I haven’t written for a few weeks as I have been busy busy busy!  And that is due to some big news.  I spent 5 days at my eldest daughters helping her to pack up house, hold a yard sale, and prepare to leave the US.  Yes they are moving to Ireland within a few weeks.  Oh my but my emotions have been all over the map as you can imagine!!  I am so happy for them to be moving to Europe to raise the children and I believe they will have a better life and more opportunities.  But oh how my heart aches to see them leaving.  But I will have them all to myself for the next few weeks, as they will be coming to stay this week and until they fly out!  Oh all the wondrous things I have planned!!

Boy Howdy, was that yard sale a big job!  Elizabeth helped us man the money station at the yard sale.  It was frosty frosty cold but we managed and Christina was able to sell all but a few bits in the two days of the sale!

It was quite the experience to help eliminate all the extraneous stuff collected over the years. I must say that helping Christina close up house and sell everything made me realize that I have too much and must do some serious declutter!!  So my goal in 2019 is to eliminate 1/2 of my possessions.  I jumped right in and have already made a good start!  With all my yard and estate sales its really not a wonder that I have so much.

While we were busy with the yard sale the community was having a fall festival.  Imagine my delight when Charlotte gifted me this darling bag filled with lavender and lavender oil.  She is just such a thoughtful and caring child and I was deeply touched.  Plus I love the gift!

As we headed back to my house we loaded up 5 puppies that were going to new homes.  They were just the cutest things ever!

My precious loves!

Back home my house was jam full of storage boxes that Christina sent to me to either have or store!  24 storage boxes in all!  I did not realize just how small my house was until it had 24 totes in the front room….  But I got them sorted out for the most part.

Once I got the storage boxes sorted and cleared, it was time to pack up Thanksgiving decor and bring out the Christmas.  Oh my but this year I decided to go all out and spent 3 days putting out my decor, but I am so very pleased with it!  With the kids coming to stay a few weeks, I wanted the house to be so very festive and fun.  When they arrive we will buy our tree and decorate it.  I did put up numerous small artificial trees that I have collected, however.  A bevy of trees in the house is no surprise to my daughters as when they were growing up I always put up 5 trees, each with a different theme and then of course they could have trees in their rooms as well.  I have always had a bit of the crazy Christmas bug.

I have had this same nativity since the girls were small.  It was a Home Interiors piece.  At the time I was struggling to make ends meet and my dearest best friend hosted a party and earned enough points to purchase it for me.  I was so delighted and have treasured it since!

I keep this little vintage tree full of handmade lovelies that I have been gifted by dear friends and family.  It is dear to my heart.

I even made my desk a bit festive for the season.

This year I did a bit of expansion with the decor into the living room.  The bookcase is just the perfect place to showcase some of my Santas.

This little quilt has so very much meaning.  Christina made this many many years ago for my mom.  Each darling little ornament detaches and is just precious.  I will treasure it for sure!

When I got home I had a few happy mail packages. The first was an advent calendar filled with oils!   This is my Christmas gift to myself!  I just love oils and this will be so much fun!  Currently I have been diffusing Christmas Spirit and the entire house smells like Christmas morning of my childhood!

Barnyard Knits had a sale on their yarn and I just had to have a few skeins.  My excuse is that I gave my skein of Poinsettia to Christina so absolutely had to replace it!  And of course with a sale I had to grab an additional skein…right?!

I didn’t get much knitting in, but did manage to finish one sock.  I have 2 more socks to knit to complete all 12 pair for Voolenvine’s sock KAL.  Its amazing that I could knit 12 pair in a year.  But oh my I am a bit burned out on sock knitting!

Comes Thanksgiving day and since the hubby and I have not had a Thanksgiving off together for years we decide to make a nice dinner.  But Bruno had other plans for us when he awoke with a seriously sore eye.  I could see a rather large scratch so it was a trip to the emergency vet where it was discovered he had a large ulcer coving a large area.  Hours and hundreds of dollars later I made it home with a medicine regime and poor Bruno thinking he was going to die with the cone of shame firmly in place.  We still managed to have a nice dinner and I was so grateful that I took Bruno in as the ulcer was quite bad.

And now must off to ready for yet another day at work.  Hoping everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving and is welcoming in the holiday season with joy and happiness in their hearts!

Joyfully,

Patricia