Looks like I have a lot of catching up to do!  Here is how I spent the month of December(one week at a time!)

So I decided to catch another cold. Looks like I need to have one a month. I had one over my birthday weekend and now in December. Not good timing. I completely lost my voice which makes it a bit difficult to sing with the Girl Scout choir. But I went to the scheduled performances anyway. My first Christmas performance this weekend was Saturday morning downtown in the Baltimore Harbor at the German Christmas Village. They set up a big tent with a stage, lots of shops and food booths, and of course, Santa Claus. Just like they do in Germany. Our GS choir sang for an hour on stage and then I had time for some quick shopping. I love to walk through the German Christmas ornament tent and of course pick up a few items. I also picked up a small Ukrainian gift for Scott for his Interviewee. He is busy working on a project for his World History class due right before Christmas break. The class was assigned to interview someone with a significant experience in a historical event. Not as easy as it sounds, and it doesn't sound easy. After much discussion, I finally convinced Scott to interview our Music school teacher. She fled Ukraine when she was 26 because of political issues. She was being hounded by the KGB as she belonged to a Catholic Youth group supporting Ukrainian culture and traditions. Apparently Russia is not too fond of Catholics. She was trained in piano and worked at a school in Ukraine, but her family convinced her to move to the US. She settled in Iowa and did not speak english although she was able to get a job at a local University teaching music(with her broken arm that she got while bike riding in Ukraine). She joined family members here in Ellicott City and opened her own music school in Olde Town. Now she owns 2 music schools with an extensive staff where Allison had her piano lessons and Scott learned guitar. So Scott has a terrific video that he put together with her phone interview in the background. She did not want to be videotaped. He finished with the background history of the issues between Ukraine and Russia, covering  Reagan and Gorbachev, added in her experiences and finished with  the current status of the country(not great). The class has to present their findings to the entire school early next year. So I picked up a hand painted wooden bell from a Ukraine vendor as a Thank You gift(and of course the vendor knew her).

I did not have much time to spend touring the harbor after our concert. Plus it was very crowded there that day. The Army Navy Football game was going on and President Elect Trump was in town to take in the game. So was ESPN covering the event. They had a stage and tent set up next to the Christmas village, so parking and walking was a bit crazy. Plus lots of military people attending the game at our Ravens stadium and walking around the harbor. Turns out Army won which they haven't done for 14 years. Glad I was gone before the end of the game. I had to get back home to pick up my mom and Tom and head to the US Army Field Jazz Band concert at a local high school. I usually try to pick up free tickets when the group comes to town, which is usually every Christmas. The group puts on an amazing holiday concert here at our local high school for no charge. It is packed and fills up every year. They also invite the school band to play one or two songs with them. Two years ago we caught the Army Field band at the Meyerhoff Theater and they played a completely different concert which was also incredible. And sadly not as many people attending. I would have liked to attend this year, but my schedule was just too busy. After the local concert on Saturday, it was time to head over to our neighbors for a Christmas party! Mom helped me fill some cannolis for dessert and walked over to Dan and Gloria's for a dinner Christmas party. Wonderful food and had a great time chatting to all the neighbors. However, by this time I was sounding pretty bad and had a hard time with my horrible cold so not as much chatting. And the kids that attended were not too happy since I did not prepare a Holiday Trivia game. Looks like I will have to plan ahead for New Years!

By Sunday I  had completely lost my voice. But I still went to the scheduled concert with Mom.  I had already picked up tickets for the Band O Railroad Museum in downtown Baltimore. Our Girl Scout choir has been singing at this venue for the past several years and it is always an enjoyable experience. Plus the acoustics in the Round House are amazing. So we sound pretty good. Mom and I arrived on time, but there was an Inner City Baltimore Dance group that was still performing past their time. So we sat and enjoyed their performance before we got up and sang. So we did not have much time to tour the museum or visit with Santa and take a train ride since the museum closes pretty early and right after our performance. My performance was pretty limited since I could not sing at all. I mostly mouthed the words and jingled my bells! And looked cute in my elf hat. Mom sat and enjoyed the concert on her camp chair that I brought along.

I also stayed busy during the week. I took Mom to a dentist appointment and attended a Community meeting which was discussing the new housing development that has been proposed on some farmland bordering our neighborhood. The county architects were not crazy about the layout and how many structures they plan on building on the land including single family homes, townhouses and condos. Besides discussing our community, they were also discussing rebuilding the shopping complex next to mom's assisted living facility. The committee did not like that project either. They said all the new buildings don't fit in with the current buildings, like Mom's building. Her place has a Victorian look and they want to build a very modern apt complex with shopping and restaurants next door. Not a good fit. Now we have to wait and see if the projects are revamped.