A Blessed Christmas to You♡

Hello lovely lovelies♡ Christmas is but a few days away. Just sitting here and gazing upon the glimmering Christmas tree. Yes, I finally sprinkled a little Christmas joy about, but only a little. The days of going all out with Christmas decorating are gone. Nowadays there's just a little Christmas wonderful wonderment scattered around.

The adorning of my home for Christmas is much the same as last year, because, to tell the truth I love it just the way it was/is. A most different tree from those gracing most homes, but I do love it. We replaced a most elegant, 9 foot, green Christmas tree which our family had loved for many years, to the one which now graces our parlour; a bare branched tree, with not a Christmas pine needle in sight. 'We' and I mean mostly me, couldn't do the 'Christmas Tree Wrestle', tussling with lights and decorations anymore. Clambering up and down a ladder for hours on end  was just dandy in my younger, arthritic-free days but it became a wee bit tedious....and painful.  'We' and I mean 'me' are too old. In the good old days when I uttered "tis time to decorate the Christmas tree" 'he' would head for dem hills, quicker than quick. So, a new tree, which only takes a matter of minutes to set up and then a couple of hours to decorate now stands gloriously in the footprint of that Christmas tree of old; twinkling upon me and casting a sparkling glow within the room.  Oh, I change the mantlepiece here and there, but mostly all my pretties are the same, because I love them. I am not that gal who has to go out every year and acquire decorations  for  a new theme. Though, this year a few new birdies have fluttered onto the tree, and a troupe of ballerinas have pirouetted to join the feathered pretties; but beside these new stars all the pretty ornaments are much the same. As I sit here, my heart smiles as I look at my Christmassy pretties.  There is something reassuring to me when I revisit all my pretties each year.

I find myself escaping through the day to sit and drink in the beauty of this room. During the late afternoon, Old Man Sun darts beams of coloured rays of light here and there, ricocheting all over the room; shadows dancing across the walls. It is enchanting. But, the magic of the glimmering lights at night time is my favourite. Christmas trees with scintillating lights twinkling, is truly one of life's pleasures.

On the mantle sits a photo of my girls, my babies, when they were small. The angels are smiling kindly upon them. As I stroll down the glistening path of nostalgic Christmas memories, so many cherished memories revolve around my girls' delight and happiness on Christmas mornings, of days past. So many sweet reminiscences of my girls hug my heart. My girls.....how I miss them. Both are far away, following their dreams. One daughter is in San Fransisco, and the other daughter lives in Queensland, at the top of Australia. It will be another Christmas without embracing my girls in a mother's hug. I haven't hugged my girls for three years. Such are these times.  I suppose when we all finally hug each other again, at the airport, it will be akin to those airport scenes in the movie, Love Actually. Our borders have begun to open up again over the last week, and the news footage of loved ones finally being able to be with each other again, is just like the movie. They all hug for what seems forever. Airports paradoxically are joyous; and sad. Perhaps, this coming year my husband and I will find ourselves at an airport en route to our girls; or them to us.......perhaps, perhaps. Though, who knows, as the world's Petri dish of covid just keeps becoming more menacing.

As I look upon my girls I think about all those memories kept within the deepest part of me, making me smile and may I say, at times, teary. But all is well. Here in my little place there is peace; yes, my heart is peaceful as I think upon the many beautiful  blessings which fill my heart with gratitude. Such is life, isn't it; sadnesses, disappointments, regrets, hardships, adversity, not so good times.......co-exist with the little joys, big joys, peacefulness, gratitude, blessings; in the everyday of our days. In my little world there is  beauty all around me. God's glorious garden and creation encompass me. I feel blessed. Though sometimes difficult, I want to try to see the beauty in my everyday; all those little things that can go unnoticed, which can disappear before I catch them.....especially in these times.

There are those of you who I know Christmas will be a difficult one. To some of you it is perhaps the worst of times. My goodness, so many tragedies have happened this year. My prayer list seems to get longer with each new day. So many people are hurting, are travelling through deep waters. Sometimes I suppose deep waters which seem much too deep to wade through. Christmas for some is a time of much sadness and sorrow. Some whose Christmas dinner table will have an empty chair this year, where a loved one once sat. To those of you who feel no joy this Christmas, please know I am sending you a heart full of hugs from my little place to yours♡ May the precious memories of your loved one that are safely locked in your heart comfort you at this impossible time♡

For me, though I will miss my girls, I will spend a lovely day with 'My Pete'. We will enjoy a quiet Christmas celebratory lunch and be thankful for the many blessings God has given us. For there are many♡ Me thinks lunch will be served and enjoyed in The Fernery surrounded by happy plants with touches of Christmas wonderful wonderment, sprinkled here and there♡

We will exchange gifts. But, we will reflect upon the greatest gift of all; the gift of Jesus on that first Christmas all those centuries ago; Jesus' Birth-day. For me, this is the miracle of Christmas. Love and grace for all mankind; for you, and for me.  If ever there was a time in history where God's love and grace needs to be showered upon us, it is now. So, so thankful that in the storms of my life, the hardest circumstances that have come my way, Jesus has always gone before me and more often than not when I think it is all too much, He has carried me. My heart is forever thankful for that very first Christmas Day♡ So very thankful for Easter, too; because without Christmas there would be no Easter. So very thankful my faith sustains me, gives me hope, because quite frankly, I have no faith that mankind will get it right; will wake up one day and decide to do what is right, what is sensible, what is unselfish. Though the world is filled with beautiful people who every day in their own little world, show beautiful acts of random kindness, I am afraid the world also has much too many 'crazies'. What can I give Jesus this Christmas?? Why, I can give Him my heart♡ 

As my embroidered curtains in my little place draw to a close for another year, I would love to say a heartfelt thank you to each one of you who has visited my happy place throughout this year. Your beautiful visits are the loveliest of gifts. Your generous and lovely comments truly bless my days. A kind word, a word of encouragement, a heartfelt sentiment can be the difference in someone's day who is struggling, can it not?? My days are sprinkled with beauty and kindness each time you stop by to say hello. Your beautiful visits are precious to me. This blogging world in which you and I play is a gift, isn't it? A beautiful gift where we encourage each other, support each other, inspire each other, and always show random acts of kindness to each other. I know not what next year will bring to you and I; but let us keep on inspiring each other and make this world just a little cheerier. From my little place to yours, may your Christmas be a blessed one♡ For those of you who perhaps the Christmas star shines a little less brightly this year, may the love of your friends and family envelop your heart and make it smile, if only a little♡ God bless each and every one of you, lovely lovelies♡

There will always be Angels watching over you♡

Until next year♡

Well......La-Di-Da........

Hello lovely lovelies♡ I am beaming a little sunshine and flowery loveliness from my little summery place to you♡ How are you, in your little corner of the world?? I wonder, are you all busy, busy, busy for the upcoming season of  Goodwill to All Men?? Here, way down at the bottom of the world, I am not. Those decorations still sit waiting, waiting, waiting.....for me to deck out the Christmas tree in all its glory. Had better get a move on. Perhaps this week?? I forever live in hope. =)

I have finished my little bag, though. Goodness me, it was a bit of a pain. Just a bit of a drama. Never in the annals of the 'Kim Sharman History of Fashioning Bags' have I ever, ever had so much trouble with one, little, insignificant bag. Oh, the playing with dancing ribbon and the embellishing of said bag with velvet flowers, doilies, and vintage buckles and jewels went along swimmingly. Loved it all, actually. It's the finishing of said bag, where the 'wheels fell off'. Sometimes, my head is never where it should be. I have fashioned so many bags that I can almost make them in my sleep. I really, really could. Not so this time. For some reason the bag's bottom was all out of proportion (much like mine, actually.....but I really, really don't want to go the there....). This fact, which  didn't really become totally obvious (though I did have an inkling) until the very last stitch had been stitched and the fringing was well and truly attached to the bottom of the bag. The fringing was SO attached, that with the strength of Hercules I had to rip it off; because when I sew a bag there are always many many tiny, impossible-to-unpick-stitches. Well...any bag of mine gets a good and thorough workout, so the stitching has to last. So, with shears in hand I cut the whole blasted, box-cornered bottom off. Alas, there are no happy snaps to show you of my little bag's unsightly bottom, nor indeed of maniacal and frenzied me with those deadly shears hacking away, as I was intent on fixing the darn said bag, with not a thought of recording all the ugliness for history; or for you. Besides, it was in the dead of night when the carnage happened, as I simply could not go to bed until all was fixed. I know, I know....so dramatic, but then, at times (some would say all the time) I am a bit of a drama queen. =) 

But......there are happy snaps of  my 'la-di-da' little bag, all fixed; with new fabric on the bottom and new fringing affixed. All evidence of the destruction of the hideous bag's bottom is no more. For the lining I chose a pretty fabric from my stash, which complemented the colours in the bag, and I sewed a vintage jewel onto the tab in order to fasten the bag. I resurrected the strap from an op (thrift) shop bag. I often buy old, unwanted bags which are selling for a song, just for the hardware. Care to have a bo-peep of my little bag?? 

It is very early Sunday morning here and both my good husband and my good self will be in and out of the car all day, as he is speaking at a few church services; arriving home later this evening, just in time for Kathy's party. =) With no hand sewing in the works, I think I will happily knit away on my woolly jacket as the countryside speeds by. A 330 kilometres round trip, so lots of time to enjoy a little knitting. Love driving through the countryside of my little world♡ Oh.....and I will have my la-di-da little bag swung over my shoulder throughout the day. Gotta go; my ride is waiting. Thank you for stopping by my little place♡  Sending you a basket of sweet, fragrant roses, sprinkled with a little love, this fine day♡ May the ordinary everyday of your week be sprinkled with the extraordinary♡ Take care, lovely lovelies♡

Until the next time........

December Dances In♡

 

Hello lovely lovelies♡ A lovely welcome to my little place, where December has joyfully wafted in on a hot, summery breeze♡ I am beside myself with great joy♡ How positively exciting♡ December, the month of summer, Christmas, and blue, blue hydrangeas♡ This summery gal is dancing on her tippy toes♡

I did a lot of thinking this week. I thought about my hydrangea flowers skipping around the blue cobblestones.....nothing. I thought about a little Christmas tree decorating.....nothing. Oh, I unearthed all the glittery adornments for said tree, but alas, they sit where I left them....waiting....waiting. I thought about knitting my woolly jacket.....nothing. Well, I tell a  porky pie, just a little one, as I did partake in a little knitting; BUT.......as I looked at my woolly on close inspection, I noticed an aberration. A cable way, way down had decided to go off in another direction. Damn! So, I unravelled way, way down to the disobedient cable, put all the woolly stitches back onto my needles.....and then, nothing.

But, I did spend a lot of time dancing in the garden this week♡ No....not weeding, or indeed any 'hard labour' kinda garden work, but communing with the flowers and trees, and picking rose after beautiful rose, to immortalise said roses in photos forevermore. =)

Yesterday, I began playing with needlepoints, fabric and pretty bits and bobs, for I am in need of a new bag. Yes indeedy, the placing of a doily here, some flowers there, and a little ruched ribbon skipping around a pretty needlepoint of a girl, was enjoyed. Any excuse to play and pet my pretties. Later on this evening, with all the other lovely ladies over at Kathy's place, I will joyfully.....yes.....even joyously hand stitch all the fripperies to my little bag♡

Thank you for visiting my little place this sunny, December Sunday♡ I am off to church and then lunch with friends♡ I hope I have sprinkled a little whimsy and joyful delight into your little world. May you dance through your week with a little joy♡

Until the next time...............