Christmas trees

Who doesn’t love a Christmas tree? No matter its size a tree filled with ornaments lights up a room with love. I stopped putting up a large tree when we added on a room in 2006. A small tree on a table in front of the window seemed just perfect since putting up the large one was getting to be a chore.

The very first Christmas tree we had when I first got married was one that my husband cut from the woods. there was a lot of space between the branches and didn’t look like the ones in the lot at all. But I loved that tree. I still think about how I hooked the ornaments on the branches and loved that he did that for me.

“The Christmas tree is a symbol of love, not money. There's a kind of glory to them when they're all lit up that exceeds anything all the money in the world could buy.”
― Andy Rooney, Andy Rooney: 60 Years of Wisdom and Wit

This little French Christmas tree fit perfectly in the silver urn that I found at a consignment shop.

I do not have annual ornaments from years past on my tree as a lot of people do. How do you decorate your tree? Are there any special ornaments that you fondly attach to its branches each year?

A LITTLE CHRISTMAS PREVIEW

In my house Christmas decorating officially begins the day after Thanksgiving. There are times when I have broken this rule. Last year I was going away for Thanksgiving so I decorated before so I could come back to a house already all done. This year I had the boys help me carry bins and the tree down from the attic and for the last three days I have been putting out the decorations. I always say I will keep it simple and not bring everything out but as my youngest son says “If you have a flat surface you will put a decoration on it.”  I just love to see the whole house done up for the holiday.

The candle-ier over the table always gets a lot of greenery and I put out my favorite votive holders.

This year the table has a woodland feel with reindeer, pine cones and berries.

I used my blue, green and red plaid tablecloth and added a new runner from Big Lots with a plaid deer.

Have you started decorating yet? Do you have a new theme each year or do you prefer to put things out in the same way every year?

Before and after

A while ago I found four pictures in green frames at a tag sale.  I didn't care for the picture itself so I found some on the web, printed them out, and put them in the frame instead. 

But now at Christmas time they needed a little something. Are you familiar with printables on the web.  There are all kinds of things like sayings or quotes that you can print. So I chose these. I love how they look in the kitchen. It was fun to do something creative. 

Stop and take a picture

I love photography but I don’t take enough time for practice. When Chris was here we went for a ride. He is always on the lookout for things and when he saw this junkyard he stopped the car for photos. Here are my best taken with my iphone.

Always an adventure

I always love it when my oldest son Chris comes home. He has an adventurous soul and instead of spending the afternoon sitting in a movie theater he likes to explore. So off in the car we went. Our first stop was the Kinzua Bridge museum. The Kinzua Bridge is a large railroad span over a valley that was built to expedite the resources of the region to bigger cities. It ceased operation quite a long time ago since the steel pillars were in need of repair. After repairs it was used locally for passengers who wanted to have the experience of a train ride over the bridge. When my mother and father were here we went from Kane to the bridge on a rickety bumpy train ride and crossed over. 

In 2003 a tornado swept through the valley and tore down all but 9 of its pillars. Later it was rebuilt as a skywalk and just recently a new museum was built on the siteThe bridge was originally built from wrought iron in 1882 and was billed as the "Eighth Wonder of the World", holding the record as the tallest railroad bridge in the world for two years. In 1900, the bridge was dismantled and simultaneously rebuilt out of steel to allow it to accommodate heavier trains. It stayed in commercial service until 1959 and was sold to the Government of Pennsylvania in 1963, becoming the centerpiece of a state park. Restoration of the bridge began in 2002, but before it was finished, a tornado struck the bridge in 2003, causing a large portion of the bridge to collapse. Corroded anchor bolts holding the bridge to its foundations failed, contributing to the collapse.

Before its collapse, the Kinzua Bridge was ranked as the fourth-tallest railway bridge in the United States.^[5] It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 and as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1982. The ruins of the Kinzua Bridge are in Kinzua Bridge State Park off U.S. Route 6 near the borough of Mount Jewett, Pennsylvania.

The museum was so well done with many interactive exhibits. The picture above shows that the bridge was as tall as the Statue of Liberty. After the museum we travelled over to Wareen to have lunch at a Chinese restaurant before stopping at the Kinzua Dam. It was a cold bleak day but Chris wanted to get some pictures. 

We took the long way home and explored a road we had never been on up to Gilbert reservior. We didn't go all the way since the dirt/gravel road became icy. That is an adventure for another day. 

I remember how my father always took us on Sunday drives around the area. Even though we are familiar with places around here its nice to get out and go for a drive. 

DAn

Dan has never had a piano lesson and is self taught. He has memorized serveral pieces and I love to hear him play. 

a new couch

I have been looking for a new couch for the sunroom for a few years. The brown one I bought ten years ago when we first added on didn’t seem to go in there anymore. This summer when my sisters were home we were south of Erie in a town called Waterford to go to a restaurant supply store that had all kinds of kitchen gadgets. We ate outdoors at a great restaurant and then noticed that Russell’s furniture was right nearby. I had bought my entertainment center for the living room there many years ago. I found a couch I liked and brought a few fabric samples home to pick from. That was in July. I just got the couch this week. It took so long because they had trouble getting the fabric for it. I love the light green and think it looks fab in the sunroom.  Just in time for Christmas!

Thankful

We are so blessed. I have so much to be thankful for it would take all of this blog. But one thing I want to share with you. I am thankful for you dear reader. Thankful that you show up here to share a little of my life. You are very important to me. I appreciate it when you leave a comment for it really makes my day. Thank you.  

A nice surprise

Chris and Scott playing videos games while Dan and Gretchen went out for a run. Chris gave me a nice surprise. When he got me a new computer a few years ago he backed up all the files on my old computer. When I had a virus this year and had to have my computer cleaned I lost all my documents and files. Today he gave them all back to me from a hard drive he had saved.  Nice! 

More computer problems

The computer went out again but I finally got it going with the help of a technician online. Hopefully this will be the end of all the problems.

Today was a busy day as I am preparing the whole Thanksgiving meal tomorrow. There were trips to the grocery store for last minute items. And I baked the apple and cherry pies (bought the pumpkin), cinnamon swirl bundt cake, and pumpkin muffins. I also am cooking my turkey and stuffing today since I have so many sides to go in the oven tomorrow.

I am so thankful to have family visiting for Thanksgiving. I hope that your Thanksgiving is filled with love.

I’M BACK ONLINE

I really missed you guys. I’m back online now. After bragging that I fixed the computer it went out again so the service man came today and got me back up running. Yippe skippee. You haven’t missed much of my life since my days have been busy preparing for Thanksgiving when my son and his family are coming. It’s so nice to have the family together especially at holiday times. I’ve been gathering groceries for the feast and tomorrow I will start cooking and baking. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday.

When it doesn’t work

We all go through it don’t we? All the electronics are working fine and then..Boom! They don’t work. At my house I have Atlantic Broadband for my internet and phone so when that goes down so does everything. It may have been related to the rain we were having, who knows? So I called the service number. Oh, first I called my neighbor to see if the problem was just with my line…it was. I was overjoyed to find a nice young American boy to help me. Sometimes when I get foreign speaking help I have trouble understanding them. It’s hard enough trying to fix something that you are entirely out of your league with and then trying to interpret what they are saying at the same time. But this guy was sooooo nice…and patient. He did a number of things on his end since he could “see” my modem and tried all in his power to get me back online. But it wasn’t happening and he finally gave up and scheduled an appointment for a service repairman to come. Of course they couldn’t come till Tuesday but he said since my phone was out he would prioritize it. Sure enough I got a phone call on my cell early this morning and they will come tomorrow. Meanwhile I tried fixing it myself. (which means I unhooked the power plug, took out the battery, waited and put it all back together). We had done that a number of times last night. But this morning…IT WORKED! And as you can see I am back in business. Problem resolved. Now I have to fix my photo overloaded cell phone…….

Do it like Zen

^{When I think of Zen I think…sitting, relaxing, meditating…at peace with the world. In our busy, hustling world do we take enough time to be Zen? I love activity and movement and don’t spend idle time sitting unless I am reading or watching tv. Otherwise I am busy. There are household chores, meetings, and activities. These are all things I like to do but sometimes I wonder if I should just be calmer and more relaxed. I tried meditating once. For me I couldn’t hold my mind still and it seemed a waste of time when I could be doing something productive. When I read the above list I realized I need to make time. I need to take time to just be in the moment.}

Elvis is alive and well

One advantage of living a half an hour from a casino is that we can take hop over there to see the entertainment that they bring in. Yesterday Elvis was in town and we enjoyed the show. 

Not only did this impersonation look like Elvis but his voice was identical. He had that deep growl and all those hip shakes of the original and for an hour we were transported back into our teen years. 

Yes, I had a crush on Elvis! I swooned when he was on the Ed Sullivan show where they only showed him from the waist up because they felt his hip moves were too vulgar for television. I sang every song and watched all of his movies. He was my handsome hero. One memory that stands out was when I was a teen and vacationing in Georgia with my cousin. We were at a public swimming pool and Teddy Bear was blasting from the speakers. 

  This Elvis was shaking and singing and even had scarves which he put around his neck, wiped his face, and then handed out to the crowd. He really entertained the women who lined up to get a title kiss from "Elvis". 

All blue and white

Do you notice anything new in the living room?  I finally found the blue and white lamps that I have been looking for. I've always loved blue and white in fact I had my kitchen blue for a while. Then slowly I started collecting blue and white pottery. I had made the curtains in my living room from some fabric that I fell in love with. It had blue and white pottery on it so naturally I needed some blue and white in the room. When I traveled I was always on the lookout for some pieces. I found them at estate sales and consignment shops as well as in stores. Little by little my collection grew...and grew. 

I found these lamps at a Tuesday Morning in Knoxville, Tennessee. This was the largest Tuesday Morning that I had ever been in. The lamps weren't as large as I would like so I found the little oriental stands at Old Time Pottery in Pigeon Forge, Tn. That raised them up enough to give them presence in the room. I also put this one up on books to match the height of the other one. In front of the lamp you can see a teapot from my best friend and a Royal Copenhagen teacup that I purchased when I was in Denmark. 

I lined some of my collection up on the mantle and added some red to coordinate with the painting. The large vase on the left is also new. I have now reached the point of having enough. I will not be searching any more. 

I think I’m finally an adult

I’ve often heard that you grow wiser as you age. I wish I’d known then what I know now. I wouldn’t have had so much heartache and frustration if I’d only known. I would have been able to handle things better. I wouldn’t have worried about so much or tried to change things out of my control. Oh, those lessons. Those life lessons were part of the learning curve. I think I’m finally an adult at 73. I’m calmer and more content. I wish I could have bundled this feeling up and given it to my 29 year old self.

I know it's early...but....

It's not Christmas yet...but...I'm getting in the mood already and this version of White Christmas is great.  enjoy!

corners

And that goes for magazines too. Sometimes when I look at decorating books or see programs on television of beautiful homes with no piles of books showing or no place for magazines I wonder just who lives in those homes. I have always surrounded myself with magazines. They are my window on the world. I love the magazines like Bella Grace or La Vie Claire that have heavier paper so turning a page feels luxurious.


In the corner by my fireplace is a copper tub filled with the copies of magazines I can’t bear to throw away. I organize them by season and pull them out with fresh eyes when the seasons change. Southern Lady, La Vie Claire, Romantic Homes and Victoria are my very favorites. The little cricket on the hearth was my mother’s.


Another corner in my house is the one in the kitchen. These corner windows by the table look out onto the road and the weather and I love to sit there.

The rooster light is from Valerie Parr Hill on QVC. He is on a timer and lights up the kitchen every evening.

What is in your favorite corner?

Home

I love to travel…but I also love to be home. On these cold days I love the coziness of being sheltered right in my own home.

 

Sarah Ban Breathnach

"Be grateful for the home you have, knowing that at this moment, all you have is all you need."

William J. Bennett

"Home is a shelter from storms—all sorts of storms."

Oh Deer..

Look at this gorgeous stag that I found at a consignment shop in Knoxville.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw him up on a shelf. He is very heavy and so regal. I knew he would find a place in my Thanksgiving decorating. I put him on a new tray in the middle of my dining room table.

And I couldn't resist the green and brown plaid napkins at Pier One, one of my favorite stores. Their Christmas items this year are amazing. The silver bowl was on sale and called my name.

The pine cone is from our backyard and the small burlap tree was on sale at Michael's.

Pine cone candlesticks seem perfect for this table setting.

AS I looked out my window yesterday morning an antlered buck was grazing in the

neighbor's yard. I love those unexpected joys.