Okay, okay...so I'm here!

But I just wanted to share our Christmas trees with you.

Here's the little one we have on our dining table, this year.



This is the first tree I had after I became a widow ...when I was the Grinch and Scrooge all wrapped up in one. It was my transition tree...I went from absolutely NO Christmas spirit, to not being able to wait to find my next miniature ornament to adorn this tree. I was on a mission and I spent a fortune on tiny ornaments...did you know they cost as much, if not more, than the big fancy ones? And YES, I'm glad you asked... that is a rose bud in a vase on my table (in front of the angel on the right). For you rosephiles, it's a Rosarium Uetersen bud, a tough wonderful German-bred Kordes rose... it won't open, it's been zapped by the frost too much, but it's still soft and supple. I can say I had a rose on my table in December! That's something I always love! When it's dry I'll add it to my end of rose-season potpourri bowl. I save about a dozen of my dry rose buds from the end-of-season roses in a bowl of nice smelling potpourri in my bedroom. Sort of a blessing from Summer. It helps me get thru the winter months!! That's a shot of Rosarium Uetersen in the summer, at the bottom of this blog if you scroll all the way to the bottom!

Here's our big tree in the living room. I love this tree.



Andy and I bought it just after Christmas the second year we were together. It was a bargain at half price. We even put it up AFTER Christmas that year, we couldn't resist! I made a ton of rosy ornaments for it and have bought every rose-themed ornament I've found since then. This year, a dear friend from S.Carolina sent me some ornaments she didn't need (she's down-sizing)...I was thrilled to get a package full of hand-blown glass ornaments. They are adorable...they are gracing our tree this year and I think of her every time I look at them ! (Thanks Rosemary, you're purely a doll!)

Time to work on Christmas cards. I want to be disgustingly organized this year. I feel the need to bake, shop, wrap, make, deck and dazzle this year.

Life is good.

Thought for the day...

"Deck the halls with boughs of holly..."

Christmas Carol