pauses&clicks

I’m a big believer in traditions.

As a military family our surroundings changed constantly. Each move brought new experiences and ways to celebrate the Christmas season so things that happened within our family every single year were essential to defining our sense of home during the holidays…..homemade Chex Mix, the tree with the careful placing of ornaments collected over the years, watching It’s A Wonderful Life and White Christmas, making butter cookies and countless batches of english toffee, the sending and receiving of cards that connect us to people all over the world, the choir singing Christmas carols at mass, a house that glows with tiny white lights, both inside and out.

It’s just not this time of year without those things.

Except this year it’s all different.

Christmas is in storage.

Our house went on the market in September and like most sellers these days, many of our things are are tucked away in a rented space, creating that all-important optical illusion that the house is more spacious than it really is and most of our personal touches are gone so the buyers can envision themselves in the house instead of us.  🙂 Our basement was no exception to the purge and way back in September  I innocently thought the house would be sold and I’d already be moved by December.  It didn’t occur to me that I wouldn’t be decorating my home this year.

That said, I bought a few fresh wreaths at church last Saturday so those are up on my doors and the Santa gourds that I bought in Pennsylvania last month are residing on my hearth.

And this, I found this tucked away behind some boxes yesterday.

Simple and direct.

It wouldn’t be Christmas at all without the baby.