Happy New Year!!! How are you? and how is your new year going so far?
I am sitting at my desk drinking coffee and looking at all of the Christmas decorations that need to be taken down. Mark doesn’t like to take down the decorations until after New Year’s Day. That is o.k. with me but it doesn’t always work out with my schedule and days off and getting everything done. I love to get all of the decorations down and get the house back to normal. I love Christmas and the decorations but when Christmas is over it is over. Time to look to the New Year I say.
I don’t like making new year’s resolutions. For several years I picked a word for the year that I would try and focus on. My word for 2020 was “Discover.” And wow what a discovery it was. I was thinking more along the lines of trying new things and discovering new places and it wasn’t really that type of discovery at all. But you know what? that is ok. It was a different type of discovery and some things I needed to discover.
I think the most important discovery I made this year was about gratitude. I have been so grateful that my family has been safe during this pandemic. I am grateful that I was able to keep my job and that the company I work for is still going strong. I am grateful for the time I had to reflect on things that were really important to me. It has been a humbling year and it makes you realize that things are not to be taken for granted and that life is so very precious and that your day to day existence is one to be treasured.
I decided that my word for the year this year would be “Present”. I want to be present in everything that I do. I don’t want my nose stuck in my phone so much that I am missing wonderful and beautiful things around me. I want to enjoy everything and everyone that I can. I want to listen and learn more than ever before.
Because taking pictures is one of my most favorite things to do I did a recap of some of my favorites through the year.
January- Laurel Falls in The Smoky Mountain National ParkFebruary- A tree fell and barely missed hitting our house. March- Bradford Pear trees blooming on the road I travel to work.
April – A Butterfly on the Azalea Bushes
May- The sweet smell of newly mown hay. This field is near my house. I just had to stop and get a picture. June- Daisies, they are my favorite flower. I have them growing all around my house.
July- My nephew Tyler. His Senior Class was finally able to hold an outside graduation.
August- The tantalizing August moon.September- A farm that I pass several times a week. It is one of my favorites. October- Walking the babies in the fallen leaves.I love all the different colors. November- Church steeple peeping through the trees in the sunset.
December- Christmas Day. A cold but beautiful white Christmas.
So how about you? Any resolutions or hopes, other than the obvious, for this coming year?
Hello and how was your Christmas? I know that many of you had a quieter and simpler Christmas and so did I and I sort of loved it.
On Christmas Eve I was at work and at about 2:00 and it started snowing. I knew we were supposed to have a chance of light snow later that night but I don’t think anyone expected it to move in as fast as it did. I was supposed to meet Mark at my sisters for a chili supper around 3:30.
By the time I left work at around 3:15 the snow was really coming down. It was crazy how much snow was on the cars and driveway. I wasn’t too worried Mark and I both have All Wheel Drive vehicles. But it still makes me nervous driving in snow. You know we are southerners and not used to driving in any amount of snow. Plus the temperature was steadily dropping and I knew what that meant especially on our backroads where we live.
So we spent only a short time at my sister’s before heading home. A much smaller group of us this year. And though we only spent a short time with each other it was fun and loving and I’m so glad we were able to spend some time together. We have about a thirty minute drive to get home and it was starting to get dark. I was worried about the backroads at our house. We did pass a couple of snow plows scraping the main roads but our roads never get scraped.
This is what our road looked like. I took this through the windshield. My car did fine I didn’t slide one time and I knew Mark was right behind me in his truck if I did. Unfortunately he had to leave for work the next morning at 5:00 AM and the roads were still pretty bad. This is what I awoke to on Christmas morning. It looked like a winter wonderland.
A much quieter day on Christmas Day snuggling with the fur babies and watching movies and enjoying the snow.
Scruffy loved the snow.Luckily the snow melted quickly off of the roads. What a difference the next day made. So much sun melted a lot of the snow.
I am joining the weekly smile at http://www.trentsworldblog.wordpress.com. The snow made me smile and we the fact that it was on Christmas Day was extra special. What made you smile this week?
Hello friends, how are you? Things around here have been really busy. I have been taking a couple of extra days off from work each week to try and use all of my vacation days by the end of the year. I am now a firm believer in the four day work week. Many studies have been done and it proves that employees are much more productive working only four out of five work days. I know that when I have that extra day off I get so much more accomplished at home and am usually ready to head back to work. Oh well. That is my opinion.
Can you believe that tomorrow is Christmas Eve? How is that even possible. It seems like this year, as crazy as it has been at times, has absolutely flown by. Our Christmas will be really low key this year and that is fine by me. Mark actually has to work Christmas Day so I will be on the couch snuggled with the fur babies watching movies. I already have a supply of snacks and popcorn and several movies picked out. I think this may be the first time in my life I have been alone on Christmas Day. I really don’t think it will be too bad. With many families choosing not to gather in large groups this year I am sure I won’t be the only one. I just remind myself that next year will be better. My family is not having a really large gathering the way we have done in previous years. We will save that for next year.
Back to work issues. My computer at work died last Monday. I had been having problems with it. I have had it for about ten years or more and it definitely served it’s purpose. Unfortunately I was unable to get a lot of things off of it like old pictures and some documents from years ago. Usually there is a way around getting what you need and I will do that. As far as the pictures you know me and I take about a million pictures so I have copies everywhere and since I have a MacBook everything is stored in the cloud anyway. It will be fine.
I haven’t done a lot of Christmas shopping this year. I bought some things online, did gift cards and gave cash to some of my nieces and nephews. I hate giving cash but considering that I didn’t get out to shop it will be fine and they love it so yes I am good with it. I knitted quite a few things this year for different people and I always enjoy giving those things, scarves, socks and hats. I made approximately one hundred and fifty chocolate peanut butter balls on Saturday and I will have a post later about how to make those. They are really simple to make and people love them. I make hundreds of them every year. I made most of them for my nephew, he was having a small get together with his friends and asked me to make them for him. I also made banana bread and cookies to give to a few people. Tonight I am making cake pops and I will let you know how they turn out. O.K I have been running back and forth working on the cake pops while I am writing this and I can tell you they are messy!!!!
The weather here has been really cold the last few days and guess what? we may even have snow on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I think with a lot of people staying in it will be the perfect time for snow.
So just the usual busy time before Christmas, bake, clean the kitchen, shop, work, bake some more, clean the kitchen, pick up items from the post office, take items to the post office to be mailed, wrap gifts and enjoy the merriment. You get the picture. How is your Pre-Christmas shenanigans going?
Merry Merry Christmas from me to you!!!!
The other morning I woke up rather late and as I was walking down the stairs I looked out at the lake and the most beautiful sunrise was happening. I grabbed my camera and ran out the door in my pajamas. Scruffy was right on my heels although he looked a little confused as to why we were going all the way down to the lake. The skies were red and a perfect reflection on the lake. If you turn the picture upside down you can hardly tell which is the reflection. Only the growth from the tree branches give it away. I went back in after getting a few pictures and my husband is just shaking his head. It’s only 27 degrees you know that. I really hadn’t noticed. He just shook his head, he is used to my wild racing around to capture the perfect picture.
Red skies in the morning, Sailor take warning.
It seems I am in continuous prayer for someone who has COVID-19, has lost someone from this or is having to be quarantined because of it. Please stay safe and be careful, life is so very precious. We lost an unforgettable man in our town last week that served as our City Mayor. He was a wonderful, special man and we are in shock that he is gone. Our city and county and many many people will forever remember his smile, dedication and just genuine kindness that he portrayed in his everyday life.
Merry Christmas to you and all of your family. Be safe, be happy and always remember
A few mornings ago I was listening to one of our local radio stations and the announcers were arguing about whether this Christmas was different. The first one said yes it is so different and my family and I really miss the usual get-togethers and services, parades, etc etc. The other announcer said no it’s not any different you just have to make it what it is. Choose your Christmas.
I had to think about that for a minute and I have to admit he is right. Yes we know things are different this year and whether or not you choose to let them affect you, things are different. But does that have to make us see things different? Not experience Christmas as we know it? NO!!!
Remember when the Grinch tried to steal Christmas from the Whos in Whoville? He thought he was so smart taking away their presents and food and decorations. But it didn’t stop the Whos because as the Grinch discovered, Christmas is in your heart. I am a Christian so I know that Jesus is my reason for the season and that’s all that matters to me and that can’t be changed. So all the other, the ribbons, and packages and bows and lights and tinsel will be what I choose to make it. Yes I will miss seeing some of my family members this year. Unbelievably so. But we will gather again and things will go on. I believe that Christmas lives in our hearts and as long as we have our belief and our faith it is what we make it. So I choose to make it one of the best Christmases ever.
I am not going to stop doing what I usually do every year. I decorated my Christmas tree and brought out my Santa collection. I have baked and done minimal shopping with a lot of it being online. I also made a lot of gifts this year and that was a lot of fun. We will have smaller family gatherings but we know that soon we will all be back together again.
Mark and I collect ornaments from all of our trips this one was from Shakespeare’s Birthplace when we visited Stratford-on-Avon in Warwickshire England a few years ago.
I don’t have a tree topper for my Christmas Tree I had been working on one but it wasn’t turning out the way I wanted. So far Kitty Kitty has left the tree alone. But the tree skirt is a different story, she has had that thing all over the house. If you look close in the upstairs window you can see the reflection of life sized Santa. I have had my Santa collection for many years. I usually add to it every year. I especially like the old Santas like the one below. I bought him at an antique shop several years ago. I usually place them on this old sewing machine that we got from my husband’s grandmother. You can tell how old the machine is from all the marks and scratches. It still works!!!This guy is very oldThis is my life sized Santa we have had him for more than twenty five years!!! Mark and I got him when we were first married. I can’t remember where we got him I think at Target in Knoxville. You can see that Kitty Kitty likes him too. He stands in my upstairs hallway window and it looks like he is looking out the window when you come down the driveway.
So have your Christmas, be safe and make it the best you possibly can. Call loved ones if you can’t see them, FaceTime or message them and enjoy every second. This is your life so choose your Christmas and have a wonderful time!!!!
Southern Patches 