Monday Thoughts

This Christmas was the year to return to a real tree. I gotta tell you I LOVED it. I loved the excitement of choosing it and the memories it evoked. I was always one of those who said I would never own a fake one, but somewhere along the way, I did just that. 

I am fully embracing my old rule of real trees only for now anyway. 😊 Of course, at my age I feel free to change my mind at any time.

Taking it down is always bittersweet. I grew up with the tradition of taking it down after the new year, but I have never adhered to that tradition on my own. For 32 years of marriage, I have taken it down on the 26th. One year I was guilty of taking it down Christmas Day night. 

Paul Allen's words. I have never smiled for one of these. I can't start now. I give up.

 I always blamed the urge to get it down on "the teacher in me," but the truth is, I am ready for a clean house slate.

I have been busy today putting all my Christmas away AND changing things up. I will share all of that with the New Year.

As I decorated this year, I used mostly the decorations that were long standing ones. Those brought back the most wonderful memories. I was very simple this year as well. I am going to make that a new tradition. 

Now for other random thoughts...

The weather has been perfect to me. I am NOT one of those people who thinks it needs to be cold for Christmas. Maybe I should live in the southern hemisphere. They have warm Christmases. Anyway, I have loved the weather. My roses are still putting out blooms, although all but my Queen Elizabeth are small in size. 

The geraniums are loving this warm December with me. Maybe they like me know what comes in January and February. Better enjoy while you can.

The pansies are happy too.

I haven't mentioned Paul Allen's girlfriend, because I was waiting to see if it really had a chance. I am so excited. Scared to get excited, but excited. Y'all she is so pretty and SWEET. Very poised. I like her!

I have been busy looking at decorating ideas. I love that blue is going to be a popular color this year...not that trends have ever mattered to me. I love blues and greens period. They are calming.

I love my pops of red on the holidays...Christmas, Valentines's, 4th of July, and pops of orange in the fall, but... BLUES and GREENS are my colors.

I am working on my living room. I bought a new rug back in the fall, and have been working on changing out some items in the room to match the new rug. I will share later.

I am working on a kind of patriotic color scheme at the farmhouse.

I have one more post in me for 2016. It will either come Wednesday or at the very end of the year. We are headed to the cabin for a couple of days at the end of the week, so it may be over the weekend before I post it.

Anyway, I am looking forward to 2017!

Cleaning and dreaming,

Sandy