Getting Into the Christmas Spirit

November comes and November goes,
With the last red berries and the first white snows.
With night coming early and dawn coming late
And ice in the bucket and frost by the gate.
The fires burn and the kettle sing
And earth sinks to rest until next Spring. ~ Clyde Watson

Hello dear friends! The bird bath has ice in it today and it is cold and dreary out. It is almost mid-November and I can't believe how quickly the month is passing by! I have been watching the Hallmark Christmas movies and they always put me into the Christmas spirit. I'm itching to get started with my decorating. How about you?

Now that we have that one wall painted in the living room and the Autumn decor has been put away I am getting the totes and boxes of decorations up. I will probably do the mantel tomorrow. Because I have family coming home for Christmas, I need to get an early start. 

The other day we took our car to Summerside for servicing and we stopped into a favourite store. The store was all decked out for the Holidays and everything looked so festive and pretty. I was a bit disappointed there was no teal or aqua because they had some last year but there was a lot of red and white; very cheery. 

I took a few pictures of the trees which all had a different theme along with a couple of other pretties they had for sale. There was 25% off all Christmas items so it was fun browsing.

This one was done in red and white with bunches of roses and berries. I liked the garland above with the berries hanging down. It made for a pretty niche.

If rustic is your thing then you might like this tree.

Then there was this tree decorated with owls,  penguins, and pinecones. 

A pretty wreath but pricey. I'm pretty sure I could make it for half what they were asking. I love the mustard colour of the chair it was propped up on.

We saw some red truck merchandise which is very hot right now. I liked this snow globe lantern. It was a good size so the price was fair.

There really wasn't anything I needed but I did buy a candle ring which looks pretty with the mercury glass candle holder.

The power of finding beauty in the humblest things makes home happy and life lovely. ~ Louisa May Alcott

Tea time ~ I am anxious to start using one of my Christmas teapots but I will wait another week or two. I am using my JB Friendly Village today.  There is Cinnamon Rooibos Chai in the teapot and mincemeat tarts to nibble on. I made a quick batch of tarts on Saturday so I'm having one with my cuppa. 

Somehow, taking tea together encourages an atmosphere of intimacy when you slip off the timepiece of your mind. ~ Gail Greco

I picked up the newest Teatime Holidays magazine. It is always a treat to bring this one home and peruse its pages filled with recipes and lovely photos.

All of these things; holiday magazines and movies, hot spicy tea and spicy tarts, as well as pretty shops all decorated for the Holidays, help put one into the Christmas spirit. 

Autumn is quickly turning into Winter weather here. It has been cold and the winds have been ferocious! We are supposed to get snow later today with very high winds. It is a good day to curl up before the fire with a cup of something hot and read a good book or watch a movie. 

Stay cozy everyone and until next time, take care and the Lord watch over you and your loved ones!



Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi

Tradition and Family

It was November ~ the month of crimson sunsets, parting birds, deep, sad hymns of the sea, passionate wind-songs in the pines. ~ LM Montgomery - Anne of Green Gables

It's November and we had a wicked storm on the weekend with hurricane force winds. The trees are bare and the leaves that were piling up in everyone's yard are no longer in sight as they too have all blown away. There are still some needles on the larches in our back yard and soon they will be gone. Fall has been very short this year. November is usually a dreary month but at least the sun is shining today.

On Monday Hubby and I got the painting done on one wall in the living room. He did the majority of it because I'm not able to any longer but I did do above the baseboard. I'm sore as a boil but at least it's done. It is a big change but change is good. This is just a sneak peek.

Tomorrow we will re-hang the mirror and get things back into place. Now we are pondering whether we should do another wall.

I have been in the kitchen all morning making my paternal grandmother's dark fruit cake. 

The cake is in the oven now and the house smells so good! It is my tradition to make both my dark and sultana fruit cakes every year. I always remember my grandmothers when I'm baking their cakes and I can almost sense them smiling while I bake. Both are heirloom recipes and I have no idea how old my grandmother's dark fruitcake recipe is. It could have been her mother's. Anyway it feels good to carry on a tradition.

I used to make fifteen kinds of sweets for the Holidays when my children were growing up. Of course, we had a lot of company back then. I won't be baking nearly as much this year but I like tradition and I will be happy to bake some favourite treats for my family.

Tradition gives us a sense of solidarity and roots, a knowing there are some things one can count on. ~ Gloria Gaither

Tea is on the table. Freshly dried hydrangeas from a friend, lemon tarts, and a pot of tea sit nearby. And no, I won't eat all those tarts. I just think the plate looks prettier with three on it. ;-)

I haven't used this Gracie cup and saucer for a while because I had it packed away. I think I'll leave it out because I like the mug-style cup. It's very comfortable to hold.

Tea is to the body as music is to the soul. ~ Earlene Grey

These tarts are so good made with lemon pie filling in them.

Yesterday was incredibly busy and I have to admit, it's lovely to sit and enjoy a cup or two amidst all this busyness.

When we sip tea, we are on our way to serenity. ~ Alexandra Stoddard

Our grandson played football on the weekend in that storm. Seems football gets played no matter the weather. You can tell he is drenched by his hair in the photo. It was a championship game and he won a trophy for best defence 2018. We are so proud of him! He is thirteen and really sprouting up. I expect he will be six feet by next summer. 

Our middle son celebrated his birthday yesterday. Wish we had been there to help him eat his cake! Happy Birthday, Sweetie!

Now and then I like a black and white photo, don't you? 

Next week, the decorating for Christmas will begin. I have a lot to do this year with family coming home for the Holidays. I'm rather pumped about that!

So how's your week going? I thought this little quote was a cute one to end my post with.

When you can't find the sunshine
Be the sunshine! ~ unknown

I am joining the following party~

Home Sweet Home

Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi