Been Busy!

Time is flying by!

Here it is December 12th.  Just 13 days until Christmas!

Decorations are up.

Cookies are baked.

Three kinds this year: peanut butter,

molasses,  and

almond shortbread.

I made double batches of each to share with our regular dining couples and to have on hand for family.

Shopping complete and gifts are wrapped.

Cards are made, addressed and most will be in the mail or hand delivered shortly.

My birthday is in 5 days and to celebrate that and Christmas, Dan and I are headed to Maryland's eastern shore for a get away for couple of nights.

Family will arrive on the 26th to celebrate through to the New Year.

Time for a respite from blogging.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you!

Buttons and Bows Tree

I got out the Christmas decorations last week and decorated the apartment for the holiday.

We have a shelf outside our door which I decorate too. 

This year I felt the urge to make something to go on that shelf so did just that.

From Michaels I purchased the tree base and a hot glue gun.  Didn't bring any of the ones I had with me when we moved.

I had a box of buttons 

and ribbon that I tied into bows.

I sorted out the buttons to use,

and glued them to the bows, and then to the tree branches.

Here's the shelf decorated.

Can't claim to have made the doll or pillow but I did make the chalkboard Joy to the World sign years ago, but not as long ago as the wreath on our door.  I made that 44 years ago!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

A Very Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones!

May the next year be full of many blessings for everything you care about.

Countdown to Christmas - 1 Day to Go

Here is the poem my husband wrote to accompany our Christmas cards this year.

A walk on a Sunday around the lake

A spring-like Sunday – two/twenty-eight

A nostalgic talk of days before

In Columbia, home, from ‘74

Until we moved in twenty-oh-three

Naïve to the adventure that was to be

In building a house remote, all alone

And living there ten years and making it home

Plowing the driveway, sawing trees

It was fun (somewhat) but hard to see

How it would work out for the decades to come

With groundhog, deer and borer bee scrum

So four months post Lake Kittamaqundi

We downsized and sold everything sundry 

Including the house and everything in it

Moved back to Columbia in what seemed like a minute

We’re liking it here in a CCRC*

Intellectually, we know it’s the place to be

All that’s left is for feelings to match

For our stomachs, eventually, our brains to catch

Last year gave no clue we’d make this move

Nothing is certain, this seems to prove

So we’ll live the adventure of this new life stage

Who knows what surprises are on the next page?

We hope and wish that your ‘17

Is a time of enjoyment and pleasures keen

Best wishes to you for all the best

For joy and happiness in your daily quests

Consider this my Christmas card to you.

* continuing care retirement community

Countdown to Christmas - 2 Days to Go

Nice deep window sills here at our apartment are great for display especially at Christmas time.

A nativity made by my sister in law.  She loves to make baskets.

One purchased made of olive wood.

The next two were made by my daughters when they were very young.

They have to go up every year.

This nesting doll set was painted by my mother.  One year the baby Jesus went missing and I thought my granddaughter or great nephew had played with it and lost it.  It showed up the next year nestled in the nativity shown in my first photo.

Countdown to Christmas - 4 Days to Go

Once in Royal David's city stood a lowly cattle shed

where a mother laid her baby

with a manger for his head

Mary was that mother mild

Jesus Christ, her little child.

Countdown to Christmas - 7 Days to Go

Two more nativity sets.

Countdown to Christmas - 10 Days to Go

I collect Nativity scenes of many sizes and composition.  The wall unit we purchased for our new apartment has the perfect spot for displaying these.

The one below is painted in a nutshell.

Countdown to Christmas -13 Days to Go

When we downsized I did let go of many Christmas decorations.  This collection of Santa and Father Christmas was not something I could part with.  They grace one shelf of the bookcase this month.

Tuesday Treasures

Countdown to Christmas - 15 days to Go

Not sure where my mom got these little ring boxes.  Aren't they charming though?

Countdown to Christmas - 19 Days to Go

I shopped for a new Christmas tree in October just as the stores were putting up their displays.  I remembered then that I needed to buy one since we'd sold our very tall one before we moved.

This one is called a pencil tree.  It came with lights.  Besides being slender the size of the box to store it was important because it has to fit in our storage space in the basement of our building.  This one fits perfectly.  Most of the ornaments I kept made it on the tree.

This Christmas tree sits on the front hall table.  It's perfect for that space too.