Day 23 - 30-Day Declutter Challenge . . .

I set these posts up back at the end of November, and they are prompting me to continue blogging this month  :-)  The decluttering suggestions for today are: 

• Get rid of extra bags and accessories
• Garage, Part 2: Go through and toss any items you no longer need or will use 

I took care of the bags/accessories already and, as mentioned yesterday, clearing out the garage in December in Chicagoland is not on  :-D 

Before I get to today, I'm going to back up to yesterday.  I have been writing postcards to help get out the vote in the Senate elections in Georgia.  I only asked for 100 this time as I figured I could do that easily.  They moved up the mailing date due to how things have been going with the Post Office since the Dump administration tried to hamstring it.  Instead of December 26th, today was the first day to mail.  I wanted my cards to go out today, and I still had 40 left to write.  So, yesterday afternoon after I got back from all my errands, I sat down and started pounding them out.  The message was shorter on these than it was on the ones I did for the general election so they went a lot faster.  I had 20 knocked out in no time, and then I decided it was in for a penny in for a pound, and I finished them all.  

It was dark by the time I finished, and I decided I would put them in the mailbox last night so they would get picked up for a postmark today.  I drove over to the mailbox, which is actually very close, but it was dark out.  And then I decided to take a non-essential drive and see some of the Christmas lights in my village and in the next village north of me.  There are more this year than usual - probably because people have been home and we haven't had any appreciable snow yet.  Wow!  Some people go all out!  This was the best house - I used to see it from the train on my way home from work!  It's really something, isn't it?

So that brings us to today . . . I got to Zoom with the friend I've had the longest - we've known each other since high school and we usually meet twice a year at Gibson's for steaks and pear blossom martinis.  Of course we haven't been able to do that at all this year . . .  :-S  It was great to catch up with her.  And this evening I joined in on a Zoom call from church - the last Advent devotion.  It was a small group, but I enjoyed it.   In between, I got a walk in.  It wasn't all that cold today - but man, was it windy!!

Amaryllis #1

And amaryllis #2.  I feel like that old ad for Target with the lady standing at the door with her hands on the glass saying, "Open, open, open."   :-D  :-D

The scripture for the devotional this evening was Isaiah 9:6.  We were asked what it brought up for us, and for me it was that I couldn't sing it anymore.  A sad memory, actually.  I sang this oratorio so many times, and now that my vocal cords don't work right any longer, I'm saddened to remember how I loved to sing this type of choral music now that I no longer have that ability . . .  And yet, it's so beautiful and now is the time of year to hear it.   I hope it brings you joy  :-)