SOMETHING BORROWED...

 

Every October, 
for some unknown reason, 
I automatically start humming and singing Christmas carols. 
 This is a phenomenon 
that has occurred for a number of years
 and is still going strong.

 
 A couple of weeks ago I read Michele's

 lovely post (here)  
about us all needing 

a little Christmas in our lives, 
so you might imagine that 
"We Need A Little Christmas" is

 at the forefront of 

my playlist, in my head, right now

 and I thought it fitting to borrow
 the sentiment for my post today.

Not only is the tune catchy,
  but it is so true...

"Haul out the holly;
Put up the tree before my spirit falls again.
Fill up the stockings, 
I may be rushing things, but deck the halls again now
For we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute,
Candles in the window,
Carols at the spinet.
Yes, we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute.
We need a little Christmas now."

 We Need a Little Christmas

Written by Jerry Herman for the Broadway musical Mame in 1966

...truer today than

 maybe ever before.

As I move along 
about the business of decorating,
 borrowing time from fixing the Thanksgiving meal and 
keeping in mind 
that the clock is ticking and soon
 Santa Claus will be coming 
to town...

...I am showing you pieces of Christmas 
that I have accomplished so far. 
 In time, you will be getting the full picture
 of the Olde Homestead Christmas 
but for now 
I am drifting throughout the Cottage, 
adding the magic here and there, 
wherever I think it needs it.

I hope you all had 
a blessed Thanksgiving, 
celebrating it in the best way possible 
that you could this year.

  I made some butternut squash soup...

...but we borrowed 

Raley's expertise 
for the main course...

...and I also made a dessert recipe 
of Cherry Crumble from the wonderful  Kitty's Kozy Kitchen 
that I borrowed from her long ago.
As you can see, 
when I said we would be eating our meal among chaos, 
I wasn't lying.

  
I have never been able to accomplish
 a good photograph of food 
so you will just have to take my word 
that it was very good and

 looked so pretty.

My two angels 
that are on display always, 
donned their little lace choir collars
 in an idea that was borrowed straight from a sign I saw on 
Antique Warehouse which stated simply
 "Hear the Angels Voices".

So many little touches of Christmas,

 borrowed from my memories of childhood,

 especially from my Mom. 

 Three years ago 

 I wrote a piece about her 

and all the Christmases passed 

that she provided for our family.  

Just in case you might have missed it 

the first time around, 

you can find it here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you went back to read 

this Christmas Past post, 

you might be wondering

 how Bo is doing.  

He is under the care of 

Tami and Tim's vet these last few years

 and with the right meds

 he is remaining seizure free

 and as beautiful

 as ever:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 In other words,

 borrowed from a recent post, 

what better time

 to "play house"

 than at Christmas?

Barely even started 
the decorating
 and already there is 
a present 
under the tree!

(with one tiny ornament already knocked off)

Bless his little heart!

Christmas is returning to the Cottage 

little by little and 

the beautifully applied red stained glass

 is borrowing the exact sentiments

 from the holly berries 

seen through 

the lace curtains.

As I move on to more decorating, 
I'll leave you with a quote
 I borrowed from a very wise and

 most admired lady
 in one of last year's posts: 

Stay Smart
Stay well
and
Wear Your Mask.

Spread the word
not the virus!

Here is a laugh 

that I borrowed from

 my sister:

Calm Down!

Walmart is just asking you

 to wear a mask. 

 You can still wear 

your pajamas and 

leave your bras and teeth 

at home.

Have a great week! 

...Judy...

Sharing today with:

Love Your Creativity at Life and Linda

ONLY ONE YEAR AGO...

 

Thanksgiving is

 just a couple of days away.  

There is no need to say 

that we will be enjoying 

our Thanksgiving dinner

 separated from the ones we love. 

 We are all in this same boat.

 

 We will miss everyone 

but we will still be thankful 

for what we have and 

talk to each other over

 the phone, Skype, Zoom, or whatever 

is our technology 

of choice.

As we sit down at our table, 

we will enjoy our dinner and 

try to ignore the chaos around us.

 

 Is it just me 

or do we all have such a mess 

preparing for Christmas

 until the final box is emptied?

 

 Every year I have the same wish, 

but for some reason,

 it is never granted! 

 I swear 

those boxes, when in storage,

 just keep reproducing! 

 

Just keeping it real.

I am making a pot of

 butternut squash soup, a dessert,

 and the rest of our dinner

 will be courtesy of Raley's.

  We did this last year

 when the kids were here and 

we all thoroughly enjoyed it.

  

Besides, 

with just the Captain and I,

 we will have enough left overs

 to last at least a week or two.

  Can't wait for all 

those turkey sandwiches!

I am starting 

to put up some Christmas decorations.

  Last year, 

Thanksgiving was later than usual 

so we didn't have much time afterwards

 to get Christmas going. 

 I love it so much and 

would like to keep it going

 for as long as I can. 

 Especially this year 

when we all need something

 a little extra.

It is hard not to be thankful 

when I can look out

my kitchen window and 

savor the beauty of a fall day and 

think back to only one year ago

 when I looked out this same window

 and saw this same tree.

None of this has changed 

and yet...

Only one year ago

 things were normal.  

Only one year ago

 life was what you made it. 

 Only one year ago 

we could live happily ever after. 

 One year ago 

seems like a 

lifetime away.

In the short span 

of one year 

so much has changed.  

We don't have the freedoms 

that we had then. 

 Times have changed to the extent

 that what seemed like promised time then

 is now time to be watchful of,

 to keep our eyes open and 

to think before we act

 about so many things 

that have usually been 

taken for granted.

It won't always be this way, 

it almost never is. 

 Things happen in our lives 

that affect us to the very core, 

but we are resilient and 

we can come back

 to a safe space.

Sometimes we learn great lessons

 during times like these and

 sometimes we don't, 

but we must always know 

that we can.

 

 This year, during the holidays,

 it might be harder than usual

 for some of us 

 to keep up

 our spirits.

We all have

 personal pictures 

of the way things ought to be, 

but that can't always

 be the reality. 

 Whatever your personal pictures are 

this holiday season, 

love your families,

 be thankful for all times spent together

 and know that our worlds

 are made to turn

 right side up again and 

so they will.

I would like to wish 

each and every one of 

my family and friends 

a joyful and thankful Thanksgiving. 

 Lots of good food to eat and 

lots of very sweet memories

 of those who can't be 

sitting at 

the table.

 Stay Smart

Stay Well

and

Wear the Mask.

Happy Thanksgiving

 to you all...

...Judy...

Sharing today with:

Love Your Creativity at Life and Linda

PLAYING HOUSE - FOR REAL...

 

When I was a little girl,

 I loved playing house and

 I was good at it! 

 No matter what the situation, 

I was always the mother.  

The one who cooked and cleaned 

and did the shopping. 

 Certain weeds and flowers

 that grew in my mother's garden

 were stand-ins for groceries 

and my bike was the car 

I drove to the market.

My dad had built

 my siblings and me

 a two room play house

 and this was where 

I spent my days.

 

 Long ago memories 

that have settled down 

into places almost forgotten

 but still very much a part

 of who I am today.

Blogging is like 

giving myself a do-over. 

 Playing house was always fun

 and now, 

because of content and sharing,

 I am giving myself a present

 from the past. 

 Now, making house work fun 

 is about the ideas,

 the implementing of those ideas 

and the photography and the story.  

To me,

 seeing the final details

 is as fulfilling as 

I would imagine 

an author feels 

when finishing 

the writing 

of a book.

Because of the pandemic,

 this year

 the holidays will be quite different. 

 Families will not be 

spending time together around 

the Thanksgiving table 

or the Christmas tree. 

 Our hearts will be sad, 

and our hands won't be held,

 but our spirits will be strong still.

 

 We can hope and pray

 beyond reason 

that this will not be so,

 but most likely 

it will be the way it is. 

 There are great hopes 

starting to come forth 

but, unfortunately, 

not in time for

 this year's celebrations.

Just because extended families

 can't be together, 

that doesn't mean that

those who can 

won't have a

 beautiful and memorable time. 

 I feel so fortunate and blessed 

to be with my friend and partner

 of over 60 years

 and to know that my kids 

are all safe and well.

 I have put myself 

in my playing house mode

and set up a pretty table 

that the two of us will sit at.

  It starts with a lantern,

 that was gifted to me

 from our sweet daughter, 

 along with a fall gathering 

of autumn colors 

that look perfect 

by candle light...

...and place settings that include

 china and cutlery

 thrifted long ago, 

chargers from The Dollar Tree,

 place mats, napkins and napkin rings 

from Pier One, 

salad plates and stemware

 from Home Goods...

...our after dinner tea 

is courtesy of 

Home Goods.

We will sit down to dinner 

with thoughts of loved ones

 and even though 

it won't be a

 traditional time...

...it will be my version 

of playing house for real 

and even though 

it could be better,

 it still is a time 

that we are 

thankful for.

Stay smart

Stay Well

Folks are dying out there

 and that is the 

very real fact 

of our lives now. 

 There is no hope

 that we will have the help 

we need as a country 

until next year,

 vaccine or otherwise, 

so it is up to us 

to take charge 

and do something

 for all our

 fellow human beings.

 

 As you sit around 

your dining table 

this Thanksgiving, 

 please include, in your prayers, 

the ones

 that aren't so lucky 

this year 

and their families 

who are missing them,  

and remember to  

Please,

Wear your Masks!

We are on the verge 

of another total shut down.

  

Those who won't or don't

 wear the mask and self distance,

  are part of the problem - not the solution!

Here is another 

little sneak peek 

of Christmas.

 No,

 I haven't gotten

 my new knickers in a twist 

and become a minimalist, 

there will be

 more added - you can be sure.

...Judy...

Sharing today with:

Love Your Creativity at Life and Linda

and

Keep In Touch at Let's Add Sprinkles