We are keeping it simple over here this Christmas. The aforementioned inaugural year of the fake tree is underway with white lights (only cause it's pre-lit) and two ornaments. One of them painted with my granddaughter during their recent visit. It has a picture of her in it. The other a gift from a sweet friend. Oh, we have about a bazillion more but that box is buried two or three deep in the stack and it's just not top priority to dig it out. The front porch has been cleared of construction debris and that's about as fancy as it's gonna get. Unless the wreath box is nearer the top of the pile than the ornament box. That remains to be seen. This hasn't stopped us from plugging in the tree and enjoying it just the way it is.
The Christmas china is not among the bare essentials we've unpacked for the time being. But that didn't stop me from resuming the girlfriend tea I had been doing every year before we moved to Texas. This year, instead of matching plates, cups and stemware set on a lace draped cloth in the candle-lit dining room, we had mismatched cups, paper plates (not even Christmassy ones) and plain white napkins set out on the kitchen table. The cut crystal serving pieces gave way to a few cereal bowls and a soup mug that says 'You Are Enough' on one side. I did choose red and green peppers, cucumbers and baby tomatoes as the veggies. And red and green apples for scooping caramel toffee dip from the 'You Are Enough' mug. The Russian tea (which is actually not Russian - I have this on good authority from my friend who grew up in St. Petersburg - she never heard of it until she came to the South) aroma mingled with the balsam candle I had burning to create a little atmosphere.
And there was a fire in the fireplace. A real one. The thing I may have missed most about our house while we were away. We had to crack open the back door so we wouldn't roast like marshmallows in the den, though. I hooked up my iPod and hit the Christmas playlist and we sat around and just visited. You almost couldn't see the four different paint colors slapped in wide swaths on the wall to see which one we like best. We went with a color called Etched Glass. It was nice and peaceful.
Before the girls came over I remembered that I had a whole shelf of Christmas story books in my office. I gathered up a pile and propped them all along the mantel. My books, being necessities, had been unpacked straight away. Hubby says we might ought to keep doing the book display on purpose.
I imagine I'll get everything out next year. There's a lot of time (not to mention money) invested in the carefully curated bits we've collected. And I do love an Insta-worthy scene here and there. But for now, I'm going to live vicariously though pictures on social media (y'all be sure to post lots of them for me) while I sit over here looking at my plain old tree lights. This year we are keeping it simple. And like the mug says, it is enough. Grace and peace wherever you are. Selah.
PS... you gotta try this caramel toffee dip: 8 oz cream cheese, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 8 oz Heath toffee bits. Mix it all up. Eat it with apple slices (any color) or a spoon. Or your finger. It's that good.
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