Christmas trees and 1st anniversary

 

Good morning Friends ~ It is a sunshiny morning, almost 9 a.m. I am thankful for this new day. A year ago this morning at 10:12 my dear husband, best friend and soul mate, Mark, went home to be with Jesus. What a year it has been!  Full of grieving, growing, loving, living.  Each day is new.  Each day is an opportunity to choose despair, or joy.  I choose joy.  I know where Mark is and that is part of the reason for my joy.  I know that we will be together again and that is something to look forward to. Trusting in Jesus to work all things out and leaning on Him is my greatest source of joy.  Without Him I would be nothing.  Through His strength I can do anything. I wrote a piece for my other blog “The Continuing Journey” and you can read it by clicking here, if you wish.

This afternoon is a staff meeting for my widows’ group, Friends Needing Friends, and I’m planning to bake and take some heart shaped cookies. These ladies and the whole group of widows have been a tremendous help to me this past year.  I am thankful for them.

I want to thank all of you at this time also for your continued love, encouragement, your prayers and thoughts, your gifts, your friendship.  You all mean a lot to me and you’ve been a big help in this part of the journey in my life.

Yesterday I decorated the trees and a little more in the cottage. I was exhausted when I finished.  It is well worth the effort though.  I love decorating for Christmas.  I love the lights, colors, the sparkle, and seeing all of the ornies, collected and given through the years.  They bring back a LOT of memories. I did shed a few tears, mostly I smiled and love filled my heart.

Here are the photos. I apologize for the blurry quality of some of the pictures, I was tired and not ‘focusing’, pun intended.

I crocheted these ornaments many, many, years ago.

Taken last night

taken this morning

A long, long time ago, I got the idea to hang ornies along the ceiling, and Mark liked the idea too.  So, little nails were nailed and spaced about 4 inches apart along the ceiling. I used to hang ornies around the whole living room ceiling, but not anymore.  Some of these hanging from the Swiss boy right, are Mark’s from when he was a boy.  Every year his Mom would give each of her children a new ornament.  When those kids got married, the couples got an ornament.  It was always a wonderful treat each year.  Some are very special!

This one is a little quail’s egg from Mark’s Mom.

She made this one in ceramic’s class, I believe it is porcelain.  A favorite of ours.

This was made by a friend.

I bought this one at the flea market many years ago, I am a little part American Indian.

These were made by a friend.

Mark’s Mom made this also and the first year we got it there were 2 chocolate kisses in it.

This is one of my all time favorites made by Mark’s Mom.

This was our last ornaments from her.  They are a sweet lion couple.

Here is the tree I did for our bedroom.  I call it the ‘Love’ tree.  Since there is ongoing plumbing work and wall paneling not up, I covered the walls with a huge sheer curtain.  It works for me.

This is the Charlie Brown tree, our last curbside find together in Sept. 2012.

A friend gave me this ornie with Mark’s photo in it.  I love it.

I crocheted this stuffed little heart many years ago.  The heart garland was ‘found’ in some Christmas stuff one year, more curbside shopping.

I bought the quilted heart, and made the lavender stuffed M ornament for Mark.

I made this needlework heart for Mark last Dec. 1st. The little heart below it was made by the same dear friend who gave me the photo ornament.

The heart in the middle was created for me by another friend and sent at Valentine’s day this past year. I’ve had it hanging ever since over the arch between living room and kitchen.  I always hang this Swiss couple over the arch each Christmas and this heart works just right between them.

May you all have lovely holidays,

filled with much love,

thankfulness,

kindness,

forgiveness.

Love and hugs ~ FlowerLady