Tolentreasures

    Friday started with work.   The students were working in watercolor and crayon,  doing a crayon Batik resist project.  It should not have been that messy.   A little Kindergarten boy raises his completely paint covered hands and tells me,  “Mrs. Strate, this is when you know you are having fun!”  I could not agree more. Sometimes you find kindred spirits in small children.   JWS and I then traveled to Hershey, Pa in a  rainstorm of very hard to see roads.    We are at the Hershey Hotel for the CCAP conference.   When JWS got the info, he apologized that it would not  be at the Lodge where we stay for the PSACF Convention,   I assured him that the Hershey Hotel was going to be a  huge treat for me! It has not disappointed!   It is beautiful and relaxing and just what we needed  after a year of campaigning!          Our first stop was Troeg’s Brewery. It is a must stop on every trip to Hershey.  I would go just for the Rosemary Olive Oil popcorn.   

Another tree up this evening,                     I had some amazing little elves helping me.   We decided that Kamden’s strong point was not putting lights on the tree,  so he was sent to the yard to do some winterizing tasks. Kendall ended up with two baby Jesus.    Apparently, she had two complete nativity sets set up as one.  We did a little editing and back to normal.  Jesus was not a twin.        Insomnia set in and I finished aprons  and hemmed a pair of pants for JWS.       

  This happened on Saturday Night.   A modern ballet performed in Armstrong County featuring eleven artists from the county.  I am in the red in the middle.  I seriously dislike being in front of crowds and public speaking.   It was a challenge, but I was honored to be chosen and to sit alongside such amazing talent.  I have been singing, in my head, the song from A Chorus Line,  At the Ballet,  for days.          Back to reality, I am nursing a sore throat and spent much of yesterday resting in my chair and working  on catching up my temperature blanket.   My new years resolution already is to not take on any year long projects next year.  The year before I did a Block of the Month quilt and a sampler afghan.  Too much pressure and seriously over estimating how much time retirement would give me.             Sunday morning was spent decorating this tree in Kittanning Riverfront Park.   I skipped church, too much talking for an already raw throat.