let the season begin

it's all i can do to NOT change my banner. my mind is in the christmas mode for sure. it's not that it was 15 degrees this morning. it's not having begun and even completed some handmade gifts. it's not that my lists are complete. BUT ...it is the collecting of my supplies, and beginning this year's december daily. THAT for me starts the season. as i work on the pages in hopes of having them mostly completed before dec.1, my mind travels back to christmas' past. the sweet days around the fire places when the kids were little. to mr. pate and i's first married christmas together 21 years ago. i think of everyone on my list and even speak to God of them and their new year to come. the time spent preparing this annual book allows me time to be introspective and to be still. i need that. i love that. and it is the magical key that places my heart fully in the christmas spirit.

my hope for this week is to share my book from last year. i have been looking and looking at it. it makes me so happy to see a memory from each day of last year. to read back over the messages of each sunday service leading up to christmas eve. to have the memory of the plays and movies we saw. it's fast becoming my most favorite way to keep a handle on these christmas'.

i challenge you, if you have never done this, do it...do it now. there are plenty of workshops and kits out there to help you out if you feel stumped. ask me questions if you want. study ali e's approach as she is the one who turned me on to this several years past. i will post days 8-14 tomorrow.

i realized after posting this some of my pages do not have their photos. gives you a before and after sort of view.

thanks for visiting!