"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands........" 1 Thessalonians 4:11

Sunday, December 12, 2010

I step out onto the quietness of the front porch............

a quietness I have not heard since the beginning of this week.
The holly bush is all dressed in it's holiday attire and seems to speak to me.......saying......
"what is wrong with you? why have you not started decorating yet??"
It's true.............I'm just not in the " Christmas mood" this year.........for many reasons.........and it's not the usual reasons of money being spent or the rush of crowds at the store...............no . One reason,................... the noise that has been clanging and banging around this week, and the debris that, at this time, lays completely around the grounds of the house......................is from the fact that we are getting a new roof on................( a process that we have been getting started since last June, and I have not wanted to blog about.........sigh)

and now it has all started................ in December.............where the weather has been warm and fall like............and the wasps are still swarming over their nests and stinging the roofers. Such a mess..........all around the house............. Although I am away at work a good portion of their work day...................the hard work they are doing, goes on until almost dark.And this work will continue for the entire next week. The cats are freaked out by the strangers who are tearing down the house..............yelling and singing to music from their boom box. I have to go to the edge of the woods after everyone has left and call out for the scared critters........that it is now safe to come home. That is one reason I am just not in the mood, plus being tired from a new job............ when in the past I would be home, baking Christmas goodies and stitching Christmas projects. I also miss the excitement that our young children would bring at the first arrival of the Christmas season. There is just a fun magic to Christmas when there is a small one in the house. All of my chicks are grown...........no big wish list to fill............sigh


However, the roofers left early yesterday...........giving themselves, I am sure, a much needed break, as well as myself,............peace and quiet. Once I opened the shed closet door that keeps every glittered and shiny Christmas object, my mood slowly came back. I have to be careful to not have things I want to keep nice..........away from the house's edge.............



however, the window boxes are under the big eve of the house and debris can't fall on them.




This year, I decided to use our small Christmas tree instead of our usually 12 footer. That large tree just gets harder and harder to decorate, (for myself) every year............and I just want things..........simple this year. Although this tree is smaller, it is still full of cheer and Christmas spirit. Maybe next year, we will haul out the giant tree and do more.
How about you? Does home makeovers upset your peacefulness? I'm sure they do.
Do you go all out at Christmas or are you finding yourself to want to slow down?
I would love to hear!






16 comments:

Patty H. said...

I'm finding it hard to decorate this yr, but it's becuase of the clutter and noise inside the house. I have to move my living room around in order to get the tree in. Everything is crammed up all together. Stresses me.
I dont' go all out in decorating.

We have a live tree, it is in the house but not decorated yet. Plan to do that today, since we have snow on teh ground and more on the way.

Your tree is pretty.
Blessings
Patty H.

Elaine/Muddling Through said...

I feel your pain, Kathleen. We had to have a new roof put on after Hurricane Ike put the neighbors' tree onto our roof. It was definitely no fun. I was here the whole time, didn't want to leave a bunch of strangers at my house. It was terribly noisy, but they did a good job of cleaning up their mess, and the roof looks great, so it was worth it. Just glad I don't have to go through it again any time soon!

We got the decorations down from the attic yesterday and my Sweetie put the lights up outside, but that's all that's been done. It's COLD!

Sunny said...

This is the first year for us to have an artificial tree, and it is up but no decorations yet. (soon as I get done reading blogs :) )but I did not decorate outside as I just yeaterday pulled all the weedy vines from the landscaping in front of the house and it is still laying in the front yard, LOL! Yes, just inside this year.Sometimes we just need to focus on Chriatmas's true meaning and then we can be soooo grateful of the Gift and promise that is to come...

(((HUGS!!)))
Sunny

Debbie said...

Hey there Kathleen! We are having a blizzard and I am thankful for a forced day in to accomplish some things for us.
I too am just getting it done and also opted for the smaller tree this year. Lots of changes going on here too, but I realize time is flying and I don't want to let it pass without some fanfare. I sure hope your construction gets finished soon and they go away! Merry Christmas.

Connie said...

Your tree is lovely, Kathleen. We don't even have ours up yet. Our house is so small, the tree makes it so crowded, that we usually don't have it up long. I'm glad you are getting some peace and quiet now. We seem to make our decorating simpler every year, and I kind of like it that way.

grammy said...

Man akive... that would really cut into the Christmas Spirit for me too.
Hopefully it will all be over soon (o:
My Grandkids are what makes Christmas happen for me. We took them to the towns Christmas parade last night (o:

Mel said...

Sure hope the roof is on and the carpenters have gone on their way... I'd go hide in the woods with the cats.

Your tree looks lovely!

For the past few years, I couldn't get into the spirit, however, this year (for some reason) things have gone smoothly, and I actually decorated somewhat early for our family.

Have a big chunk of the shopping done, for me that is the most difficult task of the season.

I do... look forward to candlelite service on Christmas eve.

Blessings,
Mel

Julie Harward said...

I don't blame you, the noise of all that would change things a bit! The tree is just beautiful though..have a great week :D

Vickie said...

Kathleen, I'm getting a new roof this week, too. ugh. We're actually re-doing bathrooms, and having the inside and outside painted, too. We're between the farm and home, so I know what you're going thru. My kids are all coming home. I don't even know if we're going to have a tree - I don't know where to put it!!! At the farm or at home! Simple is working for me this year. If we have a tree, I imagine it'll be at the farm. All I did was put up a wreath, and a couple of strings of lights on the farmhouse. That's it!
Next year will be better!

Your tree looks beautiful! Now sit back and enjoy! Just because you don't go all out doesn't mean you can't enjoy the season. Going 'simple' means less stress - and that's what I'm all about this year!

Conni said...

Your little tree looks so lovely and inviting in the window!

We are currently in the process of redecorating the livingroom (painting, ordering new furniture) - but we have the Christmas tree set up in my office/music room to keep it safe from the kittehs!

I'm getting a few more dolls for Christmas - and I am just as excited about that as I was when I was little!

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Kathleen, I know what you mean about finding it hard to get into the Christmas spirit. Happens to me too. For the past 3 holidays we have not celebrated at home (Dec birth of a grandson in CA, needing to leave our home due to ceiling renovations, visiting grandson in RI). This year we are finally celebrating at home. But hauling stuff from the attic was overwhelming - lots of things to donate. We do have a live tree and just broght in in the house and decorated on Sunday and I have started writing cards, so maybe the spirit will come soon, but it's not yet here.

KathyB. said...

I can sympathize, completely. Even without a big home remodel, or roofing project, sometimes it just makes more sense to keep things simple.Just simplifying the Christmas decorating alone gives a bit of peace. The little tree is lovely.

Good food, family & friend fellowship,and a time to remember why we celebrate , everything else is frosting on the Christmas cookie~

Your outdoor bouquets are very nice.

Ardith said...

Last year I did not decorate at all. We were home alone and we didn't really see a need for "stuff". We had a nice Christmas dinner - only what we really liked and wanted - and had time to reflect on the true reason we celebrate Christmas. I really enjoyed it. This year I have decorated and that's okay too, but I am always anxious to take it down the day after Christmas! It gets to feeling like clutter!! Which ever way you go, it's what you know in your heart that makes the Day. I hope you enjoy it.
Take care and God Bless.

Grammyof13 said...

You have so many nice comments, that I'll have to add mine. I don't do this time of year very well, and can never explain why. My husband asked me if I was depressed, and I could honestly say, I don't think so, but I don't feel like doing anything but sleeping. My throat is a little sore, but nothing major.

Anyway, I started decorating the LR but got no farther. I'll get there - we can't have our family gathering until the 1st of Jan.

Blessings, I do pray you will have some time off Christmas to rest. I wish you had time to tell me about the kids, and how things are going with them.

Love you lady,

Pat / Silver Thimble Quilt Co. said...

Oh I remember the post I wrote about the new roof at our house last spring. The sound was horrific!

All I want to do is sit by the fire with a warm cup of hot chocolate..and enjoy the quite and delight in my tree and family!

Pat

Paula said...

Poor little critters- they must think the sky (or roof) is falling! haha
Your tree is beautiful, Kathleen... we bought a very small little tree last year and I love it more than the big one we used before because you don't have to rearrange the furniture. My hubby and I started keeping Christmas simple a couple of years ago and I have enjoyed it so much.