It’s getting very dark here early now, since we’re so far North in latitude, and damp and grey too. We’ll really appreciate it when the days start to get longer again. But it’s Christmastime too, and we’ve enjoyed some new Christmas activities. Advent is made much of here. We’ve been doing daily Bible readings and have Advent candles too, though we often forget to light them. We have a live little Christmas tree in a pot, and lights for our front window which are cheery. We’ve been caroling with St. Ebbe’s church people in St. Ebbe’s Parish downtown. The whole family went along, and we had a good time despite it being cold (40 degrees?), walking from place to place and with Amelia and Lizzie both able to read the words on the songsheets. Ben and Lilli and Faith were good sports despite not being able to sing along. We had mulled wine and little individual mince pies at Helen and Matt’s house afterwards.
Something quite new to us : some of our neighbors organized the German tradition of having us visit a different house each night at 5pm for carol singing and bible story time. Various of us have been to some of these. After the carol, and short story, we share a treat and drink mulled wine or juice.