Christmas is just days away. This will be our second here at the Old Schoolhouse. Many special occasions have been celebrated here, from Birthdays, bachelor/ bachelorette parties, graduations, New Year’s Eve and even a wedding. Grammy and Grampy use to hold Thanksgiving dinner here for the family, many years ago. We did as well, before all the animals called the Schoolhouse home. I can see it now. Charlie, our 11lb dog, on the table. Cat hair in the side dishes, no matter how much I vacuum and clean. They believe every surface is theirs. Then there is our St.Bernard/ Newfoundland, Willa, who very easily can skim the table and over the years has lost her manners (along with her listening skills). No Thanks. Just like everybody else on this planet, some things will be a little different this year. Some things will stay the same.
Decorating for the holidays is my favorite part. I start outside in early November, to get ahead of the cold weather. The inside is done after Thanksgiving. This year I was in Florida for Thanksgiving and started off my quarantine making everything cheery and bright. Lighted window boxes of fir and pine, hanging lights and evergreen garland inside and out.Holiday decor of reds, silvers and whites. Adding pieces of Nature to my old cottage style scheme, evergreen boughs, pine cones, Birch, moss and angel wings. It just makes everything feel so cozy during the dark, gray, gloomy days. We have our vintage light up Santa to put on the steps. Last year he was wired to the house and the wind was so strong, he sailed back and forth across the lawn, bouncing off the packed snow. I’m pretty sure if he had detached from the extension cord, he’d been across the fields and into the woods. Needless to say, by the time he was done bouncing around, the lightbulb was shattered. We spared him the agony this year. Poor guy. The month of December, we do go through more gas then normal. We have to run the generator for the holiday lights. For the short amount of time, it’s worth it.
At the house we always had a live tree. Most years two. At the Schoolhouse, we have a fake pencil tree. Between the woodstove and propane heater, a real tree would dry out far to quickly. As it is, my house plants struggle in here in the winter months and constantly need watering, which I tend to forget. The 7ft skinny tree only takes up a small corner of the house. When you have a small space, every inch counts. Decked out with white glistening lights, red bulbs and black and white buffalo check ribbon, the tree flows perfectly with our everyday home decor. When the girls were younger, we cut down a small tree and they made construction paper garland and ornaments. I made a star out of twigs for the topper and that was our very first Christmas tree in the Schoolhouse.
Holiday shopping is my absolute least favorite part. It’s a dreaded chore. I detest shopping of any kind. 99.99% of my shopping is done online and delivered to our daughters house, where I’ll pick it up. Christmas shopping, no different. Done online. If I do HAVE to go shopping, it’s done first thing in the morning. I don’t do well in crowds and even when it’s not busy and chaotic, I’m still driving home with a pounding headache. It physically drains me. Believe me, it’s a long 45 minute drive back to the quiet hill. Let’s just say I’m extremely appreciative of UPS and FEDEX. The less I shop, the better.
With some of our adult children being elsewhere on Christmas Day, we celebrate early. Christmas started extra early this year, when I went to Florida, to see our daughter and grandson, Kenzie and Noah. Being mid November, I hung the felt wall hanging Christmas tree we bought Noah last year and set his presents next to it. Any other year, their gifts are shipped and we don’t get to see his excitement. This year was the first time I was able to see him open his Christmas gifts. I recorded it so Grampy could watch when I returned. During my visit, I hung lights, we did some Thanksgiving and Christmas crafts and watched holiday movies. Doing my best to get him excited about Christmas. When we watched the live version of the Grinch, Noah wasn’t impressed. “Too Scary” he said.
Christmas was continued, this past weekend, with our other four daughters, their other halves and our other 4 grandchildren. We had a full house as we had a Sunday brunch Christmas. With lots of yummy food, sweets, drinks, chatter and laughs. It’s always fun getting everyone together. Watching our 2 year old grandson, Giovanni, open his gifts was enjoyable. He’s at fun age too. He’s just starting to understand the excitement and wonder of Christmas.
The holiday will continue Christmas morning. Our youngest and oldest daughters, Reaghan and Amanda will return Christmas morning, with their “other halfs”. We’ll open gifts, have coffee and breakfast, as we have done for years.
Normally, life is crazy this time of year and I’m scurrying, hustle and bustling. This year, not so much. I’ve actually had time to be creative. Which I feel I lost down the road at some point on this journey of life. We had leftover lumber from a project and don’t like wasting lumber. I’m kind of a lumber hoarder. A good piece eventually has a use. We had numerous chunks of 6×6 post remnants. Perfect for faux Christmas present decorations. I painted them, put some beautiful ribbon with a bow, a few decorative details and voila’, decor that will last many years. I gave these to our daughters, as these are a piece of the Schoolhouse. I also made birch candleholders as gifts. After cutting up a birch tree in different length sections, I drilled holes in the end of each piece, where I would place a votive candle. I then used twine to tie them together in bunches of three. Finally adding, moss and pine cones for the finishing touch. After all the cutting was done, my husband bought me a chop saw for my Birthday. That would have been helpful a week or so prior, to get an even cut. Oh well…it’ll be there for the next project. Whatever that shall be.
Just like so many other people, we will not get to see my parents, my brothers and their families, to celebrate. We do realize though, how very blessed we are to have been able to see our girls and grandchildren. Spacing things out, quarantining and making the decision to distance ourselves from others has made the Holiday doable for us during this crazy time.
Soon it’ll all be over. A New Year begins. Lights and decorations will be taken down, packed up and ready for the following year. Harsher, colder winter weather will arrive and it’ll be time to settle in for that long winters nap…..Merry Christmas, Happy Holiday’s, Blessed Yule and Good Health Everyone……from our house to yours ❄
Off-Grid Soul 