Are we there yet?

Days till Christmas

I know. I know that I said that Christmas would only begin after all of October's several birthdays. 

I thought on posting only then, on the right upper side of the blog, the usual Christmas counter. But why would I wait till then to start counting the days? 

I'm not saying shopping for presents, which I began already in September (why not ?), preparing the wrapping papers and bows and all things Christamas. I mean, I am not yet Chrystmassying in full swing, it's just that why not post already a counter on my blog? What's wrong with that?

I know that a lot of people prefer to spend first the dreaded halloween and then the blessed Thanksgiving, which I think it's a nice thing, and then to turn their attention to Christmas. But I know also that there are more people like me who is already fidgiting about Christmas.

So... As I said before, I will not get in full swing about Christmas yet, that is for sure, but I will not feel bad for doing already some little things.

And those aforementioned little things are: having some presents bought already, strolling by the internet looking for some more things I will buy as more presents (big family, you know, and an immense pleasure of buying things for my girls), dreaming about wrapping papers and daring to sing Rudolph, even if, for now, only inside my mind. I don't dare to begin singing on top of my lungs yet.

And...posting the Christmas counter on the right side of my blog !!

I can't resist it. How can I know how many days till then if I don't post it now?

So, let's begin. Not yet Christmassying all day long, just counting the days.

Are we there yet?

I realized that last year my first post about Christmas was on the 7 of November, so this year I began earlier. It was called: Too early?

That because Thanksgiving was not over then, but this year I did it in October before all the other feasts. 

Autumn time !

I do like the Autumn !!

Every year I long for that blessed time when the heat goes away, people get covered instead of showing their bodies and the leaves begin to fall. The rain comes back and also the fog.

I feel like reading and watching films and series even more than on another seasons  - well, I do it as in other seasons but the difference is that now everything is even more pleaseant because of the warm and confortable covers and drinking hot chocolate and eating mint chocolates, which makes the moment even better.

Such a delightfull time.

I roam all the blogs I can to find posts about the season and that gives me such peace and the will to live and do things.

What I don't like is the creepy decorations that some people like and post in their blogs, but in the whole I like to see the housess, the filds, everything.

And this time is not only the liberation from Summer and the beginning of a good season, it's also the promise of Christmas time looming on the horizon.

So, first I have the birthdays: my nephew, then the one of my girl B, then mine and after that my uncle's.

After that it's open season for Christmas.

In that time I begin making lists: presents to buy, on top of the ones I began already buying, ( I have already two bags full) and mainly what I will buy food wise. Also non eating things.

We only decorate for Christmas on the first of December, never before, but my head is singing Rudolph immediately after the birthdays.

Oh what a beautiful time of the year this is. I truly can't stad the heat and all things summery - except the holidays, the journey to another town and the hotel and museums, gardens, etc. But the weather, the people...No, that I don't like.

But now I don't need to think about it till next year, because now it's Autumn time !! 

The Twelve Days of Christmas

So it was the time to wrap presents and then, suddenly, Christmas Eve and the Day were gone. Also Boxing Day.

How could  it be that it went so fast ?

But yes, we are now in January but Christmas Time didn't finish yet.

We will only  take the Tree and the Decorations out AFTER Epiphany. And the Nativity will stay till the 2 of February: the Presentation of The Lord Day, Candlemas.

So, don't pretend Christmas ended because it's still Christmas Time.

On the first day of Christmas,

my true love gave to me
A partridge in a pear tree.

On the second day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the third day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the fourth day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the fifth day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the sixth day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the seventh day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the eighth day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the ninth day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the tenth day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
Ten lords a-leaping,
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the eleventh day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
Eleven pipers piping,
Ten lords a-leaping,
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the twelfth day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
Twelve drummers drumming,
Eleven pipers piping,
Ten lords a-leaping,
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree!

Origin and meaning of the Twelve Days of Christmas Song

"Catholics in England during the period 1558 to 1829, when Parliament finally emancipated Catholics in England, were prohibited from ANY practice of their faith by law - private OR public. It was a crime to BE a Catholic.

"The Twelve Days of Christmas" was written in England as one of the "catechism songs" to help young Catholics learn the tenets of their faith - a memory aid, when to be caught with anything in *writing* indicating adherence to the Catholic faith could not only get you imprisoned, it could get you hanged, or shortened by a head - or hanged, drawn and quartered, a rather peculiar and ghastly punishment I'm not aware was ever practiced anywhere else."

(More at the link above.)

Plans for a New Year

 

All these motivation sentences are in my Motivation board in Pinterest.

So now get up and begin transforming your dreams in reality.

As I said last January:

You are never too old to set another Goal 

or dream another Dream

-C.S. Lewis

and

It's never too late to be what you might have been

- George Eliot

So, let's do it, let's dare to fight for that dream. Have that goal. Plan it. 

Make it Happen !

Wrapping time

 It's that time of the year again. Here I am wrapping the presents. I do like it.

I leave you here with some papers and presents.

More to come.

The tree is up

 

No, I don't mean this one, I wish here we would have snow with a beautiful Christmas Tree on top of it. Not that it never snowed but it doesn't happens for some years now.

Well, never mind. What I want to say is that our tree is up. As we do every year on the first of December, we went to the garage and brought the tree and ornaments and the Nativity.

We still have some more things to do but we will a little bit each day, mainly on the Immaculate Conception day as we have bank holiday and we have more time to do it.

Pictures of everything soon.

A mess in the kitchen ?

Just look to that image. Don't we feel like that, in the end of the day, so many times?

We make dinner, everybody eats and then rests and we look at all the mess and feel so tired to take care of the kitchen.

Never mind. You would expect me to say now: 

- just engage everybody to help because you are not a slave; 

- you did already all that work making the dinner, now it's time to rest and let them do the cleaning;

- you can't let the kitchen like that, if they don't help, do it yourself

- don't go to bed with a messy kitchen

- God forbid to have a house like that

- and so on.

But now let's think: it's just to put things in the washer, so why to have a war because nobody helps? It's better to do it ourseves and in a minute it's done and everybody will be happy. Then you will have a tidy and clean kitchen, a happy faced family and you too will have some rest.

We must give thanks for having a house with a kitchen and food and family and a living room where to go and talk with your family and watch some television or a film or series.

- But I haven't a washer (for several reasons) and it's so much work.

Ok, then you begin, wash everything and let it to dry. Then you have two choices: either you put it way in the morning after being drying all night, which is ok, or someone will help you.

And clean the countertops, for some the sink it's everything, for me it's the countertops.

We don't need to be perfect, what we need is to live in peace. Do what you feel it's better and remember that you haven't to prove anything to anybody, just do what is needed for you to feel well.

- Oh, well, I have no energy at all in the evening, I just can drag myself to the sofa and rest. 

Well, now I will give you an advice that will raise a lot of eyebrows: do it in the morning if you know that you will have lots of energy then. Never mind what other people think and say.

Wake up earlier, go to the kitchen, shut the door so nobody will hear the noises. Put things in the dish washer or wash it by hand. Dry it and put it in the cup board. Clean the countertops. Sweep the floor.

Now look: isn't your kitchen so nice? Don't you feel well and victorious? And powerful? And full of energy !

And the day is beginning, the morning is such a wonderful time. And you have a nice, clean kitchen.

Now you begin to hear you children and husband waking up to a nice and tidy house. And all that begins with a tidy kitchen.

It's so good to have a home and a family. Thanks be to God.

Partying at Homestead Blog Hop, County Road and Modern on Monticello

Too early ?

Do you know that english rhyme that says Mary, Mary quite contrary?

It could be about myself, it's just that I'm not Mary. 

I never go with the flow not for liking going in the opposite way, it's just that I don't mind to disagree.

And what am I disagreeing to this time? About being too early to "look like Christmas".

Every year I read in blogs about the doubt of being or not too early to talk about Christmas. Ah but Thanksgiving ! First comes Thanksgiving. Oh well, I don't care, before the end of October I am Christmassying in full swing and nobody can stop me.

This year even before that date people could see me buying Christmas presents already. And wrapping them !!

I have two bags full of presents already wrapped. I feel victorious for begining slowly (or not so much) and having started already, that early, to prepare for Christmas.

Isn't that a wonderful time of the year? Pity I haven't snow here but never mind, I have it in my mind and that is good enough.

Partying at Homestead Blog Hop.

No, we don't do halloween here

 That's all.

Yes, in those countries where Halloween is a cultural habit, people may dress children as the saints of their devotion on the eve of All Saints Day. To dress as witches and such, to hounour the ocult, no, that is to serve the demon. If you like it, do it, but later don't complain about the action of the devil in your life because it was you who invited him.

Some of my favourite things - I

Shutterstock

I must say, I don't like a lot of things, as everybody knows. Very high ceilings, rooms with no doors, all the house with a big, large warehouse look where all the rooms get together, industrial style, too much grey in decoration, lack of privacy in the kitchen assuming that it's a public place and every guest and friend goes there and stays.

Antique furniture spoiled by corse paint. Old shutters outside windows, making pannels inside homes, as inside decoration. Ladders as towel rails. 

Oh I could carry on.

I don't like most house find and transformation tv shows where, in the end, I think the house is worse than before they began but everybody applauds and even sheds some tears.

Too much people. Wine - well, a little sip of Port or Madeira wine it's ok. Coffee. Extroverts. Political correctness (this I abhorre). Going with the flow, following trends, in clothes and in homes. Or ideas.

Summer with its hot weather and people trying to look their worst showing too much body. Beaches with women showing their bare bottoms - I wonder why they think the others are interested in their backside. But on this, anyway, let them be grotestque, I don't go to the beach anyway.

As I don't intent to please and I show myself as an intolerant woman who dislikes most things that almost everybody likes, if somebody is reading this, now he (she) is wondering if there is something in this world of God that I like. Yes! I do like a lot of things, it's just that I don't follow any trend and I always row against the tide, not because I like to do it, but because I dare, I have the nerve to be different from the madding crowd.

So, now I will show some things I like. Yes, there are a lot of things that I like. - I can't post now about everything I like but I intend to show, slowly, what I like on the course of several posts - not in a row.

Here I go.

Photo by The New York Botanical Garden - Houzz

Flowers, roses and others. Plants that are not succulents - yes, succulents are another thing that I don't like. Lavender.This I like so much.

Ferns.

Photo by Linda L. Floyd, Inc., Interior Design - Houzz

Traditional looking homes. Cottage style, the real one, in the kitchen, with a mix of farmhouse and shaby chic. Or craftsman for kitchens and all the house.

Photo by Ri-novo - Houzz

Shaker style pannels on the cupboards. Subway tiles as splachers.

Photo by Seattle Custom Cabinets - Houzz

Photo by Ri-novo - Houzz

The sink must be overmounted, I don't like undermounted.

The colour white if it must, or cream, that I reeealy like, 

Photo by Ben Herzog - Houzz

and wood tones, but the ones who give a sturdy look, not the soft wood ones.

Photo by Kitchens of Los Gatos - Houzz

Photo by JACK ROSEN CUSTOM KITCHENS - Houzz

Green, that I accept.

Photo by Rosewood Custom Cabinetry & Millwork - Houzz

https://www.houzz.com/

Traditional and Victorian style in the bedroom.

Photo by Linda L. Floyd, Inc., Interior Design - https://www.houzz.com/

In the Livingroom:

Photo by Linda L. Floyd, Inc., Interior Design - Houzz

And to finish, just look to this amazing house.

It's how I like things.

Credits under the pictures.

Partying at Homestead Blog Hop.