COMMON SENSE ONE ROOM AT A TIME...

This Christmas went by way too fast. 

 I thought I had planned it well 

and had enough time left over,

 after decorating, 

to enjoy it all.

  But did I?  

Was there too much work

 and not enough play

 or could it be just

 the way life goes these days?

If I am to be honest, 

it is probably the latter.

  With all that being said,

 I still find that I am enjoying the process 

and looking forward to what is to come. 

 I do want to apologize to all of you 

who have commented 

over the past couple of weeks. 

I have read them all just before bedtime 

and then when the morning comes

 there doesn't seem to be

 enough hours in the day 

to fit everything in. 

 I promise I will do better.

Hopefully this year will be better 

than the last - 

and where have we heard that before?  

I have come to the conclusion

 that this is something that we will continue to ask and, even though it is not ideal, 

I will do what I can to keep myself

 and my loved ones safe: 

keep getting my shots

 whenever it is said 

that another is necessary, 

keep wearing the mask whenever I go out 

and, regretfully,

 I will have to stay away from anyone 

who doesn't believe as I do.

I love my home, 

and even though there will be times

 that I may feel like a prisoner there, 

 I will accept that this is the 

normal way of life for me. 

I am really trying

 to come to terms with the fact 

that everyone doesn't see it the same way.

I am so lucky 

that I have been given 

a clean bill of health

 from my doctor yesterday 

and will continue to be careful,

 use common sense,

 and get on with it! 

 It seems to me to be such a simple solution to a very large problem

that, in my opinion,

 is only going to get worse 

for a good time to come.

Getting back to the

 wonderful Christmas experience.

Since it did seem to pass so quickly, 

I am taking my time

 to put the Cottage in order 

and am transitioning 

between Christmas and winter

 by leaving some obvious remnants behind. 

 This way, I get a clean house 

but still enjoy the beauty of lingering

 with a bit of what has passed too quickly.

The kitchen totes were the

 last to be put away

 so, therefore,

 it is the first room 

to be put back together.  

As I said, I am taking it slow, 

so I hope to have at least one more room to feature next week.

It is now sunny and cold

 with snow still on the ground

 and I am taking advantage of 
a warm fire in a clean kitchen
 which goes very nicely 
with a hot cup of tea. 
 I am watching my own 
personal little "roomba" (AKA Robin) 
constantly surveying 
all the little corners
 which she hopes have been forgotten.

What,

 just a short time ago 

was in the parlor

 filling in as a tree skirt, 

is now back to its roots. 

 It is just another way 

to bring comfort and warmth 

to a winter kitchen.

Happy New Year to everyone. 

 I sincerely hope that you 

and your loved ones 

stay safe, healthy and happy

 in the days ahead. 

 As for me and my house, 

we are approaching it, 

slowly but surely, 

with a little elbow grease

 and a bit of plain common sense.

Have a lovely week 

and thanks to you all

 for your support during the year 

and for all your

 sweet and thoughtful words. 

 You are all so very special.

...Judy...

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