This is a musical snow globe I placed near the miniature log cabin our children made years ago. The log cabin is a year round fixture in our home, but I do like to add seasonal touches to it. I am almost done decorating , now that I have put away all the stuff that I had out for the last bazaar and kind of organized the craft room again( a perpetual project). Oh, and let's not forget the continual hauling of pitchers and watering cans of hot water out to the livestock and poultry because the temps are way below freezing around here!Do you know what hard work that is? I am just thankful we have running water and a hot water heater to provide this modern miracle...so I reflect on that when I am tempted to grumble about hauling so much water outside in single digit temperatures....and you need to know ...ducks require, use,and waste huge amounts of water!
This year I am determined to keep the decorating simple. We have a vast miniature village, but since we are not hosting any big events this month we decided to edit our traditional decorating. No lights outlining the outside of our home, just wreaths and greens on the porch. Inside I put out a few miniature village houses and vignettes, the ones I like the best. I decided I really do appreciate the traditional Scandinavian colors of various hues of blue and white with wood, natural greens, and accents of red. My eyes rest when I view clean lines and cool colors and my mind seems able to focus more on what's important while taking in with joy very simple things. Above is our buffet with the big platter we serve all kinds of good food on, and by the lamps are two vignettes that hold meaning for us. I left room on the buffet for FOOD!
You might notice the tree is not decorated yet, that is for tonight. Every year I reflect on how much I like the tree with just lights...no decorations at all. I toy with the idea of leaving the tree this way but I know we cannot resist adding the many decorations we have collected over the years and I will be happy to add them. But for this past evening my husband and I enjoyed the tree as it is here..a quiet evening together , watching a T.V. show we enjoyed , while 4 of our dogs and the 3 cats slept by the fire. A nice night.
The village church on the buffet.
Singing round the Christmas tree on the buffet.
I found this quote from the December 23, 1894 New York Tribune : "The modern expansion of the custom of giving Christmas presents has done more than anything else to rob Christmas of it's traditional joyousness... Most people are nowadays so fagged out, physically and emotionally , by the time Christmas Day arrives that they are in no condition to enjoy it...as soon as the Thanksgiving turkey is eaten, the great question of buying Christmas presents begins to take the terrifying shape it has come to assume in recent years." There really is nothing new under the sun, is there?
"But Godliness actually is a means of great gain, when accompanied by contentment.For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. And if we have food and covering, with these we shall be content." I Timothy 6:6-8
17 comments:
Good Morning Kathy, Your home always looks so inviting and warm. I love the buffet with your special village pieces and I love your table runner they are sitting on. It's very serene to sit and look at the lights on the tree at Christmas, isn't it? The lights give the room a warm glow that makes everything look special at Christmas. Wishing you lots of joy decorating the tree tonight.
Your home looks beautiful, but I can't wait to see the decorations on the tree!
The newspaper quote is a topic we have been discussing in our household -Christmas was so much more FUN when it wasn't about buying stuff - homemade, giggling secrets and trying to hide things. As in so many areas - much of what is done takes away instead of enhancing. I love the big platter and decorations on your buffet - it is so sweet to sit in our living room and look at various items of decoration, enjoy our fireplace and listen to music. Christ's incarnation - the curtain between Heaven and Earth parted to allow real Light.
Good post; so very true. Your evening sounded very lovely. I like your vignettes very much. I have not set foot in a mall this season and have no plans to. We have simplified our Christmas to where we are all truly enjoying it.
Christmas shouldn't cost us anything; He's already paid:)
Debbie
I thought about not decorating the tree either Kathy. Just lights looks pretty good. But we have collected ornaments from many places that we have visited so I decided to add them.
Your little village is really cute.
You've created a warm and inviting home for your family and guests. Thank you for sharing your holiday home with us. It is beautiful.
Kathy,
You have such a beautiful, festive blog. Your decorations are so lovely. You've created such a wonderful holiday home. Have a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
Mildred, you're right about the Christmas lights, they do give a sense of serenity, and thank-you!
Karen, I know, the decorations are what really make each tree very special and unique to each family. Will you be having a big decorated tree...?
LindaSue,I was surprised when I re-read it that those same sentiments were uttered more than 100 years ago!I love the way you put things in your last sentence, there's a whole lot to ponder in those words " Christ's incarnation-the curtain between Heaven and earth parted to allow real Light."
Debbie, and I like THAT line too, "Christmas shouldn't cost us anything, He's already paid."
Susie, yes, the tree sans decorations is lovely, but there are so many special and beloved decorations we have I know I'll be excited to add them!
Mary and Brenda Kay, thank-you!
I LOVE YOUR POINT OF VIEW..I'M DOING THINGS MORE SIMPLY THIS YEAR TOO. I KNOW HOW MUCH WORK ANIMALS CAN BE, I WAS RAISED ON A FARM..BUT IT IS A WONDERFUL LIFE TOO. ENJOY! Come say hi :D
Kathy, as always, your flair for beautiful things shines.
Perspective..simple is good. I think it is about celebrating in the fashion that we each are comfortable with.
No tree, okay. No decorations, okay. Do it up bright a gaudy, okay. Without any second thoughts.
Oh yes, I also have the sore arms, ankles, you name it. Luckily only the remnants of water in the buckets has been frozen.
It was -8 degrees when we got up this morning so I know how hard you must have had to work hot water is truely a luxury One I would not want to be without or mordern heating. I prefer a fire but out here you need more and my home is currently 71 degress and I am having hot flashes:) so it is very warm.
Thanks for inviting me into you home again.....it IS warm and inviting.
Also, thank you for yesterday's post in honoring the police officers.... this was a very special post for me.
Julie, thanks! I know you appreciate many of the things I do and your life is very, very full with your amazing family that Golden of yours, Cougar!
Mary, right! However it works without causing so much stress as to make the whole point of decorating and celebrating moot.Something I have excelled in (making the point of celebrating moot)And my poor water troughs and buckets of water for the ducks are almost solidly frozen, the weather-man says it will warm up to the low 30's soon...WARM?
Alice, I think science should investigate harnessing the power of hot-flashes for an economical heat source...hey, many of us women could probably heat our own homes in those years of "the change".
Carol thank-you! I am honored.
Dear Kathy,
A very Merry Christmas to you!
I sure enjoyed seeing your lovely decorations in your home...so very pleasant and soothing.
Thank you for being a blogging friend of mine. I appreciate you and enjoy hearing from you and reading about your life.
Have a Blessed season!
d from homehaven
Your taste is beautiful and pleasing to the eye. I enjoy Christmas decorations but this year I am keeping it very simple too. We usually hang lights outdoors, this year we haven't. I may not hang anything on our tree either, I am not sure. With Hayden around I have to keep an x-pen around it to keep him from chewing on the limbs, which sort of takes away from the ambiance :)
Keeping it simple is the theme over here this year too. I'm taking the second huge bout of illness in as many months as a sign that I just need to rest up and the girls just need to get done what needs to be done with just a little tid bit here and there. No bah hum bug by any means, just a little switch up from the usual.
Isn't it funny how different color schemes strike people differently! Love your blue and white, it is so you.
I love the singing around the tree scene. Everything looks very elegant and cozy there. Your home always seems to have a sense of peace and comfort about it to me--- or at least as well as I can tell from my spot here in front of the computer. :-) Thank you for sharing it with us.
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