Good Bye 2011.....

GOOD-BYE 2011....your times run out....I stand beside these time worn hands...as the last hours fall like sand....I shed no tear to see you go...no ol lang sine will I sing tonight....your hold on us is all but shadows in our sight...so hurry up...mount your star....2012 is not so far....at midnight when the clock strikes last....A BRAND NEW YEAR ....we'll toast to her with smiles and hugs....a kiss or two ....at long last....

We hope 2012 will be a BLAST....

I know ....my poem is a "CHEESY" indulgence but I have given myself permission to take risks....indulge myself a little...so the following post is really just a mix of things I'm thinking about this afternoon....

Like moving into our house a year ago...

Getting our "Cabin in the Attic organized"....

Finding collections we hadn't seen for some time...

Seeing the Anniversary of 9-11....the death of Bin Laden....the beginning of our troops coming home.... 

All the storms ...earthquakes....tornadoes....etc....we seemed to survive ....with  the Lords help...

Dinner's in our new home....

And the knowing place deep in our heart's .....of who we have to thank for  the celebration tonight when a BRAND NEW YEAR....is finally here........hugs everyone....Karena

Opening My Heart To "Possibilities".....In 2012....

As I was thinking about the coming New Year....it crossed my mind that this is the time  some of us begin pondering  a Resolution to mark our HOPES for the months ahead....we begin diving into the "Thing's" in our lives we would be glad to say good-by to...extra pounds perhaps...our attitudes on one thing or another...maybe we'd like to be more "Present" in our daily lives...it can be a mixed bag of should do's....I was watching TV over the Christmas Holiday and saw a commercial for Jane Seymour's ..."OPEN HEARTS" pendant...I fell in love with the  look of this piece of jewelry....and with the saying she came up with when she created it...."IF YOUR HEART IS OPEN ...LOVE WILL ALWAYS FIND IT'S WAY IN"...I am not typically a jewelry loving kind of gal...but the deeper meaning I found in her creating this pendant sparked a thought....... I've decided to forgo any resolutions this year....I am going to try and LIVE  2012 with an open heart....

To look around as the year begins to all the beauty ....all the perfect everyday  things I so many times take for granted 

To stop straining against the clock....time is a wonderful  thing if we  look at it as our friend...

I want to smile more....laugh every day....find kind words to share with the faces the Lord  brings  into my  life...

Pamper myself and my loved ones more....I want to love luxuriously....find the  Peace our  Lord intends for us everyday...

Oh yeah....and I will take time to indulge my love of...creating... designing ...and finding  ways to  use my treasures...I hope you girls have a splendid day today...thank you for stopping by.....blessings and hugs till next time....Karena

Looking Forward To A New Year......

Good Morning beautiful girls....well ....I don't know about you but I am thinking of ...NEW YEARS EVE...we will say good-by to 2011...this year has been a mixed bag of blessings and challenges for me...I think I look forward to 2012...I've always liked the even years better then the ODD ones....the hint might be ... they're called odd for a reason....have you all made big plans for this Saturday night....I think we will be at my daughter's with the whole family to greet the new year I'm really looking forward to it...I wanted to ask you girls a question....have you all heard the rumor that 2012 is the last calendar year recorded...I think they say some cultures through history believe the world will end by 2012...now of course I don't believe that for a second...but I thought it makes for interesting conjecture as to why the calendar would stop this coming year...I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas...the family came to our house to be with us...I was so thankful to have all my faces here....we had fun...ate good food...everyone chipped in ...it was nice...the day is calling me girls so I better say so long....I pray blessings on you this day....big hugs from me to you...till next time Karena

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas......

It's 3:00 on Friday afternoon....tomorrow is Christmas Eve...I am sitting in my prayer chair looking at the tree...thinking..."I'm getting EXCITED for Christmas"....just like I always do...the spirit of the Season is definitely in the air...

I have a glimpse of Christmas  at our house...It is what I will be sharing with the family Christmas Day

Ever seen an ICE CUBE SANTA....

This little church is a gem...pretty at night with the lights shining through the windows

So girls the stockings are hung by the chimney with care ...we are going to church tomorrow at 4:00 or so to wish our SAVIOR a HAPPY BIRTHDAY....

I wish all of you a blessed ....safe...HAPPY HOLIDAY.....Merry Christmas everyone.......Karena

        

His Gift....

Okay girls...I have something precious to share...at least it's precious to me...and by sharing with you it will be my way of saying ....THANK YOU SWEETIE...

I told you all last week or maybe the week before...(time slips away these days) that my sweet man picked out a Christmas Tree for us that we went and picked up after he got home from work...

He has been working like a trooper up in our "Cabin in the Attic" every evening unpacking our ornaments for the tree...with a promise that he would decorate it if I would sit in my prayer chair and keep him company...which I gladly did this weekend...on Saturday night he showed me a box of Tinsel he found at an Antique store last weekend ...I was surprised since one of my recent posts was about tinsel....(Tinsel Anyone)...below is one of the 3 packages he found ...he said we can put the tinsel on the tree if you'd like to....this touched my heart so much...for a few reasons...first it blew me away that he had taken the time to ...READ LOBLOLLY.....then it tickled me that he thought about my post on tinsel when he was out and about....third it made my heart squeeze to have him put so much time ...and forethought into creating Christmas for us this year...

Having been married to me for 16 years now he knows how special this time of year is to me....how much joy and love I experience decorating for him and the rest of our family...he didn't need to be asked....or cajoled ...or even hinted at to help me more then usual this year....no....he just decided to give me on of my gifts early.....this beautiful old fashioned tree....especially for me....because he loves me....how special is that....

Here she is all done.....my Christmas Tree....I just love looking at it....because the man I love....showed me in his own way day by day....how much he loves me too.......bless you sweetie....from here to heaven and back....I love it....and you too....I hope you girls have a great Monday evening....blessings and big hugs till next time...Karena

Hi....it's me...

Hi girls...remember me....I wanted to post something today as I have been rather silent the past 7 or 8 days...without going into a long rather boring "explanation"...I will just say I've been going to doctors...working....and resting...I wanted to write something every day on Loblolly...but when he day started....I was at a loss...so I decided to lean into the silence ....and wait...

I did put some fresh cuttings in my Ironstone pitchers on our Living room coffee table...the tree is up with lights ..one ornament my sister was sweet enough to give us..and a tree skirt...I have been spending a lot of time talking to the Lord lately...after all it's Jesus Birthday soon....I always find myself so thankful this time of year...it was foretold that a savior would be born...in God's timing...he was....he came to bring us hope and a future..

It doesn't really matter when time seems a little off kilter....when we find ourselves going through something we don't understand....when we are struggling to make the best of a situation or circumstance...the Lord shows up in the details..the specific things we are most of the time likely to MISS....like a husband that makes sure to make a Christmas tree appear when I needed it most...or hugs from my nephews when they're GROWN STRAPPING OAKS...and they could feel to old to shower me with strong ...caring...hugs....

Our little M is 4 years old this year....such a "Wonderful" time to look forward to Christmas day with her...I have had visits from her these last 2 weeks...blessed by her precious concern for her ...."Gigi"......she asked me the last time I saw her as she walked up to me..whisper close ...reached her little hand out and laid it on my back...asking.."Gigi ..will you feel all better by the time Santa comes...I don't want you to miss the fun"...so no matter what...I am learning during this time ...of off kilter living...that I am so blessed and thankful...what if God's blessings are in the middle of the pain and confusion...if they are..I decided I don't want to miss ANY OF THEM....

So my sweet girls...from my house to yours today I pray you have oodles of Christmas fun....time with your faces...and good health to enjoy it all....with big hugs and blessings until next time....Karena

Cooler Temps....A Christmas Tree....A Thankful Me....

Good Morning Girls....I am so happy....last night when my sweetie walked in the door ....he asked me ..."Do you feel good enough to go with me to get our Christmas Tree....I have one on hold"....of course my answer was ....YES....so I ran and got my jacket with a hood....another pair of socks.... and off we went to a neighborhood nursery that had some really tall ....thin....FRESHLY CUT....Trees....

Here she is....isn't she a beauty.....she is sitting in a tall bucket of water till tomorrow....after I get home from work we will begin transforming our brick beauty for the Holiday's.......I am over the moon....the temperature has finally dropped from the 70's to the low 40's....now it feels like Christmas...I am so thankful to have our tree....a plan....cooler weather....AND....a surprise bloom on our Christmas cactus to boot....

I am reminded again and again how blessed I am....no matter what the circumstances....I have SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR....I have been reminded of this as I've been at work helping people with their Yankee Candle purchases....I have the opportunity to share a moment with each customer..as they graciously allow me a peek into the window of their lives....some have new baby's in strollers....some have family visiting ....some come in to just experience some aroma therapy.....sharing that they've lost their Jobs....or have illness in their family's...but here's the thing....I realize every day how precious....how fragile....how magnificent....

THIS WONDERFUL LIFE .....IS

Even when we are challenged with seasons of want....we are blessed ....we can ALWAYS find a moment to thank our heavenly father for the provision of his love...peace...and tender watch care over our lives....I hope you all have a weekend full of family....warmth...happiness..... and a moment to take stock of the blessings in your life.....I am thinking of you all...I pray blessings over you today....big hugs too till next time.....Karena

Another Day In "Whoville".....

Good Morning Girls....It's another day in my....LOBLOLLY LIFE....I am STILL dealing with some health issues...I've never had a season in my life like this one...the doctor I went to has me scheduled with a pain management team after the first of the year....until then I try to do as much as I'm able...

But as I've shared in previous posts....the physical limitation has kept me from decorating yet for this BLESSED SEASON...I did manage to get down all our fall stuff...pile it up on our kitchen table ...so my sweetie could box it up and bring it upstairs.

The past week I've been going to work regularly ...my manager has been very kind to schedule me for no longer then four hours at a time...I have been so thankful to the Lord for this distraction...I just take my happy pills before I leave....that shapes me up JUST FINE..they are only prescription strength Advil and a muscle relaxer.....I go to the chiropractor twice a week...he has made an amazing difference even though I am still not back to my old self...he assures me in time my body Will heal....in the meantime I try to keep moving...what's that old saying..."A body in motion...stays in motion"...anyway during this time I've had extra time to spend on the computer just looking around at some of the things I am passionate about...

I found this site about ....little cottages that are under 900 sq feet of living space .....but.... pack a visual wallop of ....ADORABLE....it seems folks are buying these little beauty's to live in...  they downsize ....BIG TIME....to live SMALL....seems like a smart thing to do...we don't really need all the stuff we have....I like the thought of it.....

I love "Storybook" style houses this little peach caught my eye....I could see living in this little cottage....it reminds me of "Snow White" ......I am disappointed that I didn't think to bookmark this site for revisiting...if I find it again I will give you the link....how are all of you doing with your Holiday preparations ....I've seen as I check in on you...you are all looking very ....CHRISTMASIE......I guess that's it for today girls....I hope you have a blessed day...big hugs until next time...Karena

Still Dreaming Of A White Christmas.....

Happy Sunday to you girls....it's cool in the house ...temps are suppose to rise into the low 70's here....I wanted to say a quick hello as I am working today....4 hours that will fly by....helping folks pick or find their favorite "Yankee Candle"...conversation with some of my customers has included a like minded wish for ...SNOW..being a California girl It is always at the top of my wish list.....Last year the weatherman predicted we might have snow Christmas Day....after dinner  ....we all took a look outside to find the first floating flakes falling from the sky....I can't tell you how happy it made me...or how excited we all felt to receive Mother Nature's perfect gift....

My sweetie has tomorrow off....AND so do I....this was a precious gift from my Heavenly father...having the day together we might be able to get down our Christmas box's .....I am chomping at the bit to dress our little cottage up for the Holiday's....my sweetie mentioned it too so I know he's looking forward to the transformation....tonight when I get home from work I will call the Family to invite them for Christmas Dinner....

As we work....create...and share the ...JOY....of the season...I will be "DREAMING OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS"....this photo is of a snow storm we had in North Carolina  two years back...our back yard was blanketed with white...the bird friends that were so use to eating out of our bird feeders and bathing in the bird bath showed up anyway....to see if anything was left for them to eat under the snow.......I took this photo out the Kitchen window...I remember that snow stuck around for a few days with more besides....it pleasures me to look at this picture... I know lots of you will or maybe already have snow on the ground....you lucky ducks....I pray all of you have a cozy day today....I will be thinking of you...thanks for stopping by....big hugs and blessings too....till next time.......Karena

Making A Merry Christmas.....

Good Morning girls....I am feeling a bit overwhelmed this morning ....actually ...I feel "Panic"...I HAVE NOT ONE BIT OF CHRISTMAS UP  YET....anyone that knows me knows how ....OVER THE MOON...I am at this time of year ...to get the box's out....put Karen Carpenter on in the background.... ....loud enough to hear throughout the house....crack open a new candle (Yankee of course)...and dive into making Christmas come alive in our home....

I haven't looked through any of my cookbooks to assign myself a  taste of something new for the family to enjoy....and YIKES .....I've still got the phone calls to make to invite everyone over for Christmas Dinner..

The one thing I have done is .... this......since it's  December second....I created my Christmas wish  for ....YOU....I found this wonderful clear glass ornament in Phyllis Hoffman's Holiday  magazine ... for all you ....

I will talk to my sweetie later this evening about ...(.Creating A Christmas Plan)....usually I just create Christmas while everyone is out of the house...so when they come home they walk into a wonderland of Christmas....this year...for the first time ....with  my back being  out....all the lifting...rifling through box's ....assembling our skinny Williamsburg Tree which is tall and thin sort of primitive looking is not possible to do alone....I am working really hard with some "SELF TALK" to stay calm and carry on....I have a Dr's appointment this morning at ten so I need to sign off for now...I am thinking of you girls ...in all of your cozy...warm...homes creating your own special ....CHRISTMAS MAGIC....blessings and big hugs to you .....till next time ......Karena