The other day I finished stockings for Aubrey Faith and Gianna.







This is Aubrey's Christmas quilt. Still needs a label on the back, but I'm making a stack of handwork for later. Today I'll machine quilt Gianna's and finish it up. I'm amazed at how easily things are going together and getting checked off my to-do list. I think just getting away from my job for a couple of weeks and clearing my head is helping.


Yesterday I took some time to go to Natalie's Christmas program at her school. Julie and Travis live in a small farming community just over the state line from us. As we left the school after the program, Julie and I laughed because the scent of cow manure is in the air even in the town!

And I love where they live. These are hard-working people in this tiny community with a firm hold on good values and Christian faith. The program was for grades K through four, and each class sang one song celebrating Christ's birth and one secular song. How different from the couple of miles over the hill where we live. There was a live nativity in our town over the weekend, and someone has complained which has brought out the separation of church and state statement and yadda yadda.

Do you see something in this picture? Yes, there are Amish children in Natie's class. There is an Amish school in their community, but some of the families send their children to the public school for kindergarten and first grade. There were even two fellows in the fourth grade. Such a great little place!