The tree was up and enjoyed for two days. As always Snowy Owl looked down from the very top and I loved the way the 8 year old decorator decided every single item had to be hung on it and that most of the lights hanging in one spot was especially pretty.
.How did Ned feel about this?
I am enjoying reading the little book down below, A Countryman's Winter Notebook by Adrian Bell. I purchased it at Slightly Foxed, an online literary magazine which also features reissues of classic memoirs for sale like the one I bought.
I like a passage in Adrian's book about how old folks search at Christmas time, searching for the Christmases we used to know, what we think of as the true Christmases...if not those of our own youth, then the ones we provided for our children in their childhood. The further away from those we grow, the less real the feelings of Christmas are. I think there is truth in this as I heard my own parents comment that Christmas wasn't the same anymore to them (and this from a mother who was mad about Christmas back in the day) much the same as I too am feeling and searching these latter years.
I am busy deciding on embellishments for the squirrel and bird in the little Xmas at Quiltmania SAL. I'm almost ready to put these on the wall and make a decision or two about putting them together. 
Marja at Sweet Home Alamarja has this saying at the end of every post.A stitch every day is a shirt sleeve in a year. Perhaps the Dutch is not translating perfectly but we all know the sentiment to be true.
I am trying not to feel pressured, to relax, take my time and enjoy this wonderful month. And that includes, of course, the stitching, yes I am going to celebrate every bit of that too.
Hope you are too!
Check out these great parties....Not Afraid of Color, Kathy's Quilts, Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, Quilting Patchwork Applique, Quilt Fabrication, Powered By Quilting and Brian's Home Blog.
26 comments :
bad Ned! LOL - my daughter knew she was going to have the same problem so instead of a bigger tree this year she got what she calls a "Charlie Brown" tree - it is small and she has it on top of her dresser on top of a stack of books so her new dog which is about 6 months old can not reach it LOL so far she has gotten her paw up to the books but has not knocked it over. Translator does say some weird things at times doesn't it - I have a blog friend from Spain who doesn't know English and writes in her native language for blogger and leaving me comments and we write back and forth to each other at times and we both need to use translator - sometimes I can't figure out what she says and forward the message to my daughter who used to be good at Spanish and can sometimes figure it out.
Oh dear about the tree - but it did look very lovely, even if only for a few days! I guess as we age, our focus of Christmas changes - we go from being 'in it' as children, to 'making it happen' as parents and then perhaps 'watching it happen' as we see our children try to give their children the Christmas of their dreams. I've never quite thought about it like this before! Your Quiltmania blocks are lovely (previous post too) - and the quilt will look gorgeous once you get it together.
Oh Ned, you disappeared that pretty tree! The owl probably wasn't too happy about that. That squirrel is going to look so cute too. Thanks for joining our Thankful Thursday Blog Hop!
I can identify with those words about Christmas having perhaps a lesser focus as we age, been noticing that the past couple years though I think I was blaming it on covid. There were so many years that we lived on the west coast and didn't have any kids or grandkids around for the holidays that really took the specialness of it all away for me. Though it's just the "family" aspects that have changed, not the Reason for Christmas!
Oh dear, Ned! I guess that tree was just too enticing, Jocelyn. Love your photo of him, though! I also love your gray and red blocks - what a great combination. I confess to feeling very ambivalent about Christmas anymore. I do miss those times when my kids were growing up and we had certain traditions we had to follow every year. I've adjusted to how things are with adult children, though - whenever they can be here, it is Christmas!
We are going to put our tree up this weekend and may face the same consequences with our kitty Toby as you did with Ned. But what a pretty tree yours was with such custom decorating!
I certainly relate to and agree with the words about Christmas. I had a sad moment on the way home from a shopping trip this morning, wishing we were planning to go to Oklahoma to spend Christmas with Mom and Daddy and my brothers (and their families) in the house where I grew up. It isn't the same, my parents and brothers are all gone, but there is still peace to be found and joy to be had, I've discovered. And Quilting Babcia is right in her comment above - the Reason for Christmas hasn't changed!
I hope you have a joyful weekend Jocelyn.
Hi Jocelyn! Oh, your eight-year-old decorator did a fabulous job. I have to agree that the lights all clustered together IS especially pretty. Oh no!! I cannot believe that Neddy would bother the ornaments. He does look a bit sad that the tree had to come down because of him - you can see it in the wrinkle between his brows. I am so glad to hear you are enjoying the month. Merry Christmas to you and your family. {{Hugs}} ~smile~ Roseanne
Oh dear - that's too bad about your tree! Too bad you couldn't get your hands on an old playpen and set the tree inside for a degree of protection from over-zealous pups.
I agree about the feelings about Christmas dwindling as we get older. I used to love to decorate but now I could care less. My joy in Christmas comes from making gifts for my loved ones and, of course, the real reason for the entire season, but I can do without all the rest of the trappings that are expected.
So sorry that Ned seemed to enjoy the ornaments on the tree a bit too much. Hopefully he will be less interested in it next year.
God bless.
Oh, what a bummer about the tree! I can see why it was irresistible. Mmmm... fresh bread!
Your tree is beautiful. Too bad Ned can't control himself! I've had the same problem with cats over the years. They just can't resist it! I think Christmas was more fun when my kids were little. I still enjoy the holiday but not the same way. Love your squirrel block. That looks so hard!!
That naughty Ned, very bad for tearing down the Christmas tree like that.
But other than that, he's probably very sweet.
So you already have snow, it will take a while here.
Good luck taking down the UFOs.
Greetings,
Floor
Too bad about having to take the tree down, it looked wonderful! Love your sweet little applique blocks. Looking so good.:)
Ned is lucky to be able to relax on the couch rather on the cold front porch in a dog house! LOL. Sorry about the tree.
Christmas has really lost its meaning in the USA this year. The true meaning of Christmas started changing in the late 1960’s. The true meaning of Christmas is the birth of Jesus, not how many presents we can give and receive.
Family is the most important and now America’s freedoms are in jeopardy. The Lord must be looking down on this earth that he made and all the gifts of life that he gave to each of us and cry. Maybe there will be an awaking spirit in the belief of our God in 2022. I pray for that. Christmas has changed and it is sad.
I really like the Quiltmania project. I have all the magazines, but just never followed them.
I agree on Ned being better next Christmas. Have a wonderful Christmas and enjoy your family! Hugs.
Christmas has always stressed me out, so I don't mind the scaled back celebrations. I haven't put up a big tree in years, just a couple table top ones. But my heart is not in Christmas this year. Too bad about Ned and the tree, but at least had the fun of helping you decorate after missing out last year.
Oh Neddy. I hope next year will be better. I like your little squirrel and bird and look forward to seeing how you finish them. I'm trying not to think so much about Christmases past this year, but try to enjoy the present one. Still I have many good memories of Christmas past, too!
Your tree was lovely! Too bad Neddy thought it was interesting…The year my daughter go her dog Finn, we bought a pet enclosure which we put around the tree. Finn can’t get at the ornaments or lights or water and we get to enjoy the tree.
Jocelyn your tree was so pretty. At least you got to enjoy it, the owl and other pretty ornaments for a while. Neddy does look a wee bit dejected with all the pretties gone from his reach. Talk about the differences in Christmas; I used to decorate everything including the park next door years ago. Now my DH is a Grinch so I don’t decorate or even put up a tree. I do however get to visit with all of my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren by video so I get to enjoy Christmas n Mexico and Alberta and normally a lovely walk here in BC! Merry Christmas to you and yours.
The eight year old decorator did a stellar job with the tree....and then there was impish, playful Ned. I suppose he just did what every pup does. =) Love that photo of him. He looks as if he hasn't a care in the world. He will wake up his adorable self, ready for more mischief. Love Murphy's ornaments...the warmest of hugs to you♡ As for Christmas, I have always held the real reason for Christmas close to my heart, even though, through the years the activities and busyness have slowed down. Where once I would decorate the whole house, now it's only the 'parlour' and a few Christmas sparkles here and there; which I love. My girls are grown up and moved far away to chase their dreams, so Christmas is also tinged with a little sadness as I cannot hug them and enjoy just being with them at this time of the year. During these times of Covid, this has become increasingly difficult. Thank goodness for modern technology, though, because we can chat for hours, even though it is through a computer screen. I will always love Christmas and always make a marked effort to not get caught up with the busyness and worldview of Christmas. To me the message of Christmas is of God's love for me...and I hug this very close to my heart, especially in these difficult times. Enjoy your stitching today, Jocelyn; enjoy embellishing your little squirrel and sweet bird♡
Jocelyn, I love those old stone walls you showed in your last blog. We have several of them on our land here in central Texas. I think earlier residents cleared the fields of rocks and piled them to build walls between their fields. They remind me of the Robert Frost poem Mending Wall. Our land is very rocky so there were lots of rocks to stack!
Years ago when we had two young cats, we had to give up putting tinsel on our tree. In the lower branches it became a target and we would find it in all shapes on the tree and on the floor. I think that year all the decorations were high up….at least any we valued! Now in our dotage, I just put out my mother’s little table tree and hang her tiny decorations on it. Our big tree just stays in storage along with its myriad ornaments. I put out my snowmen collection and my Santa collection and the manger sent to our children year by year. It’s all out now to enjoy the rest of the month along with wreaths at the doors and gate. We are having warm weather and that is fine for these older bones….no snow shoveling for me! Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year to you and yours. I look forward to every blog entry from you!
Naughty Neddy, but then, he's still young and I imagine he was only trying to play. Shovelling snow sounds like hard work to me.
Every year at Christmas I get the urge to sew many of my gifts. This year is no exception. I found several UFOs I believe will make good presents and I've been finishing them. One is a pillow with a Dresden Plate, my mother made years ago appliqued onto it that will go to my daughter. It has fabric from my mother's aprons and my dresses from when I was a girl. I've still got the Christmas spirit at my old age because I celebrate the real reason for the season, Jesus' birth, and that always makes me happy. Merry Christmas. Looking forward to what you will be making in 2022.
With a book name like that I would expect the author to have the last name of Countryman. During or following the revolution to separate from England my forefathers moved/fled to Canada. Later my grandfather and siblings moved back to the states. I tell you this because that was their family name.
Oh! Your tree did look lovely - if only for a few days! Glad you captured a picture of it! I so agree with you about Christmas...it's not the same. Here in New Mexico and with my medically fragile grandchild, we are still very cautious. So the holidays are just the three of us vs. the gatherings of 15+ people. I've been trying to find ways to create new traditions to bring the magic back. Reading Unwrapping the Names of Jesus has indeed helped.
Your Xmas at Quiltmania projects are lovely! OH! That bread looks delicious! Mine comes out delicious, but so airy - not solid at all. Can I blame the bread maker? :)
Thank you for sharing those links - it would be nice to visit them and put them on next year's calendar! Take good care!
It was a pretty tree ;) The solution may be to have a much smaller tree, and put it on a table, very high :D
I love your cute squirrel and little bird!
Thank you for sharing and linking up, enjoy stitching!
Jocelyn - I am sorry you had to put your tree away, but it sounds like the right decision. I remember one Christmas in Texas, when we had adopted a young kitten. One morning we found her climbing the tree ... she was not with us long - we found another family to take her!
I think "Christmas" is hard to find when you don't have young kids there for Christmas morning. It's just not quite the same. Having said that, even with our adult kids we have worked hard to continue the same traditions we followed when they were small ... it helps!
I feel more relaxed about Christmas this year than most - not sure why!
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