Looking back over life this week . . . . . .

 

 It's been a mixed week of trying to get niggling chores done in order to

 move along with Christmas preparations.

For instance, in the garden, cutting down the delightful dahlias now in their

 death throes. This one still beautiful. Hoping they will return next year.

Raking the never ending falling leaves - thank goodness Bob can still 

do this job - but next year we will most likely hire younger able-bodied 

yard workers - it's really too much for us now!

Putting away the daily decor and making room for Christmas - 

although this year I will keep it simple.

Last thing to decorate is the dining room table - my favorite space after the mantel.

It will also be the last . . . . .after I've completed writing the Christmas cards over

the weekend. . . . . they are scattered everywhere across the smooth, gleaming

 pine table, along with sheets of pretty postage stamps, address labels, lists,

pens etc. 

Stopped at a garden center in town yesterday to pick up some cut greens

and was surprised at the prices this year - so much higher than I recall.

This now seems to apply to everything we are purchasing though, 

especially food!

My choice of greenery for the mantel - $15 for these few pieces tied in a bunch!

Fresh wreaths such as at the top of this photo were lovely but priced so high,

some close to $100!

I'll scrounge around in the back garden and see if I can find more

evergreens and red berries later.

We decorated outside this week, fewer strands of lights due to

 my physical issues. Currently Bob does everything requiring bending

 and lifting! I went to PT twice this week and am now taking a

break until I see the neurosurgeon just prior to Christmas.

Hung wreaths - our very nice faux ones - with new red and black check

 ribbon bows, many candles in lanterns, and set some floodlights across 

the lawn. The cottage looks pretty once dusk fades and the inky darkness

 of these December nights blots the sky. The moon hangs low, a perfect

 clear crescent, stars are glittering, and the nostalgic fragrance of 

burning firewood creeps into the nostrils when I step outside. 

Although still warm, we did light a fire on Thursday night when

granddaughter Jasmin came for supper.

The coming of Christmas is a lovely time. Just need to stop, breathe, and

take in the simple things nature provides - they are the most important.

Hoping your weekend will be filled with treasures of the holiday season.

Decor for the New Year. . . . . . . . .

"Taking down Christmas" makes the cottage look somewhat bare. 

All the red touches, which I admit I really enjoyed for a few weeks, are packed

 away, the glitter has gone and all that remains to make the holidays a lovely memory, 

is the faux tree and its decorations still in the gazebo - just too cold to spend time out

 there. With the warmer days coming later in the week I'll have to make the effort

 and get out there with the waiting green storage boxes! Meanwhile I'm loving the

 lighted tree at night, and turn it on for a while these freezing mornings.

I've left a few of the faux pillar candles scattered around the rooms, timed to

 come on at 6 pm they brighten up these cold evenings without any effort, prior

to lighting a roaring fire on the hearth.

I really don't have any etched in stone house projects in the works for this year. 

I admit to having a little 'secret list' tucked away and, once it warms up in late Spring,

 after our travels in March, I may decide to tackle - with help - an interior painting project.
Currently we have a leaking toilet tank plus the HVAC system needs checking - enough
to be concerned about right now.

Talk about 'a clean slate', the house does appear to be that way again. 

The early morning watery sunlight is quite cleansing. 

I'm still searching for the items I had to remove from places to make
 room for Christmas decor.

Do you do that and then, like me, have to look high and low
 (under beds for example) to find where you've hidden them? 

The season of light. . . . . . . . .

As mentioned previously, the cottage had a face lift this autumn.

We addressed the needed wood repairs and re-painting with a total

 re-siding with HardiePlank - and are thrilled with the fresh look.

Of course the shrubs had to be cut down and it will be a while before

 they fill in again around the foundation - another spring/summer

 without the beautiful blue hydrangeas perhaps.

Leaves, from mostly oaks, continue to fall. We've raked tons and have

 tons more to come down over the coming weeks.

The pots contain spring blooming tulip bulbs topped with pansies - those hardy

lovelies which over-winter so well.

This photo is just at dusk so you can see the Christmas decor a little better. . . . . . 

once darkness takes over the flood lights we have installed on the grass are

 rather bright for good photos.

The restoration of the back deck and gazebo was, as I've moaned and

 groaned about a lot lately, a job which was not expected to last so long!

All the cedar was replaced around the gazebo and deck base, the three  

sets of steps were re-built, a couple of deck posts replaced, everything

washed, sanded back to raw wood, then re-stained - he even sanded all

 the edges of the cedar roof shakes so they would look smooth again.

A thorough job by a very good carpenter.

It's now completed, and just in time as much colder weather has arrived,

 including some rain which turned to a light snow today - but nothing

stuck and tomorrow the sunshine should return.

The Christmas tree is up and decorated. . . . . . all looks really bright

 and cheery for the holidays.

I missed my cottage Christmas last year when we traveled to Europe. . . . . . so this

 year I'm enjoying having time to do all the traditional things which make Christmas

 at home so special.

Comfy in grey. . . . . . . .

I love black clothing, however I really love grey more!

This week I have to go through my wardrobe yet again. . . .  

to prepare for colder weather at long last.

We just may get a dusting of snow later in the week,

but if not it will be much more chilly than the beautiful

weekend we've just had - topped off by that spectacular 

'super moon' we viewed in awe last night. Did you see it?

We raked and moved a trillion leaves to the street over

 the past two days - hard work but great exercise in the

 warm sunshine. 

Still have to complete the deck work in back of the cottage -

then I can put up my tree in the gazebo - however I did

get the outside holiday decor completed in the front and it

 looks very festive at night when the lights are sparkling.

Have you started your Christmas decorating?

Getting Away From It All. . . . . . . . . .

No, this isn't happening at the cottage this Christmas season.

 These are decorations from another year when I had time for such. 

This year we will be gone from home so the green boxes are staying tucked

 away in the attic. I'm somewhat sad to think the house will be in darkness 

for Christmas. We fly across the pond tomorrow night. Hoping for a great cruise

 and then back to England for Christmas week. 

Hope to keep in touch with you all here, but just in case I'm having too much

 fun to blog, or the Internet lets me down out on that ocean, know I'm sending

 good wishes to each of you, my dear friends, for a wonderful holiday season.

Before things change. . . . . . . . . .

Before I start adding Christmas decor to the cottage I need to do some dusting

moving of items, reorganization etc. - as you can see I'm not exactly a minimalist.

I did want to share the tall decoupaged 'rose pot' before moving it as I mentioned

 recently to dear blog friend Gina that I used to paint and embellish clay pots.

Most I sold on through a local shop, but have a few I kept, this being my favorite

as I love dragonflies.

I've not started on Christmas decorating yet other than buying poinsettias for 

the staircase a couple of days ago - and whilst there at the garden center I picked

 up this small pot of ivy which I'll probably work into my dining table centerpiece.

I know I'm not purchasing any new factory-made ornaments, I don't need any 

and, when I looked at prices of some beauties at the garden center gift shop,

 I almost fell over from shock!

To make your own really stunning ornaments be sure to visit my fabulous

Utah artist friend Gina at http://ginaceramics.blogspot.com

who's sharing her ideas for painted glass balls - they are so beautiful.

This afternoon I'm attending a Christmas music concert. This evening I will 

complete the Christmas cards ready for mailing on Monday - I promised myself

 no decorating until they were done.

Tomorrow Bob will assist with getting the boxes down from the attic and

I'll wave my wand work hard to bring the magic of Christmas to the cottage. . . . 

. . . . and I just bet most of you are way ahead of me, right?

Housework v. Decorating . . . . . . .

Thinking back over a lifetime of 'keeping house' while balancing on a step stool 

a few days back, I gave a long hard look about me and wondered about today's 

household cleaning chores, both my own and others. 

With one of the hubby's old white sport socks over my hand, and a spray bottle 

of Windex, I was up here cleaning the crystals and other parts of the kitchen chandelier,

 moving on to woodwork armed with Murphy's Oil Soap - cabinets and trim - then 

washing the floor with Bona and mop.

I used to almost enjoy housework, especially once completed. Looking about and 

seeing the furniture and woodwork sparkle, the lack of dust 'bunnies' in the corners,

 smelling that clean fragrance from the products used such as lemon oil, made it all worthwhile.

Now, I find it hard going. Bending, stretching, the difficulty of getting back up from the 

aging knees, and with the current hip problem, quite honestly, house 'work' has 

become a painful drag. 

So what do I do to make things easier on myself? Hubby helps and would do it all, 

bless his heart, but he wouldn't do it like I would! A maid service would be a last 

resort - I've never had anyone clean my home and don't know if I want that…..yet!

So I'll keep on best I can for the time being.

As for decorating?

That part of keeping house I love. Day to day, week to week, little tweaks and 

changes, redoing vignettes, arranging flowers, moving things around.

However, the big thrust now is decorating for Christmas. 

Thanksgiving is nothing more than moving the pumpkins around a bit - we will not be 

eating here, or having company, and we head to the coast the following day for the weekend.

Digging through the attic areas, on hands and knees, to pull out the storage boxes will 

be the hubby's job soon.

I will decorate as usual, although I don't do as much outdoors with lights any longer.

The faux tree will appear in the gazebo decorated with Nature's pretties I've collected.

I so enjoy seeing it outside the kitchen windows, lighting up the winter nights.

I may look for a small fresh tree for inside, taking pleasure in hanging cherished 

ornaments collected over the years.

The wooden snowflakes will dangle in the dining room window. The candles 

will glow once darkness cools the night, Christmas music will fill the air, and the fire 

will burn in the hearth.

Thankfully 'home for Christmas' will happen as always.

So, what are your feelings about house work and cleaning chores?

Do you enjoy them? Do you have help from a cleaning company, 

and if so, how did you find a competent, reliable one whose employees 

take care of your much-loved, precious things?

Does your spouse/partner give you a hand?

As for decorating, I just know you will soon be sharing your beautiful 

holiday items - this is always such a bright and beautiful time of year - and 

I enjoy seeing all your creative endeavors here on your blogs.