By Diana McCollum
Christmas season is upon us everywhere we go. Christmas music plays in the stores and on the radio. Houses are decorated inside and out. I love the colored lights and the music and everything about Christmas. The best part of course, is sharing Christmas with family and friends.
I enjoyed a Christmas pot luck lunch with a few writer friends in Bend last week. Kathy had her house decorated so pretty!
Husband and I are having a simple Christmas this year. Family is not coming from CA this year, and I'm having surgery too. We've opted to not have a tree. I've just put a few simple decorations out. We need some joyfulness! I wanted to share some decorations that I love with you.
This is the entry way to the house. The little snow man holding a sign with our last name on was made for us by my daughter over 20 years ago. I had to have that out this year, and every year.The poinsettias at the top of the page we bought one at Costco, and the other I order every year from a girl across the street. The money goes to the Bend choir she belongs to.
Last year the group toured England and Scotland and sang with choirs from those countries.
I call them my Iowa elves. There is a story behind them. My sister Sarah and family were helping an elderly lady move out of her house in Iowa. She was going into an assisted living home and asked that Sally and family take what they want and get rid of the rest. That is how the story went, isn't it Sally?My Sister was kind enough to send this collection to me. Every year the Iowa elves sit on my kitchen window sill so I can look at them every day.
On our coffee table is an arrangement with a candle and twinkle lights. The wooden Christmas train I painted a long time ago. My husband loves it and I do too! So the train got to come out of the Christmas box for this year.
That is all the decorations for 2019!
Do you decorate a lot or not much or not at all? and what part of the Christmas tradition is your favorite? And if you don't celebrate Christmas, what part of the holiday season do you enjoy?
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!
8 comments:
Diana, having so many lovely memories with your decorations only makes them more precious. I celebrate Winter Solstice or Yule however I have a outside lights up all year long as well as another string across my fireplace that I seldom plug in except during the winter months. Yesterday I bought a bouquet of flowers and they are on my dining room table. A couple of simple decorations that may actually go "live" is my great grands are out now. If (when) I get downstairs, I may look at my bins full of Christmas decorations and bring a few up. I've two friends who will be celebrating Winter Solstice with me. I'm fairly certain there we'll light a fire in the fireplace, plug in those lights and spend a few hours sipping some eggnog and sharing what we learned about ourselves and the world around us. There is some talk about going out for dinner but not sure that will happen - we may just do take out so we can kick off our shoes, put our feet up and relax.
Lovely post, and I enjoyed Judith's comment, too--happy Solstice!
Here, we have several decorations that have been passed down or have holiday memories tied up in them. My favorites are the nutcrackers that are a mix of ones I inherited and ones I've bought over the years.
Thank you Lynn and Judith for stopping by and sharing. Happy Holidays!
Lovely decorations, Dianna. I especially admire the trains you painted. We haven't added to our traditional (nutcrackers, St. Nicholas, snowmen) Christmas decorations in years, unless you count the gold ribbon I tied around the tail of a folk-art carving of a whale, hehe. My most treasure tree ornaments are those our boys made as children, and the few glass balls I inherited from my dad.
Such great mementos and decorations, Diana! Love the warmth of them all, and the memories attached to each. :) Merry Christmas!
I love those elves and am so glad you do too, Sis! You ave an artist's eye for making the most of simplicity. Beau
Luanna, Marie and Sarah,
Thanks for stopping by. Happy Holidays.
Diana
I loved your pictures and really felt some great joy looking at them.
Jim and I have also been having simple Christmases for a at least five years now. With the children and their families 3,000 miles away, we know they won't be coming this direction with young children at peak travel times.
I like your idea of picking special mementos and displaying them. I think I'll still that from you for next year. We no longer get a tree, just can't justify taking a live tree out of the forest and don't want a fake one. But we do put up a garland and display the few (3-4) cards we still get from people who mail them. (We don't).
I think the most important thing is to realize it is the season for showing and extending love more than anything else, and for being grateful for all the blessings we have in spite of the hardships.
I hope you and your DH have a wonderful holiday together. Merry Christmas!
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