Computers working, nativity set up

 

Good morning everyone ~ Here it is Thursday already. Tuesday I took my lap top and my desk top computers to the computer geek I found out about from church. I also took some crocheting so that I had something to work on while he was working on computers.  They are both up and running well. I had no viruses which was a good thing, but they both had some problems and needed cleaning up.  He even found a couple of ‘lost’ things for me and I am a happy camper and oh so thankful to have found him.

I have really been feeling uplifted and light hearted and am thankful for that too.  God is working in my life daily and I know that Mark is with him and that makes all the difference in my grieving.  I miss Mark every day, but I am getting into the groove of living alone, although not really alone because God is with me constantly. I feel Mark’s love all around me.

Yesterday morning I decided to go up into the attic for Christmas decorations.  We have one of those pull down ladders.  What a job that was!!  Mark was always at the foot of the stairs to take what I handed down to him that I wanted, not always the same, as it depended on what tree I was going to use. I rigged a basket to let some things down, but that wasn’t the best idea, most of it was me up and down the ladder hauling things.  I’ve decided that ‘most’ of all of this will go somewhere else so that I don’t have to do that as it’s not easy at all and a tad scary.

Anyway, there are boxes all over and I did put a small tree in my little space. I just got the lights on yesterday. Look how cleaned off my workspace is!

Then I worked on the nativity on my new/old mantle.

Here’s the mantle top before and after.

I think it was an old vanity or desk top. I just sanded it down with fine sand paper, then oiled with lemon oil polish.

Ok, here is this year’s Nativity scene, angels, critters, worshipers.

Click on photos for larger views.

This star is one Mark made our first married Christmas together in Spain. We were poor as he hadn’t been in very long and his pay was small. We made other ornaments too but through the years they bit the dust, this one I hung onto even though some of the gold is worn off.

It is gold foil covered cardboard.

The Holy Family, cow, donkey and three wise men are from Spain.  They are little terra cotta mud figures.  We bought them in a shop in the square of our little town that we lived in.

Hand painted old lead soldiers, in the silver little salt and pepper shakers is frankincense in one and myrrh in the other.

Mark made the crèche many, many years ago.

Baby Jesus is laying on a bed of rosemary, and is on an intricately done little piece of needlework. An old copper bracelet with charms surrounds baby Jesus.

This little angel is Mark’s from when he was a little boy. I included the cross as a symbol of what Jesus was coming to do for all of mankind.  Give his life so that we’d be ‘free’.

Some angels collected through the years. Some found, and most bought cheap from flea market and yard sales.

Mark cut a scrap piece of blue mirror one year for little ducks to be floating on.

Today I ‘plan’ to get down the big tree, but only put up half of it and place it against the wall.  That worked fine the two times I’ve done it already, with weights in the stand to hold it upright. This tiny cottage just can’t handle a full big tree.

I’m also planning to put the Charlie Brown tree that was our last curbside find together last year, up in the bedroom. So, I’ve got my work cut out for me.  Plus I’ll be working at my job too this week, and I’d like to mow the grass today.

Here are some blooms for you who are cold and snowed in.

Two colors of blooms from the same bougainvillea.

This is ‘cocktail’.

An unknown rose that smells wonderful.

This guy cracks me up every time I see him,

he was part of a win earlier this year.

Today is a new day, I wish to rejoice and be glad in it. 

I pray to learn and grow, as I go about my daily doings.

Love and hugs to all of you ~ FlowerLady