Slow Days

My favorite part about the way we celebrate Christmas is the down time we give ourselves.  Working for ourselves brings a big perk the last 2 weeks of the year.  We're able to take time off and just live.  Live as if the idea of work doesn't exist.  We put ourselves into our own Lala Land, but also know it has an end.  It helps (a bit) to make up for the added stress that owning a business brings the other 50 weeks of the year.  When the rush of our lives slows down, I feel the pressure and intensity that owning our business has brought into our lives.  Little by little, as it has lifted off the last week, I see the many layers it all has piled onto us.  Although, we love working for ourselves and that's just the type of people we are, there are positives and a lot of negatives to that.  It has worn on us over the years and it shows in so many aspects.  I realize how much we rush through our days.  I wish that could change, but most of everyone lives the same.  Life has gotten itself in a big hurry.  These slow days the last 2 weeks of the year are exactly what our souls need.   

These days brings us lazy naps, hot cocoa for him, tea for the lady, a messy house, chores forgotten.  Time to gather our thoughts, find inspiration for the new year and to watch the clock tick.  Something that normally doesn't happen any other time of our lives.  For now, right now, we just are living.  Slowly and with out much direction.   The way I wish it was more often.

Finding Festive

The last few weeks have left me feeling a bit uninspired and I truly despise that.  I caught a cold that transformed itself into bronchitis with a nice scoop of walking pneumonia on top like a cherry.  When they say 'walking'...I get it.  You can truly get around.  I worked and carried on with my days, but man, did I feel beat down.  24 days later, I finally beat it.  Wish I would have just gone to the doctor the first week of it.  However, I'm thankful that the rest of my family didn't catch it.  I'm kind of turning into a germaphobic and getting crazy with the hand sanitizer.
Although, I'm feeling better I'm still having a rough time bouncing back into the spirit of the season though.  I like to put the blame on the dreary weather, but it's not even at it's worse yet.  Trying to stay upbeat and positive at this time of the year is always a challenge.  I want to hibernate instead.  I don't do well in cold weather and with each passing year, I wonder how hard would it be to swap houses with someone this time of year?  It happens in the movies.  :)
On top of lack of inspiration, we have a lot of obligations to attend in the next 2 weeks which doesn't exactly help my outlook.  Just one year I want to blow off all of the celebrations and do whatever I'm feeling at the moment this time of year.  Although, my house is decorated for Xmas, I'm just not feeling it this year.  I did manage to take 3 Christmas's down to 2 instead.  Whatever happened to the days of celebrating just one time?
Whenever, I feel the cold season is getting the best of me, I decide to either let it take me down or to try and take it on.  This year, I'm torn.  As I'm writing this now on another gray day, a ray of sunshine just snuck in through my window.  Okay.  I get it.  Perhaps, she is trying to tell me something.  I like how she works.  Maybe I should just take a step back and not try so hard to stay inspired and festive this time of year.  Let the day just take me on its course.   The fact, that I'm about finished with my Christmas shopping just helped me a lot.  Just look what a little sunshine does for me!
On a more positive note, I did find some time last week to bake some cookies.  Hey, that's festive, right?!  Here is a photo of my baking assistant.  Mid project he gave up and started messing with everything in the kitchen drawers.  It's so hard to find good help!

Hope you're feeling more festive than I am this holiday season!

Holiday Decorating

We decorated this year the day after Thanksgiving. Visually, there's a lot going on in our house during the winter months when my forest of plants come inside, but squeezing our Christmas tree in there just adds to the eye catching chaos.

 That white feather boa is supposed to be snow.  I like a good excuse to throw in a feather boa when I can.  :)

I love nutcrackers!  Just running out of room to collect more right now.

Some of those birds in the tree have already taken a beating from our crazy cat attacking them.  I'm glad that Gadisa has at least left the tree alone!

Happy Holidays!

Truth

It takes waking yourself up to realize this and strength to follow it.