The weekend after Thanksgiving, my autumn wreaths were packed away and replaced by my Santa wreaths. A sign that the holidays are officially here. This year I will not be pressured to do more outdoor decorating than I want to. My simple front door wreaths shown here can convey a sense of celebration.
Don't take me wrong, I love the holidays, all of them. I love the decorations and am known for going beyond the normal with it, I love to get out the trees, I love the sparkle and glitter of it all and even the crowds in the malls. As you can see, I sort of blend the holidays, Hanukkah and Christmas......after all to me, they both represent family, friends, goodwill, peace and hope. This year, I have decided to keep things simple. I will again put up my little kitchen tree, which several years ago was just that, the kitchen tree, then there was the formal living room tree, the fun family room tree, etc. I will decorate my mantle and put out some additional decorations....but this will be my year to keep things simple and manage typical holiday stress.
I am almost done with my gift shopping. I willl watch lots of the sappy holiday movies that are run pretty much 24/7, you know the ones that all have a predictable happy ending. I will experience more goodwill through my volunteering as time allows, and I will prioritize my time for what's important.
I will have more time to relax as well as take care of my garden. My vegetables in my square foot raised bed garden have more then tripled in size since they were first planted several weeks ago. This is my first attempt at raising vegetables for myself. As a Seminole County Master Gardener, I have worked on the Three Sisters Demonstration Garden at the Sanford Museum.
Here I am on Thanksgiving day cutting my red leaf lettuce to add to the salad. There really is nothing as good as fresh produce.
This photo of my Giant Kalanchoe Gastonis Bonnieri, Donkey Ears, was taken on Thanksgiving day. It has been getting ready to bloom for about 4 weeks now. I have been taking photos every several days to document this wonder of nature. It appears that perhaps I will get the gift of full bloom in conjunction with the "wonders of the season".I have decided that this holiday season I will set realistic expectations, develop creative ideas, initiate new traditions and activities, and overcome the holiday blues. Won't you join me to add sparkle and glitter to the holidays....whichever you believe in........creating new traditions that will bring memories for years to come.
My goal is to add a little peace and quiet to my holiday celebrations and make room for meaningful time with loved ones. How about you?
1 comment:
Things look really great in your garden.
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