Rest and Recover.....and Remember.....

We are spending some quiet days at home slowly taking Christmas down and filling black trash bags with debris. I'm pretty proud of myself. As I look at the things I'm packing away, if I don't really like it, I'm putting it straight in the Goodwill bag. 

When I was struggling with my closet to find funeral clothes, I ended up with a big pile of discards on the bedroom floor. I just left them where they were until we came home on Tuesday. I pushed them in the corner and Wednesday morning they went in the bag! I think I have found a new therapy.

For the most part, I have been getting Christmas out all by myself. Bless Louis Dean's heart, the last few years he has been dreading the holidays so I am trying to spare him the stress. And I am planning on reducing the stress for both in the future. While I have been working - and taking plenty of breaks to rest and read - he has been playing some 'new' old songs. 

He has been playing this one a lot!

I think it's wonderful how an 82 year old man can still get so excited about music and life.

He calls this tune a feel good song.

The songwriter wrote this for Faron Young and Louis Dean likes the way he sings it best.

He's also been doing the grocery shopping.

Thursday I made us a big garden salad for a late lunch.

This is the only 'clean' corner in the kitchen.

I had cleaned the den last week and the perpetual tree that lives in there just had white lights on it.

I decided to make a 'Cardinal Tree' out of it.

Summer has gifted me these ornaments over the years and added the white cardinal ribbon this year.

Yes, the Santa wall is still up.

I will be taking it down next week......when I remember where I put some of the regular paintings that will go back up. Possibly under the bed in the guest room.

I will need to look in there.

Today we meant to go over to Dallas and see Amber and the family and do Friday, Pizza, Popcorn, Coke and Movie Night. However, I woke up with a stomach bug and have stayed in here pretty much all day. I am writing from the bed with my laptop on the white bed tray.

They have had more than their fair share of illness the last few weeks and I did not want to introduce them to yet another bug!

While this room is not technically a 'clean' one - I decided since I'm in here - to light the candles anyway. Wednesday I washed all the bedding - sheets, comforter, bedspread, pillow shams, and cases.

I even ironed all the pillow shams. I took all of Christmas out and dealt with the extra debris that had accumulated. 

I decided to leave part of the decorations as a winter theme.

A vintage suitcase holds all the pieces to this table scape.

I keep my essential oils underneath the pretty pillows and white satin bow.

And the diffuser has been in full time use the last few days.

Actually, it is in full time use most days.

I thought this verse would be perfect for February - the love month.

Tomorrow I hope to feel like getting up in the storage building attic and unpack our Valentine coffee cups. I'm putting all my Christmas dishes on the shelves in the downstairs part of the storage room and I am so excited about having this extra space to store things. Once Valentines Day is over - those cups will be on the shelves I've saved to put my Texas themed dishes and other seasonal pieces on. 

This funny photo came up in my Facebook Memories today.

Everyone needs these 'bones!'

I remember back in 2004 when I had recently divorced after 41 years,

Summer was so surprised to discover I had a sense of humor.

I think I had always had a wishbone but it wasn't until I grew a backbone that I developed my funny bone!

I usually like to close my journal post on a positive note.....

but I have not been able to get this quote out of my mind.

There may be a reason for that.

Perhaps I'm not supposed to.....

I memorized this poem over 30 years ago...

Let's not forget to pray....