It was a wild and windy night!

A front is moving through central Arkansas and the wind is blowing very hard. I don't like wind, I never have and tonight it is really strong. Fortunately, Mozart will mask almost any kind of noise, except mortar fire. I discovered that in a couple of my assignments, but tonight it is Mozart's wind music just to keep with the theme.

Bella has been overactive tonight. She knocked over and broke a lamp, fortunately one that I got at an estate sale several years ago and have never really liked, but it lighted a dark bit of the room and will have to be replaced. She was trying to climb the shade and of course she pulled it over. It scared her enough that she is still circling the shade that I just put on the floor.

I finished the first week as bookstore manager and it was very interesting. The part I really enjoy, selling things, went well. I had one gentleman is late on Friday asking for help in picking out gifts for his daughter and wife. I asked him a little about them, and then suggested a heavy silver St. Francis pendant on a chain for his daughter. He took that, then I suggested an enameled cross for his wife and he took that. He then said he guessed he had better get something for his son-in-law, who is a deacon in his church, not Episcopalian but some unidentified "other" church. I suggested a small pocket datebook called the Christian pocket calendar. I showed him the pages that have holidays and feasts days and saints day indicated and gives the proper color for the day, etc. He decided that being exposed to some of those things wouldn't hurt the young man so he bought it.

It was a little funny, he took every suggestion, I just hope his wife and daughter like the items. I know his wife slightly and I think the enamel cross will be acceptable but as for the other things, who knows.

The other part of the job, trying to get the financial records in order, is less fun but extremely challenging. We spent two days trying to get the November bank statement to balance, and finally resorted to what I call "creative bookkeeping." I hope December will work out better since I have been doing the record keeping most of this month.

I went to a party Thursday night. Larry Benfield our Rector and now the Bishop of Arkansas had a party at his house for Christ Church staff and the Diocese staff. It was the best kind of party, one where I knew most of the people and didn't have to make a great effort to circulate and introduce myself to strangers. The food and wine were good, and it was over early, and I didn't have to drive. We went from the church in someone else's car and then went back to the church to pick up our own cars.

I baked this afternoon for Christmas. I had a brownie mix that I thought I would use and the directions said it could be made into cupcakes which I thought would be nicer. It took longer than the package said to get a toothpick to come out clean and it turned out after they cooled that I had chocolate stones. I would have built a retaining wall out of them that would have withstood the elements into eternity. So into the garbate they went and I did what I should have in the first place, I made chocolate cupcakes from scratch. I sampled on a little while ago and they are excellent. I froze them and will thaw them Monday night and put creamcheese frosting on them Christmas morning and colored sugar sprinkles. I also have pecan bars and lemon cookies, and that is my contribution to Christmas dinner at June's.

The wind seems to be dying down a little so I am going to try to read my book for a while. I have to get up early tomorrow, I don't have a Sunday volunteer for the bookstore so will go in to open it between services.