Still Here, Pluggin' Along

We continue to do our sorting, cleaning and organizing.  If we're working in an unheated storage area, we dress warmly and keep moving.  (No problem with the moving part.  Shuffling items from where they have been stored to another more logical area has been a big part of our attempted reorganization so loading up the garden cart, pushing it to the new location and then unloading it [up or down stairs more often than not, it seems] keeps us puffing.)

The weather has been cooperating in that we haven't had snow to plow through.  I think that very fact has urged us on because it's remarkable how much more effort it takes to push a wheeled cart (or even walk!) through snow.

Papa Pea wants to be done with everything by the first of January.  I would be pickled tink if we could reach that goal, but as you all know, life seems to interfere when a whole day has been plotted out to a specific job.

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We've never done much decorating for the holidays outside other than a wreath on the side of the house and a couple on doors.  Having always lived in the woods or down a long driveway, we're used that as an excuse to not go through the trouble (and frozen digits) of hanging lights and such outside.  And then having to take them down . . . in even colder weather.  Ugh.

Perhaps because we've had mostly gray, overcast days since putting the inside decorations up right after Thanksgiving this year, we've enjoyed the lights and color inside more than usual, it seems.

I have a small collection of lighted ceramic Christmas trees that were popular many years ago.  One of those on a table or shelf here and there adds a bright charm with their colorful lights.  I think I mentioned earlier we purchased some of the newer LED strings of lights for our Christmas tree on sale last year after the first of the year.  Wow, they are indeed brighter and we've even been keeping the tree lights on during most days.

A good friend gave us this colorful wreath made with huge jingle bells, the largest ones I've ever seen.  Each bell is nearly the size of a tennis ball and, yes, they do jingle.  We hung it on the mirror over the couch in the living room and I've told hubby I'm really going to miss the burst of color it adds to the room when I take it down at the end of the holiday season.

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I've been working on my new "after Christmas/up 'til spring" quilted shower curtain for the bathroom.  Next comes the outer border, then sandwiching and quilting.  I've kinda lost interest in this project because it's not looking very colorful to me.  I made it in lots of shades of blue and beige . . . and am now questioning the wisdom of my choice.  But I keep telling myself it will look fine when finished and hung in the knotty pine and yellow bathroom.  I keep telling myself.

I'm hoping to head for the quilt room yet this afternoon.  But first I have to strip the bed and get the sheets into the washing machine.  And sort out my over-stuffed refrigerator and figure out what to have for dinner tonight.  And clear my desk and pay a couple of bills I meant to have ready to go to the P.O. this morning, but didn't.  And do breakfast and lunch dishes.  When you think about it, all these things I "have" to do are caused by the bounty in my life.  I am so thankful I have an automatic washer and dryer in my own home.  My refrigerator is full of wonderfully nutritious food we are so fortunate to have access to.  I have enough money in the checking account to pay those bills on my desk.  There's a copious quantity of running water from our own good well which is heated in our adequate water heater and I have a good audio tape to listen to while I wash the dishes . . . all the above things for which I am grateful and of which I am so very appreciative.

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The End

P.S.  I want to give credit, again, to the lovely photograph by my daughter which is my new blog header.  This picture has been used as the front of Christmas cards.  So simple and yet so striking.