Weekend Snow and an Early Visit from Himself . . .

  

 This weekend we had our first significant snowfall.  Probably about 4 inches worth.  It may not sound like much but it's about as much as we got all of last winter!!!  The second Megan's feet hit the floor in the morning she wanted to be outside playing in it.  Miss Independent got as far as her boots, snow pants and coat and was out the door. 

"Mommmmmmyyyyy!! I need gloves and a hat!!!  I'm freeeezing!!!!!"

Everyone got in on the act and wanted to play outside including son number two above who thought it would be a good idea to run around the pool with nothing on his feet while the dog was chasing him. 

I think he'll rethink that next time.  : (

Brady's favorite kind of weather!!!!

 And what would a snowy day be without a snow angel??

Ummm . . .  I think it's a boy snow angel.  LOL!!!

We also got a visit from the man in red himself!!!  One of the many things I love about our town is how they've kept some traditions alive that many small towns have discontinued since I was a child. 

The fire department comes by every year with Christmas music playing and Santa and his helpers handing out candy canes to all the children in each neighborhood.  The fire department in the town where I grew up was always a big part of my life until pretty recently.  My father, uncles and cousins were all volunteers and my first husband was as well.  There were always activities going on at Christmas time for the kids.

 
I believe that traditions are so important and I believe they are something that kids really enjoy and look forward to and, hopefully, will pass along to my grandchildren (what???? Lol!!) some day. 


Wishing you a peaceful Monday ~ Wendy

Finally . . .

Finally, we brought home this year's Christmas tree. We were supposed to go a week ago but my man got held up at work and then hit lots of traffic coming home from the city. Then, we were supposed to go one day this past week and the weather didn't cooperate. Right now, it's leaned up against the garage door until we're ready to place it in its stand. Hopefully, tomorrow or Wednesday. We've rearranged the living room since last year so we're going to put it in a different spot but I think it will look nice when it's up and decorated.




Every year, we purchase our tree from a local volunteer fire company. My grandfather was a member there, my father was a member there, my first husband was a member there and now son number one is a member there. They receive a huge shipment of trees the day after Thanksgiving every year and, each year, they are gorgeous. One year, we even found a bird nest in our tree. We didn't notice it was there until after we got it home and in the stand and the branches started to drop. What a wonderful surprise that was!! : )








This year, my father in law came with us for his tree. He wasn't going to put one up this year because it's been a very difficult time for him with my mother in law in a nursing home. I talked to him a little bit about it and suggested he just get a small one so that my brother in law will see it when he comes home from his group home for the holidays.








I'm not sure if I have mentioned it before but my first husband's only sibling is his brother, Thomas. Tom will be 39 in May and is mentally retarded due to a seizure disorder that began when he was very young. Since he was placed in the group home about four years ago he has flourished. He is only a mile from us and three miles from my father in law which is wonderful.


This picture of Tom was taken on Thanksgiving.


My mother in law collects angels and every year she would decorate their tree with over 100 angel ornaments. I know it's going to be difficult for my father in law but he and I both think it's best if he keeps things as close to normal as possible for Tom this Christmas. I'm glad he decided to get a tree. Son number one is helping him stand it in their house as I type this. That was something that my first husband did for them every year. Now, Connor carries on the tradition. That just brought tears to my eyes as I typed it. We will always have our old memories but it's the new ones that so many people need to focus on this time of the year. Otherwise, it becomes just too overwhelming.


































Many blessings ~ Wendy

A Little Bit of a Saturday Rant . . .

Since the middle of October, whenever I look out my front window, my view has been a Christmas wreath hanging on my neighbor's garage door. At first I thought he put it there because it was new and he wanted to see how it looked. As each day passed and it was still hanging there I realized that it was there to stay. My neighbor also put up his icicle lights at the same time. He hasn't had them lit and I know plenty of people that keep their unlit Christmas lights up all year round so that was okay. We are in New York and it gets pretty cold by December. I truly understand the whole light thing but it takes two seconds to put up a wreath. Why would anyone want to decorate for Christmas before Halloween?!!?

I thought about how I would feel about this if he was a kind and friendly neighbor. Would it bother me as much or would I be able to tolerate it more? I can honestly say it would bother me just as much. Did he put out any Halloween decorations? Nope. Not even a pumpkin. Is he skipping Thanksgiving this year? Not sure about that. Odds are he's not.

We have another neighbor who has his entire house decorated to the nines, including Santa and his sleigh on his roof, before Thanksgiving. I haven't noticed any decorations there yet but his next door neighbor already has faux greens and a big red bow around their lamp post.

Yesterday, while driving home from a wonderful new thrift shop that I found (pictures of findings will be forthcoming) I saw a very large house decorated from top to bottom with greens, red bows, Christmas lawn ornaments and lights. I couldn't believe my eyes!!

Is it just me or is anyone else greatly disturbed by people decorating for Christmas in October and early November? I offered some of the neighborhood kids $10.00 if they would take my neighbor's wreath off of his garage and then thought better of it when they all jumped at the chance. I guess that wouldn't have made me a very good role model, huh? : ) I was actually quite serious about it but then "mature and responsible" Wendy (oh, how I hate her sometimes!!) popped into my head and I had to tell the kids I was only kidding even though I really wasn't.

On the grand scale of things, this really is no big deal and I understand that. I've been thinking about why this bothers me so much and I think I've figured it out. I guess I think of decorating your home for Christmas as part of the celebration of the season of lights. There's something special and sacred about winter solstice and what many people believe to be the time of the birth of Jesus. No matter what your beliefs, lots of us have rituals and traditions that are a big part of our families this time of year. I just don't understand how you can put up a wreath in the middle of October and have it feel the same way as if you hung it closer to the holidays. Am I being judgemental? I think I probably am and that's why I needed to write about this. Now I can let it go.

Thanks for "listening" to me. : ) Happy Saturday to you all!!

Many blessings ~ Wendy