It's the Little Things

Looking for the "little things" in my life, has helped me to slow down this season.

Like......


Finding a rose that is still blooming this late in the season.


Enjoying the smile from a stranger and returning it to another person.


Feeling the warmth of the sun on my face.


Finding a "lucky penny" and placing it in my shoe.

Turning on the lights for our Dickens Village and Christmas Tree.

Lighting the logs in the fireplace and curling up with the doggies.



Watching "The Bishop's Wife" for the ----well let's just say for many times.  Or "It's A Wonderful Life" for even more times!

Enjoying Holiday cards from friends and family.

Hanging a heart ornament that Mr. B and I bought in Taos almost 30 years ago.

And finding out that a friend of mine bakes 70-dozen cookies every year.....and I don't!!!

Wow!

Yep you read that right.

Seventy-dozen!

Let's do the math....mmmm...that would be 8 hundred and 40 cookies!


I'm wondering how many pounds of buttah......?


Yeah....it's the little things and a good chuckle!


"Develop an interest in life as you see it; the people, things, literature, music - the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself." --Henry Miller

Tree Day

I had a full day yesterday.  From 6am until 10pm, I was gone from home.  I drove to a painting class in Tomales, then worked at the Gallery in Lafayette, came home to change clothes just in time to return to Lafayette Gallery for a Holiday Reception in the evening. 

This morning Mr. B and our oldest son Andy left for the country for a few days but before they did, I asked them to pick out a Christmas tree and place it in it's stand so I could begin to decorate while they were gone.  

Can't you just smell that wonderful pine tree?

Oh yeah..... Andy and Tyler had to take 352 Christmas boxes down from the attic. (Jon - you lucked out this year!)


Actually, I think I have consolidated it down to 68 boxes now.  But I'll have to ask them because I have actually double numbered several (10-20) boxes so that they wouldn't give me such a tough time about my hoarding problem.  N-e-e-d h-e-l-p - s-o-o-n-!


So today (with my new "Enjoy the Holiday's" theme) I began to put lights on the tree. I put on some old fashioned holiday music, fed the songbirds, turned the tree to it's best angle (but there was no one to say - "a little to the left..... no forward...... no back a little more, more......no, not that way, the other way........no the other, other way.......honey, this is the best tree ever!)

The first 3 strands of lights where burned out and the rest were so tangled that I couldn't keep with my "Enjoy the Holiday's" theme unless I ran down to the hardware store to purchase several new strands.  So several hours later, I began the music again and began to light the tree.

I ran out of lights half way through so had to head back to the hardware store. 





 It felt a little like "Groundhog Day.....if you know what I mean?

But I was in a great mood - remember "Enjoy the Holiday's" theme?  I whistled while I drove Mr. B's new car to the store to pick up a few more strands.  Well I whistled in my head.

I wore my flip flops.  Beautiful weather today......Fa la la la la......


The cashier said "Weren't you here earlier?"


Me  -  "Yes sir-ree....I just needed a few more strands, ho, ho, ho!!!"

Whistled (in my head) all the way home.


Finished lighting the tree, put out some decorations around the house and began to put ornaments on the tree.  After 5 hours, I decided that if I really wanted to "Enjoy the Holiday's", I had better call it quits for the day and pick up tomorrow where I left off.


I love hanging each ornament and remembering where Mr. B and I bought it or who gave it to us.  I remember our economic circumstances when I hung the ornaments we bought or made early in our marriage.  They were hung with paper clips because that was all we had.  They are still attached. 

Sweet memories.  Warm, cozy memories. 

Hope you are enjoying your December?

"Well,"said Pooh, "what I like best," and then he had to stop and think. Because although Eating Honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn't know what it was called. - Winnie the Pooh

Slowing Down

 This year for the holiday's I have "intentions" of slowing down.  

Not physically (there I hope to speed up a little) but in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. 

Remember what is truly important.  

Enjoying friends and family

Good food cooked together

Date night with Mr. B.

Relaxing by the fire

Cozy slippers and a good book!  

Feeding the songbirds

Enjoying my doggies

Spending time outside in nature. 

Flannel sheets! 

Laughter

Creativity

We have so much to be grateful for.....

I am taking a class with Tracey Clark from The Shutter Sisters called "Picture the Holiday's"

It's a gentle reminder to "breathe" this month and enjoy the little things around me.

Enjoy December my dear friends....

“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow,
stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? 

It came without ribbons.
It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags.
And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before.
What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.
What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.” -- Dr. Seuss