Holidaze and New Year.

My only real resolution for the New Year is to get back (or move forward) to when life was simple. December was anything but simple. Between trying to move in, prepare and decorate for Yule, back to back company and just trying to find normal again...the entire month was complete chaos and pushed me to my limits.

i just want to slow down, focus on what is important and create a new path towards simplicity.

i have always loved simple, natural decorations.  We celebrate the season, the winter time and the return of sun.  It only makes sense that our decorations reflect this. Pine cones are one of my favorite winter decorations. Sometimes we spray them with a hint of glitter and sometimes we leave them natural.

We lost all of our old decorations and ornaments in the fire, but because most of my tree decorations are intended to be impermanent we were able to easily remake and decorate in the way we always have. We purchased new lights, a box of blue glass bulbs, some glittery butterfly decorations and some ribbon.  Then we gathered pine cones, decorated gingerbread and dried fruits. Kenan provided the glass icicles.  

i hate the idea of cutting down a tree so we have always used a potted tree. After the holidaze we replant it back into the ground. It always depresses me to see those discarded xmas trees laying by the side of the road, and worse yet the ones that never even sold. :(  We use the same tree year after year, until it becomes too big to dig.  This is the same tree we used last year. It missed the fire by only a week or so. Not even sure why we replanted it so early, as i like to keep them inside a while often waiting till early spring to replant. It always feels like welcoming an old friend when we bring our tree back inside. :)

The kids and i spent a weekend making paper snowflakes. Then we hung them in the windows and above the kitchen, from the loft. i like that we will have very little to store for next year. The snowflakes, gingerbread, dried fruit...they can all be made fresh next year. As making our ornaments is part of our holiday tradition, and much more preferable to just taking them out of a box.

We had so much 'stuff' in our old house. This starting over thing, it's hard, but it also is a fresh start. i am trying to begin the new year with that perspective. This gives us a chance to be much more mindful in the things we bring into this house, in the things that we keep. i still have a lot of 'stuff' to go through in the basement, but i have very little that i am attached to now and so there is very little that i feel the need to keep.

For the first time my folks and grandmother came up from FL to spend the holidays with us. We haven't seen my Grandma in around 5 years, since the last time we made it down to FL.  So it was incredibly special to have her come up, spent time with us and get to see the new house.  They only stayed a few days, and then we had a few days break before some friends came in to visit from Colorado.  

Once everyone had left, we spent the next few days doing absolutely nothing. It was wonderful. 

i have never been so ready for a year to end. i gave myself the year to mourn, and now i'm ready to be done. i'm ready to start the New Year in a new house. i'm ready to focus on new goals and the chance to begin again.

i'm ready.

May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art -- write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself.

-Neil Gaiman