The rains have tried to wash us off the cliff, but so far we are still holding on. E and DY drove around the island on the fire truck today to keep it running smoothly. Trucks of any type do not like to sit idle. While E was there he took a picture of our community amphitheatre. How is that for a puddle?    

When I was young I attended a beautiful old church in Vancouver. My best friend and I were inseparable and that included me tagging along with her and her Mom on Sundays to church. My Mom and Grandma went to a completely different church. I was confirmed in best friends church at aged sixteen. Just before the confirmation service I met with the Minister in the chapel and he christened me. By coincidence the Minister was my absent fathers brother. Christening and confirmation was a process I did on my own with no influence either way from my Mom.. I guess she thought church was a reasonable place for me to spend some time. Money was tight though, so I usually just pretended to put money in the collection plate. Mom had none to spare.

My absolute favorite part of attending church, aside from earning the outside chance of getting into heaven was the hand bells on Christmas Eve. On Christmas Eve there wasn’t an empty seat at old church. The choir in the church was an important part of the weekly service but on Christmas Eve, the hand bell players made their appearance…Their performance was memorable. To this day, I can hear them and appreciate the talent of the players.

The only association I had with my father side of the family was watching his brother the Minister, speaking at the front of the church. He was charming, smart and credible. If he says there was no room at the inn, believe me there was no room at the inn and that babe was out in the barn and his mom was a virgin. No one missed Christmas Eve at that church, it was special.

On one particular Christmas Eve when the bells were finished, you could have heard a pin drop.. There was a deafening silence.. The Minister spontaniously came down from his podium and stood in the middle of the silent congregation and he began to clap.. Clapping was unheard of in this formal church… Everyone soon joined in… It was one of “those moments” in my life..

Tonight I watched the Mormon Tabernacle Choir on the tely.. I am a sucker for the traditional Christmas music… and what a treat when they brought out the hand bells.. It’s the closest I will get to a church, hand bells or a Christmas Eve service.

Other than holding my babies for the first time, that Christmas Eve so many years ago was my first

glimpse of heaven