Seasonal Decor transitioning from fall to winter now ..

[injunjoe]

Shannon those pictures are wonderful.

Beautiful tree! She is quite the ham! Adorable shot with the tree!

I will go out now and get some pictures of my lights!

Joe

 

[injunjoe]

Okay here are a couple of pictures for now.

I need more lights! I have not hit my stash yet, I saw these at the store and figured they were just the right length to do 2 poles for each strand.

Sorry no cute 'little ones' to photo

need more lights

Joe *aah lights *

 

[journey11]

Yea for pictures!! Lookin' festive guys!

I am behind on decorating. I was hanging outdoor lights Monday when I got a call from my grandma that my kid sister was in the hospital. Been down there most of the past two days. They thought she had a stroke by her symptoms, but turns out it was an infection on the brain/seizure, possibly meningitis. No diagnosis yet, but she's doing soooo much better today.

After seeing all the other families in the ICU with sick kids, I am hoping and praying they get to have a good Christmas (or whatever they celebrate), and so very thankful that my sis will.

Life is a gift. Every day is a gift! I'll take all the warmth and joy I can get this season, or any season!

*******
ETA: HiD, I just read that they got that guy. That is crazy! I always think about how rattled communities must feel when these things happen. Was that very close to you? Since I live in a very rural, very sleepy little town, nothing much other than some drug activity really goes on around here. Remembering too, the Ft. Hood families suffering this holiday season. I used to live in Killeen, TX and worked on Ft. Hood. I also used to go to VA Tech and had math classes in the building where that shooting happened. It's been many years now, but I still feel very attached to those communities when something like that happens. With every deployment I hear of, I see in my memory the faces of folks I once knew, and wonder where they are now.

 

[injunjoe]

Journey sorry you sister is ill.
I wish you and her all the best!

Peace; Joe

 

[HiDelight]

OT and do not want to harsh anyone's buzz but seriously I will out myself just to let you know that there are reasons people "hate" holidays ..I myself have suffered a huge seemingly still ..insurmountable tragidy during the holidays 2 years ago..and I cringe at the thought of celebrating and yes sometimes I just hate it all!!! so it is important to remember that some folks are having a horrible time..selfishly I am telling you it is me as one of them! I say this not for sympathy but for understanding ..last year if anyone had said "Merry Christmas" to me I would have burst into tears and run! ..this year I am trying to be gracious smile and accept all good wishes...but am not all that happy and there are still tears when people offer greetings to me ... that is for sure ..I am trying however! and so what if folks do or do not want to celebrate? it does not affect anything anyone does when they choose what they choose!
Journey that shooting was 10 min from me ..I know the coffee shop well! and and my son knows two of the officers (I just found that out) we are going to put some flowers on the memorial hopefully tomorrow..it is horrible makes no sense and what was a life yesterday for these families is no longer a life today..and it triggered my own grief badly..as well as other people's with similar circumstances ....I also lived in Killeen my husband was stationed at Ft Hood when he was in the army ...I am sick and sad for these families and wish I could reach in and just pull them out of this grief because I know first hand how much this loss can shatter your world ..it is relentless and never ending ...so be kind and understand please that while things are joyful for some they are not always joyful to others ...and yes bringing joy is important but if it is not accepted that is just the way it is ..

ok off my sad soapbox and please humor me and just ignore what I have to say if you do not care it is just a point like any other point take what you want and leave the rest ..pont made I will not bring this up again I was just so startled by the way that Vfem's thread went ..both sides of the coin!

my heart is with you and your sister I hope she continues to improve ... meningitis is horrible and I am so so sorry hugs to you and yours ...the fact she is better is all that matters if you get a diagnosis it is just a label at this point bottom line she is better OOOXXX to you!

Back on topic the lights and decorations look beautiful! ..Chipmunk is over tomorrow and we will be doing some yard work with two days of predicted dry weather it is perfect to do some sprucing up to make things festive and pretty I looked for the foil on my lunch hour yesterday ..no luck I found the brass and copper but really want silver ..I love silver ..since we do not get much snow or ice here it is my contribution to make things glisten ..instead of just being soggy


funny story one time I lived in a old house ..I covered my pine tree with a huge number of lights and then put mushrooms lit up (they were clay pots bowls with regular pot bases (can you picture this the bowls were upside down covered with red and white lights so they looked like various sized fly amanitas.. on the bases of regular clay pots and they made perfect mushrooms) no one told me you needed more than one extension cord I just loaded up on lights plugged it in to an outlet on a house that still had a fuse box

then invited guests for a wassail party ..well one of the guests came walking up my side walk and said "wow HiD that is just beautiful and I love the mushrooms ...but the smoke is that part of the display>?????"

Yea for pictures!! Lookin' festive guys!

I am behind on decorating. I was hanging outdoor lights Monday when I got a call from my grandma that my kid sister was in the hospital. Been down there most of the past two days. They thought she had a stroke by her symptoms, but turns out it was an infection on the brain/seizure, possibly meningitis. No diagnosis yet, but she's doing soooo much better today.

After seeing all the other families in the ICU with sick kids, I am hoping and praying they get to have a good Christmas (or whatever they celebrate), and so very thankful that my sis will.

Life is a gift. Every day is a gift! I'll take all the warmth and joy I can get this season, or any season!

*******
ETA: HiD, I just read that they got that guy. That is crazy! I always think about how rattled communities must feel when these things happen. Was that very close to you? Since I live in a very rural, very sleepy little town, nothing much other than some drug activity really goes on around here. Remembering too, the Ft. Hood families suffering this holiday season. I used to live in Killeen, TX and worked on Ft. Hood. I also used to go to VA Tech and had math classes in the building where that shooting happened. It's been many years now, but I still feel very attached to those communities when something like that happens. With every deployment I hear of, I see in my memory the faces of folks I once knew, and wonder where they are now.

 

[Greensage45]

 

[vfem]

I do feel you guys' pain... and Ron, that blog made me cry like a baby.

Because this year I am really gripping to hope to have some joy in this season. The worst part is, I'm trying to be the one to bring joy to the people around me who are hurting.... its exhausting... and part of me just wants to give up and curl up and cry with them bitterly... but I can't! That's not me! I believe is great things to come... otherwise no one would carry on without the possibility of light, enormous amounts of light and brilliance to be had.

I went as far as having a tarot card reading recently to give me some direction with everything that's happened this year! I needed someone out side the situation to tell me what to do!

They told me to carry on as I am... I am doing what I can do, to the best I can do it, and when others are ready they will respond. And I really needed to hear that!

So if anyone really needs to smile right now, to have a good laugh, and just know there are moments of joy a plenty... let me know... I will happy to make you laugh... like here...

Who could not laugh at that?! I'm still smiling!

 

[digitS']

Okay, who drove the lawnmower into the pond?

One reason we have the holidays is so that we can look around and reflect on who is joining us and who isn't. Unless we are very young, we have all experienced some loss and sometimes - it comes right before or on the holiday!

One year, we were actually setting food on the table for Thanksgiving when a phone call came to let us know that my grandmother had died that morning. Wow! Our thanksgivings were ruined for several years afterward.

Gathering together to celebrate is important to the healing that we will need unless we retreat into selfishness. I have reached some sort of stage in my life where I just don't "cotton" to others "dissing" these special seasons and days. If they are NOT important to you, clam up! It isn't ALL about commercialism - no sir, it isn't!

If I said "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays" or "Enjoy the Full Moon" and someone felt the need to correct me . . . I see that kind of behavior as insulting. Humoring or ignoring bad behavior only gets us so far down the road as a family or a community.

As it is, I'm likely to become a radical celebrant and plan on actually smiling at people I pass. Maybe only a few will think of me as dumb or a chump. I'm thinking that age doesn't necessarily bring any numbing to life's tragedies. Time and history, by definition, bring injuries and a need for recovery.

Steve

 

[digitS']

Another light for your teepee, Joe, . . . and for all of us, as well:

Full Moon, today, 7:30 UT

 

[injunjoe]

Okay I'll shaRE, i JUST CALLED 911 ON MY BROTHER ! HE IS A NUT!