Tis The Season to be.........BUSY!!!!!

 

I think, as of yesterday, I'm done with the decorations!

Our family Bible open to the the account of Jesus' birth.

I love my snowmen!

More cuties.  : )

Just a little tree in my craft room.

I won't bore you with more.  LOL  : )  How are all of you doing with decorations?  Are you paring down this year, going all out, or somewhere in between?  I really went through my decorations last year and gave a lot away so putting them up this year was much easier.  I don't go all out anymore - I think I'm somewhere in between.  This is the first year that every room has a little something.

I had to tear myself away from the craft room to write this post.  It's been snowing since 6 a.m. and I took advantage of that.  No housework, no running errands - just getting into the craft room and create.  Window treatments open wide, hot chocolate at my side, and music playing.  I dream of days like this!!!!  : )  

This is out our front door - the window was fogging up so it's not a great photo!

It's almost 4 p.m. and the snow is winding down.  After writing this post, and after I put supper into the oven, I'll head back to the craft room and finish up.   Supper tonight is baked pork chops with Acorn squash.  I love oven meals on snowy days.  : )

From the title of my post, it's the season to be busy.  It happens every year.  Church programs and events.  Gatherings for parties.  Cooking and baking.  Shopping and wrapping.  It's all good and it's all fun, but if we're not careful we can get tired out, overwhelmed, and lose out on the true meaning of Christmas altogether.  It can get to be more me-centered than others-centered (or, most importantly, Christ-centered).

To help with that, I feel it's important to have a list - kind of a "countdown to Christmas" list available to pull ideas from so that we remember to be the hands and feet of Jesus to other people.  Here are some ideas:

*Taking goodies to your local fire department, police department, gas stations, convenience stores, urgent care - anyone who has to work on Christmas

*Give a card (maybe with a gift card tucked in) to your mail carrier

*Fill a bag or two with groceries and take it to your local food shelf

*Send Christmas cards to your local nursing home or senior care center

*Pay for someone's meal

*Pay for someone's groceries

*Buy extra hats, mittens, scarves and hand them out at bus stops

*Carry extra umbrellas in your car to hand out to anyone standing in the rain/snow

*Give a generous tip to a server

*Leave money in vending machines 

*Leave dollar bills around the dollar store (or now, it's the $1.25 store)

*Make "foot care" kits for waitresses and nurses - write a note of encouragement

*Scrape the snow off someone's car

*Help a neighbor with snow removal

*Buy, and deliver, a pizza or two for anyone who has helped you this past year

*Make a holiday basket for a family in need - gift card to local grocer, homemade treats, a new Bible, notecards with stamps, tree ornament...........

*Take homemade baked goods to a local women's shelter

*Play secret Santa and leave a gift on a doorstep (someone you know who needs a pick-me-up)

*Send a card/letter to someone in the military

*Give diapers to a local pro-life center

*Drop off toys, books, coloring books w/crayons to a hospital and/or clinic

*Make fleece blankets for the children who are in the hospital

*Make pretty table decorations for a nursing home

*Invite people into your home that don't have family around - play games, share a meal

This is not a comprehensive list.  I'm sure there are other wonderful ideas out there.  For some of these ideas, it would be wise to contact organizations first before dropping something off.  It seems like Covid changed everything especially when it comes to prepared meals and goodies that come from your own kitchen.  Sad, but true.  So, ask first just to be safe.  It would be awful to go through all the time, energy, and money only to find out that they won't accept it.

Also, and VERY important.......don't feel like you have to do all of these things and don't feel like you have to do them by yourself.  This would be a wonderful chance to get your kids and/or grandkids involved.  Family projects are so fun and meaningful and a great opportunity to make this a learning experience on how we can all make a difference in the lives of others.  Or, if you don't have kids/grandkids, how about getting together with a group at church or people on your block?  You can share in the expense and the more the merrier!

Well, I hope this has helped to put some "others" giving into Christmas this year.  I know it's been a good reminder for me!!!!  : )

I'd better end this post for now, get into the kitchen, and listen to the snowblower clearing the snow away.  God bless you all and thank you for taking time to read what I have for today.  Hope to chat again.

Mary

 

Now The Plans Begin

 

Our kitty (Boba) watching a nature video.  Birds were flying in and out of view on the screen and she kept looking out the window to see if they were there.  : )  She also has a favorite mouse video too. LOL

Hello ladies!  I think it was before our pumpkin party that I had last posted.  Here are some of the pumpkins from that gathering:

Everyone always gets so creative!  If there is such a thing as a perfect evening - the weather was great, the funny conversations around the fire, sipping on potato soup to warm us up and having a few S'mores for dessert.  Things that memories are made of.  : )

I know I'm a little late but I wanted to pause and thank all the veterans out there for their service (past and present).  My husband and I had dads who served in WWII.  Thank you!  You are NOT forgotten.

We are now in the cold air that a good part of the country is in (normal here in MN).   It's been very cloudy and we had some MUCH needed rain earlier and mid-week.  Today there were tiny little flurries in the air.  I'm ready.  Especially with Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up.  The flurries were also nice because I put up our Christmas tree today.  We have to put the lights on yet but we aren't going to decorate it until Thanksgiving Day as I'm going to try to start a new tradition for the four of us.  I thought that after we eat we would decorate the tree together.  Everyone seems to be all for it, so I'm hoping it will be fun for us as we share some memories that come with each ornament.

Other than the tree, all of our fall decorations are still up because I like them up for Thanksgiving Day.  It will pretty much be the traditional holiday foods - I tend not to go for trying anything new.  If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?  After years of holiday food preparation, I think we women just know what doesn't go over very well and what works.  How about you?  Do you stick with the same menu or do you try something new?  I'd love to know.  : )

We also tend to take our Christmas photo on Thanksgiving.  And it's always cold!  There we are, sitting without coats on the front porch, (freezing) and acting like we're just fine.  LOL  But that's become a tradition too so we're sticking to it!!!  : )

I co-hosted a craft get-together at our church last Saturday and only nine women showed up but we enjoyed crafting what each of us brought, talking and getting to know each other a bit better all the while eating donut holes and sipping apple cider.  I don't know if we'll do it again based on the numbers but we tried it and it was enjoyable.  : )

Because I love to craft, I'm going to try and open an Etsy shop after the new year.  I had a shop a long time ago, but it was kind of hodge-podge so it really didn't do very well.  I feel like I have a new idea for it so I want to at least try it again and see what happens.  Nothing ventured, nothing gained.  : )

There isn't a whole lot to post about.  I haven't been cooking or baking anything new.  I continue to read, craft, keep house.......but nothing that would be helpful to you as a reader.  I guess I just wanted to check in, hoping that all is well with you.  I was very disappointed in the election.  Now we have the same as we did and can continue to expect some not-so-good things that will have ramifications for the future of our country.  The one thing it does do is that it helps us to keep our focus on God not men.  Men always disappoint, God does not.

With that, I will stop.  Keep praying.  God bless your Sabbath tomorrow and your week ahead!

Mary

Another beautiful sunset.  : )