Dear ones,
As you may remember, my Prince Charming becomes some kind of crazy combination of the Grinch and Ebenezer Scrooge at Christmas. The transformation is quick and doesn’t last long. But while he is ‘green’ and grumpy, I have to tip-toe around doing the decorating and gift buying. Along about January 2nd, my PC returns to his handsome, baseball lovin’ self. But his brief metamorphosis makes it kind of hard for me to feel festive.
And this year, with my mom’s health so precarious, I haven’t exactly been exuding Christmas cheer myself. I kind of threw my Christmas decorations up without a lot of enthusiasm. Didn’t even think about putting up the tree or much in the way of decorations outside. But I had committed to participating in Stephanie’s Deck the Halls holiday home tour so wanted to keep up my end of the bargain. I give you my half-hearted holiday home tour.
Deck the Halls
Have to giggle (to keep from crying much of the time these days), Google photos created this animated slide show from photos I took of our decorations. I just uploaded it. So can’t take much credit here. However, it changes so quickly from one photo to the other that you can’t afford to blink or you will miss the whole thing! Tried to figure out how to edit the speed of the animation but it is beyond me right now.
Lizzie High Dolls
My Nativity set, the tabletop Santa and the girl and boy around the Christmas tree are all Lizzie High dolls that I used to collect for my daughters and me. I had some for each holiday. Gave many of them away when I retired, as I had used them to decorate the library, too. But kept my Christmas dolls. Have my eye on this winter set of Lizzies to add to my holiday collection. Maybe Santa will bring them?
Menorrah
Growing up in Boston, during my elementary school years, most of my friends were either Jewish or Catholic. I became familiar with Hanukkah and its beautiful traditions. Knowing that, and that I have often said I was a Holocaust survivor in another lifetime, my youngest daughter Lauren gave me a menorah several years ago. And upon her retirement, our school counselor gave me her dreidel game. Some day I would like to play the game with my grands.
I Painted That
A couple of years ago, PC and I painted the Christmas scenes on canvas displayed above my kitchen cabinets with I Painted That. It was sponsored by a local women’s boutique and we painted and enjoyed free-flowing glasses of wine to keep our creative juices flowing.
O Christmas Tree
♫ ♪ ♫ O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, I hope you can forgive me ♩ ♪ ♫ for leaving you in the Rubbermaid tub this year. Didn’t have the energy to fuss with my Grinch about putting you up. Here’s a pic of our tree last Christmas, though, when I was a year younger and had more stamina to fight the fight.
Our Dinner Table
We will be in Albuquerque with Lauren, Lucia and Francisco on the 25th. But if we were going to be home and hosting the kids for Christmas dinner, this year, our table would be set much like this. I don’t have china or fancy dishes, and only have nice gold-plated silverware because, years ago, someone traded it for one of my Siberian Husky pups.
My Seasonal Wheelbarrow
Each season I decorate an old beaten up wheelbarrow that sits under our Mexican Elder tree in the front yard. I truly wanted to do this but cannot, for the life of me, find my wheelbarrow decorations. And didn’t have the time or dinero to buy something new. My snowman and garland have to be in our garage in one of my tubs but I’ll be hanged if I can find them. If I could have, my wheelbarrow would have looked a lot like it did last year.
Deck the Home (Assisted Living Home, That Is)
One of the things I fell in love with when we moved my parents into The Lafayette in 2011 was the comfortable, homey feeling of the complex. It is never warmer and brighter than it is decked out for the holidays. Not only are the common areas decorated with trees, garland, and bows but many of the residents also decorate the space outside their front doors. These are, for the most part, nonagenarians. My mom at 91 is actually one of the ‘babies’. They belong to the Greatest Generation, and are pretty darn amazing folks.
Google Photos was good enough to put together another little animated collage of the decked halls at the assisted living home. Albeit a bit rapid. Again, don’t blink, or you’ll miss the whole thing.
So, there you have it. Our humble holiday decorations this year. I hope this time next year, life will have settled down again, my PC will have had a holiday change of heart and our home will be bedecked and bedazzled in every nook and cranny.
Your Turn
Do you have a color theme to your holiday decorating? Or maybe a themed tree? Holiday place settings? Wish you would share in a comment below.
This year’s Holiday Home Tour hosts include Crystal, Keri, Becky, Penny, Stephanie, Whitney, Shelly and yours truly. I would love for you to visit the homes of these ladies, they have such beautiful spaces and I love the holiday touches they have throughout their homes. Come on, we can go together…
Thank you for coming by, sugar plums. HaPpY hUmP dAy!
Hugs and kisses,
I’m sorry to hear you’re not feeling too festive at the moment Leslie! It’s hard sometimes and as your mother’s health is precarious it must be even harder for you. Your photos look lovely and the assisted living home seems very cosy and in the spirit. This time last year we were visiting my father in his nursing home and it was also decorated really nicely, it does help the residents get into the festive mood. I hope things improve and you enjoy being with your family over the holidays. Take care!
So behind on my blog reading and responding. I appreciate your kind comments on my deck the halls post. The complex where my mom is living does so much to try to make things nice and homey. Fresh flowers, cloth napkins, happy hour, seasonal decor. And the good people who work there with huge, loving hearts.
My but how festive and pretty your house still looks! You have lots of decorations with memories attached. Men often turn into the Grinch at Christmas. My dad always did. Best wishes for your mom and hope your Yule turns out to be a jewel.
Thank you, Gail, for your compliments on my Christmas decor. I am belatedly responding to comments left weeks ago. Was it difficult for you as a child to have a dad who became the Grinch at Christmas? I think my dad was probably the reason why we had the presents we had, now that I know more about my mom’s struggles.
So sorry you are not feeling festive this year. Some years are just harder than others and honestly, I commend you for not forcing it and adding more stress. Especially since you will be spending your 25th with loved ones somewhere else. I need to make a point to get down and fix up my Mamaw’s room at her assisted living home. They do such a great job of making the place feel like home for the holidays. Prayers to you sweet Leslie. Merry Christmas.
Thank you so much, Shelly, for coming by. I have been out of the loop with blogging and just now sitting down to rectify that. I appreciate your prayers for us during these difficult days. Hope you were able to spend sometime dressing up your Mamaw’s room for the holidays. I am sure it was a treat to have you do that for her.
It is a difficult time of the year for lots of people. Being married to a bipolar man, Christmas can go either way. He might love decorating or want nothing to do with it. We’re going to Mexico so I’m happy with a snowman on the door, my winter birds on the coffee table and my nativity scene. The rubbermaids did not come out. With your mum’s health issues, you must be feeling a lot of stress.
I hope that you enjoy family time.
Oh, dear Joanne, I have been most delinquent in responding to comments on my blog. I imagine you have a good idea of how difficult it is living with someone who doesn’t enjoy the holidays. Or might this year, and not next year. Glad you had plans for a trip to the sunshine in Mexico. Hope it was delightful and the perfect holiday compromise for you both.
I am happy that you did a bit of decorating if only for this post! It’s kind of cool that you have a menorah even though Hanukkah ended this year early! I hope your holidays get happier!
I have used a menorah in my holiday decorating for a number of years now. I am not Jewish but probably as much Jewish as I am anything! If that makes sense. In some other life, I am sure I was. We have a mezuzah at our front doorway, too. But my OCD had me hang it too straight and now I can’t remove it to angle it onto the doorway, which seems to be more appropriate. Ha!
Well Leslie you have a lot on your plate so I don’t blame you for not going head to head with your PC. Pick your battles, right? Plus the fact that you won’t be home on the 25th so all in all I say enjoy the break from decorating and all of the undecorating that’s on the flip side. That is always so depressing!
I love the wheelbarrow though – what a terrific idea!
xo,
Kellyann
My poor holiday wheelbarrow is so neglected. Need to get something in it to carry me through until spring. Really missed having it dressed up for Christmas. But there’s next year!
I always love your outdoor seasonal decorations! And I’m keeping you and your family in my thoughts this season, sweet friend!
Thank you for keeping us in your thoughts, sweet Whitney. I know this holiday season has been magical for you. Most well deserved.