Christmas outside

This year I did something very different. I took Christmas outside. In case you forgot, I live in Michigan not Florida. It gets very cold and snowy here. But we bought one of those outside heaters and it works pretty good. So let me share about what you see.

THe plaid covering on the antique glider is a large size tablecloth from Walmart. It’s the only thing I bought new for this project.

The tablecloth is vintage. I collect vintage tablecloths and love them. They are not all Christmas themed. The various blankets you see are ones I used on my front porch theme in the past.

Of course, I pained the sign. Obviously, I didn’t take a lot of time for it.

The Details

My dad made the little wagon and if you look closely at the back of the wagon, you will see a wooden stocking my mom made. I miss them, especially at this time of year. Those of you who have who have lost someone, know how that feels.

So ask me, do I go outside on really cold days? Yes, I do. There is an antique hanging light that is really cool. I go out there when it’s dark and turn on the light and the heater. The heater has to stay on low for at least five minutes. I go back inside and get my coffee going and my Bible and accessories ready. Unless it’s really windy, that’s where I have my devotions.

I love it. It’s quiet and cozy. I cuddle up with the blankets and get all comfy. I hope to do it after surgery as well, once I’m mobile and able. It’s amazing I do this because I’m not a fan of cold weather but for some reason, I love this. I love this quiet time with God outside in the world He created.The only problem is my hands. They get cold because I am having to turn pages, etc.

This is a busy week for me. We have everyone over this weekend. I’m looking forward to it.

My husband and I have baked five different kinds of cookies and our famous Anzac cookies. We’ve probably baked about fifteen dozen of those. No, I’m not kidding. Could even be more than that. Today we are baking even more. We give away a lot of these. You really should try these. They last forever.

Anyway, I hope the rest of your week is good.

God bless each of you.

• 
  How To Find Joy In God When Life Feels Heavy
  🌘 It’s hard to find joy, even the joy that comes from God, when life feels so heavy. That’s because we often confuse joy with happiness. They’re not the same. Happiness depends on our circumstances, while joy comes from God. There are seasons when the world feels dimmer than it should. Times when you wake… Read more: How To Find Joy In God When Life Feels Heavy
• 
  How to confront honestly and with integrity.
  I don’t know anybody who likes to confront, at least not among the people I know. But we’re all going to have to do it at some point in our lives. So, we need to learn to do so with honesty and integrity. Confrontation is not a bad thing. Honest communication handled with integrity can… Read more: How to confront honestly and with integrity.
• 
  What does a simple life look like for you?
  Simple is different for everyone. I’m all for simplifying our lives if it makes them better. But to simplify, just so we can say we did and sound all hep and everything, is ridiculous. Besides, what looks like simple living for me is different from what it looks like for you. Compared to my “bestie”… Read more: What does a simple life look like for you?
• 
  Exaggeration is too common. But not God.
  So Michigan was supposed to accumulate over a foot of snow in one day last week. Not! Oh, the weather forecasters are saying that it will still happen. I’ve lived in Michigan for a long time. And let’s just say it’s going to have to “mega” snow the rest of the day to accomplish that.… Read more: Exaggeration is too common. But not God.
• 
  How to improve your relationship with yourself.
  Your Relationship With You On the surface, it seems an odd idea that you could actually be anything other than who you really are. But from the time we can talk, we’re being programmed to “fit in”. We find ourselves conforming in order to please the people we love, and who love us. Sometimes that… Read more: How to improve your relationship with yourself.

I hope you have a wonderful rest of your week.