Making Time For What Really Matters
/It’s December 24th, and I’m still wondering where the year has gone?!!! Is it just me, or does it feel like the clock is spinning faster and faster by the day? I had so many wonderful things on my to-do list for the holidays. By this point each year I come to the realization that all the projects aren’t going to get done, and that’s ok! The critical ones are done and ready, the rest will have to wait another year.
There are some things I really wanted to make happen. One of those was to visit the “Light The World – Giving Machines” at City Creek Mall in Salt Lake City, Utah. I have always wanted a goat, but Ronnie put a firm foot down on that wish. Because I know I will never have a goat of my own, we bought one for someone else! We also bought a year’s worth of medical care for a child in a third world country. It was so much fun, and it feels good to help and serve those less fortunate than us. Being a Wednesday evening in downtown Salt Lake City, we thought the crowds wouldn’t be too bad. We still had to wait in line at the Giving Machines, but it was fun to watch the excitement of so many warm hearts on a cold December night, as they perused the menu prior to their purchase.
Our oldest daughter actually invited us to go to dinner with their little family that night and then walk through the lights at Temple Square in addition to viewing the candy window displays at Macy’s Department Store. We had a yummy dinner at one of our favorite family restaurants, the “Little America Coffee Shop” in the “Little America Hotel” in downtown Salt Lake City. It was a full night filled with Christmas magic. It’s all about making memories.
Another project I’ve been working on since Thanksgiving but designing in my mind for a few months now, was to decorate one of our little front yard planters.
Normally we put a trio of reindeer made from sticks and covered with my favorite “Grand-Mini” Twinkle lights from Modern Display here in Murray, Utah in this front planter. https://moderndisplay.com/
However, Ronnie was so excited to be-dazzle his new raised planter in the backyard, the reindeer now have a new permanent Christmas home.
This left the front walkway a little sad and dreary.
Putting some of the new skills I learned last summer in England to use, I foraged some great sticks from the backyard, and Ronnie helped me cut them to length.
I lashed two small arch frames together for the mechanics of the arrangements.
We have two whiskey barrel planters that needed some winter sprucing up.
I had planned to construct my own cedar garlands and pine wreaths; however they were so inexpensive at Costco, I changed my mind. I ended up purchasing two cedar garlands, and two large evergreen wreaths.
I wrapped the top edge of the whiskey barrels with the cedar garland, draping the individual branches down onto the side of each whiskey barrel. I love the intoxicating smell of fresh cedar and evergreens!
I secured the cedar garland circle with paper covered wire. Then I placed a fresh evergreen wreath over the top of the dirt in the barrel.
Next I pushed the wooden stick arch frames into the center of each planter.
A few years ago, I bought two large painted cowbells from the “Sundance Catalog Store” when they were on clearance after Christmas.
I searched and searched the internet to buy two leather straps to hang them on the stick frame with no avail.
When in doubt, ribbon is generally the best alternative! And since I seem to have “a ribbon problem,” according to my nine-year-old granddaughter, I easily found the perfect choice in my ribbon stash! I tied the bells onto the stick frame, and then partially wrapped the frame with the remaining pieces of fresh cedar garland, securing with paper covered wire.
Almost done, it just needed a cascade of small heart shaped brass bells, a ribbon bundle, and a strand of the “Grand-Mini” twinkle lights from Modern Display. I had two pieces of Cedar garland left after completing the whiskey barrel arrangements.
I draped one over the antique fence piece that spans between the two whiskey barrels, and the other was wound around a post near the reindeer trio in the back planter. We added the perfect weather approved star made in Germany, and the outdoor décor was complete. This project has taken me an entire month to finish with just a few days to spare until Christmas.
I didn’t get my front porch decorated like I had planned, and a few other projects have already been tucked away to be completed for another Christmas in the future.
That’s ok, because it gives me projects to look forward to!
In the past, we’ve taken Christmas down on New Year’s Day. However, the past few years we’ve enjoyed it so much that we leave it up until at least the middle of January.
It might stay up until the end of January this year. There’s no rule that says you can’t enjoy your decorations as long as you want to, and we are generally the last ones in the neighborhood to turn off our Christmas lights!
Decorating for the holidays brings LIGHT, Hope and Joy to my soul! Sharing and serving others does the same. It is my hope that we can all take time to slow down this last week of December, and truly enjoy the Spirit and LIGHT of the season as we honor and celebrate the real reason for the season – the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ!
Happy Christmas! Love Ya, Les 😊