It’s Missouri: if you don’t like the weather, wait a minute. It will change.

Take today, for example. This morning when I got up, the temperature was in the upper 50’s and there was some evidence that it had rained during the night. By 11:00, it was in the 60’s. We were all outside in jeans and t shirts. Ed worked on the fence, and thinks he has it ready for Meeko’s return next week. It was a truly beautiful morning, and a rare treat for December.

By the time Ed and James left for work about 1:30, the wind had picked up and the temperature was starting to drop. By 5:00 it was 38 degrees with a “feels like” temperature of 28. The wind has died down somewhat now, so it doesn’t feel quite so cold, but 37 is still quite a shock after 60.

Meeko is definitely feeling better. He has a lot more energy than he did a week ago. You wouldn’t believe how quick he is on three legs. He and Loki are playing a little, but Meeko still loses patience with him.

Now for an update on the chicken front. Since we got our five baby chicks last summer, and three of them met an untimely demise, we have wondered whether the two remaining chicks were male or female. Of course, we were hoping for one of each.

Since he is older, Sunrise let us know quite a while ago that he is a rooster. If his magnificent comb wasn’t a dead give away, the crowing that started about a month ago clinched it. You know, roosters don’t start out with a full blown crow. It was pitiful really, but now he has found his voice even if he doesn’t have any sense of time. Who said that roosters only crow in the morning anyway?

So, we were hoping that Moonrise was a hen, but as she got older I began to have my doubts. We looked at pictures of Icelandic hens to compare them with Moonrise, and while the hens do have a top knot of sorts, I didn’t see any with what was beginning to look like a comb, even if it is a funky looking one.

In the meanwhile, Sunrise had begun to chase Moonrise around the pen. Ed thought he was feeling amorous, and Moonrise just wasn’t having any of it.

The other morning, Ed and I went out to get Libby. Ed went to the garage to get some dog food and had just stepped back into the doorway when we both heard it. Two crows! Our eyes met and we both said “They’re both roosters!”

So, no, I don’t think Sunrise was feeling amorous at all; I think he was telling the younger rooster who’s boss. I don’t think Moonrise is having any of that either. Since we told Kat early on that these first chickens were hers, Ed told her that we could either trade one of them for some hens, or separate them and get hens for both of them. Of course, she chose the latter option. I don’t know how well that is going to work. It will however, mean more fence building for Ed.

Christmas really sneaked up on me this year, but it’s all good. We got the house decorated. I talked Ed into letting me get a fake tree. Since the dogs are in the house, the cats have been camping out in Kat’s room; so the tree has fared pretty well.

Bookworm has decided that she is Queen Cat of the Christmas village though.

Kat and I made candy and cookies and she and I went to Independence for a gathering of my great grandmother’s family Saturday night. On Sunday evening, we all attended the Christmas program at our church. I love watching the little kids. You never know what they are going to do! It was kind of nice to just be able to sit back and enjoy it.

Christmas Eve is always low key. Since Ed and James are both off, we will have family game night, and end the evening with the reading the Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke. It’s a tradition I started when my kids were small, because I wanted them to always remember what Christmas is really all about. It’s about Jesus.

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.  (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)  And everyone went to their own town to register.
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.  He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.  While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,  and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.  When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,  and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.  But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

Luke 2: 1-19

Ed and I want to wish every one of you a blessed Christmas.

Connie