw a car being driven with a flat tire. I thought about the idiot who would do that. Well, Karma is a beast. It became obvious by the time I drove home and got to our neighborhood that I, too, was driving on a flat tire. Ugh. I'm the same idiot.

Books completed this week:

• When the Moon was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore---a YA selection that I reading AND listening to. Magical Realism. I'm a big fan.
• The Twelve Days of Dash and Lily by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan---a second book in a series. I liked the first book much better than this one.
• Snow White: a graphic novel by Matt Phean---a quick read; a retelling of the Snow White story, this one set during the 1920s in New York. Compelling.

Currently reading:

• My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, et al---a very humorous retelling of the Lady Jane Gray story. At points it is very silly but I am enjoying it.

This coming week: Weather report is for cold temperatures; it is dress-up week at school; I get my hair recolored on Tuesday; Book Club on Wednesday (we are discussing Girl at War); and CARLY GETS HOME on Friday!