My Simple Christmas Decor

I hope everybody had a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with fun, family. & blessings.  Ours was pretty good, even though we celebrated a little differently this year.  So many family members were sick and couldn’t be around Daddy, so only a few of us were able to get together.   Daddy cannot be around anyone who is sick, especially with breathing ailments.   But he got a lot of phone calls and cards and we made the best of it.  I’m very thankful that nobody in our house was sick at the time, so we were able to spend part of the day with him.

Anyway, I did manage to get some Christmas decorating done over the weekend.  I decorated, took it all down, decorated again and then took it down again.  It took me awhile to figure out what I wanted.  I finally settled on a few simple things & I think this will work best for us, for now.  I may go back later and add or subtract something, but for now, this is enough.

I have read several blogs talking about the number of trees they have decorated.  I used to have at least 4 or 5 up in different parts of the house.  This year, we will only have one in the living/family room and maybe a tiny one in the kitchen with my vintage cookie cutters on it.  I am still debating on whether to do that one or not. 

I love having a lot of trees, but I just do not have the energy to do it all this year.   So I will enjoy seeing all the trees in blogland and the trees of friends & family. 

I am still trying to get the Christmas shopping done.  Any other time, I would have been completely finished by October!   But with so many lawyer fees and expenses that we normally don’t have, things are “tight” to say the least.  We are just doing the best we can and focusing on the true meaning of Christmas.

God’s precious gift of Jesus is all anybody ever really needs.  But Santa is also welcome in our home.  Some people might consider this a contradiction of our faith, but I truly believe as long as the real meaning of Christmas is not lost, then its okay. Considering what so many children go through in life, I think they deserve to have this special happy time. 

Without further ado…….here are some photos of my simple Christmas decor.

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Well, thats it for this post.  I will continue visiting all of you as time permits. 

Have a blessed week!

 

A Time To Be Thankful

Can you believe Thanksgiving is almost here? Where has this year gone? The weather is much cooler and enjoyable, and some of us are having freezing weather already. The nights are longer and our hectic lives are finally slowing down to a tolerable pace....for now!

 
But we all know what looms ahead of us! Thanksgiving! And then Christmas! I have always felt that Thanksgiving was a part of Christmas, like the opening act at a concert. It is one of my favorite holidays. And a happy reminder to be thankful for the many blessings we have.

Sadly, for some, this is the only time they are reminded to be thankful. Their eyes have not yet seen God working in their lives. And for this reason, this time of the year can also trigger deep depression and anxiety. And for others, their stress and expectations are so great, that when the holidays finally get here, they feel a big let down.  

Even Christians can go through sadness & depression, as I have been experiencing for awhile now.  I actually wrote most of this post in a monthly newsletter that I used to write for Creative Home Keepers ( a couple of years ago).   My, how things have changed!  So I’m adding this part in, because God has taught me many more lessons since then!  

The single most important thing He has taught me is……..even in the midst of sorrow, anger, loss, fear, grief, anxiety, depression or whatever has scarred your heart, be still and know that He is God.  No matter what, He is there, loving us, and providing for us and blessing us.  Even when we are blinded by the chaos around us, He is there and will never leave us.   Sometimes He calms the storms around us, and sometimes He calms the child as He lets the storm rage on.   He’s got your back!  Always!

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I should have posted this list of helpful tips a bit earlier, but they are still good tips for Christmas & other holidays too.  Hopefully they will help to alleviate some of the holiday stress:

~Make a plan.

~Do as much as you can, ahead of time.

~Don't take on more than you have time to accomplish.

~Get the family involved and let them help!

~Lower your expectations of a "perfect" holiday and enjoy the good food and company!

~Remember what Thanksgiving  & Christmas is really all about.

I hope each of you have the most wonderful & Happy Thanksgiving!

May you have peace in your heart, loved ones around your table, and more blessings than you can count!

Finding a Little Happiness

Hey bloggy friends!  Just wanted to pop in and let you all know that I’m still here.   Still a lot going on and most of it is not pleasant, but I’m hanging in there and dealing with it the best I can.

I took some time yesterday to do some Christmas decorating.  Not at home yet, but here on my blog.   The photo in my header and above are a couple of years old.   But I enjoyed doing this little bit and look forward to doing the real thing right after Thanksgiving.  Maybe I will have time to make a more current header once I finally get to decorate for real.

Did you notice the falling snow?  I love snow and hope we get some this winter.  Snow makes me happy, so why not indulge a bit early, even if only on my blog?

I am getting back into the swing of things here at home.   I still have difficult moments, but I try to work through them.   I try not to dwell on unhappy things.

In the meantime, I am making plans for the holidays, doing some Christmas shopping, working on the menus, and enjoying our granddaughter every chance we get.    We plan to do a lot of holiday crafts with her, bake cookies & watch some of the holiday classics on tv, etc.  

We are also trying to arrange a night that all of us can get together and take Daddy to see the Christmas lights.   When we were growing up, Daddy always took us to see them.  Now it’s our turn to take him.  He can no longer see well enough at night to drive.  

Its so nice to have happy things to focus on, even if they are small things.   So that is my wish for you……..that your lives are filled with many happy things.

Until next time, take care!

Simplifying Life

Hey bloggy friends!   It’s raining cats & dogs here, thanks to hurricane Ida.   We can always use the rain, but 4-6 inches at once is a bit much for most people.  But I really  love rainy days like this.  

I have been on a quest to try to simplify my life a bit.  I have always tried to live a simple life, but somewhere along the way I picked up some extra baggage.  Now I need to dispose of it and try to make a fresh start.  It’s time to get back to the basics and not let other things creep back in to take up my time.

I have been doing better at not being on the computer so much.   I do enjoy being online and there is always something fun & interesting to do.  But that can also keep me from doing things I should be doing, if I’m not careful.  

I am my own keeper, and its time for me to make some changes.   With so much going in my life that I cannot control, its time to take advantage of what I CAN control. 

I want to keep my focus on my family, friends & home, and also work on my relationship with the Lord.   Every aspect of our lives has suffered due to things beyond our control.  I want to try to make it  less noticeable in our daily living.   The Serenity Prayer comes to mind and I am trying to remind myself of it every day. 

One change will be less time spent worrying, and more praying.  I am a natural worrier, but I want to try to stop doing this so much.  I know it’s not healthy.  

Another thing is de-cluttering.   I know i have too much stuff in this house.  I have reached the point of suffocation with it!   That’s not a good thing.   So I will be disposing of some possessions.   Things are just that, things.  I need more peace in my life, not more things!

I may have an online yard sale soon, if time permits.  So stay tuned for that.  Maybe some of my things will work for someone else. 

I will no longer be visiting some online forums where I have spent countless hours in past.   I have enjoyed it, but I really do not have time to do those things anymore.  They are awesome sites, but I feel the need to step away from them at this time.

I am also going to let my magazine subscriptions run out and not renew them.  As much as I enjoy them, I get a lot more from visiting my online friends & blog friends, and a more realistic view of how things can be done.   And that alone will save some money for my family, so its a plus!

I am trying to cook more healthy  meals for my family.  I’m spending more time reading my Bible and other literature and less time watching tv.    I’m making a conscious effort to get a little more exercise, even if it means just walking in the yard.   I am purposely avoiding the thrift stores, because I do not need anything.   And I am consciously trying to save money whenever and wherever possible.  

I want to stop letting worry and sadness fill my daily life.   Our family has had a lot to be sad about, and our lives have been dramatically & irreversibly altered by the actions of others.   But there has to be a way to find peace and heal so we can put the pain & sadness behind us and learn to be happy again.

I think the first step in doing this is to realize that even in the midst of this turmoil, we can still stop and count our blessings, as I mentioned in my last post.  

So I am reverting  back to the simple things in life and hope to help my family overcome some of the hard stuff.  

If you have any other ideas to help simplify, please share them.   There is an old saying that says,   “ ‘Tis a gift to be simple.”     That’s how I want to live from now on.  

Have a great day and be blessed!

Counting my Blessings

Hey bloggy friends!  Just checking in.  I have been playing around with my blog page and trying to make it better.  I wish I knew more about codes & such, to make it look professional.  (In case I never mentioned it before, I am such a perfectionist.   I don’t view others with a critical eye, but I definitely  view myself that way!   Why are we sometimes so hard on ourselves?)  

Anyway, just wanted you all to know that we are doing alright.  Life is not perfect and it may never be again, but we are hanging in there and making an effort to count our blessings along the way.   Sometimes its hard to stay positive, but if we work at it, it really helps.  We have a lot to be thankful for everyday.   And sometimes its the tiniest, most uneventful things that make all the difference.

1.  I am thankful for an awesome, loving & forgiving Father God.

2.  I am thankful for my family, ALL of them!   And I am especially thankful for the time we have left with Daddy, and the time we can spend with our daughter & granddaughter.

3.  I am thankful for our health, happiness & security.

4.  I am thankful for our friends & I count you all among them!

5.  I am thankful for our home.

6.  I am thankful that hubby has a good job.

7.  I am thankful for the wonderful Fall weather we are having & the beauty of our surroundings.

8.  I am thankful for busy hands, and a daily routine.

9.  I am thankful for music.  I can’t go a day without hearing beautiful Christian music.

10.  And I am so very thankful for normal days!  May there be many, many more to come.

This is just a drop in the bucket, but it feels good to think about these blessings and count them out loud.   I have been trying to do this everyday to help me focus on the positive.

Now I need to try to do some blog visiting.  If I haven’t visited you lately, I hope to get there soon. 

I hope you all have a great week!