I haven’t put up a “real” Christmas tree in years. I did somewhat miss it this year — perhaps next year I’ll break out of my pattern and put up a real one. Will see.

But I do love my branch tree, which stays up all year long. I just change out the decorations for the different holidays.  Sure is much simpler!

We used to have a gal come clean once a month and she called it my “Martha Stewart” tree and it often gave her grief when she tried to dust around it. But I’ve come to really love this branch tree of mine.

I’ve come to love being more simplistic in many areas of my life and it’s hard to believe at one time I had eight large Rubbermaid containers stuffed full of Christmas decorations. I now have two.

I can’t imagine not putting up any holiday decorations as it is a creative outlet for me. And of course, a few have sentimental value, so they bring back special memories.

But since paring down over the years I’ve actually found more joy in the few items I do put up.

I hope you will enjoy this little tour around what I call my cottage in the city and my living room.

And no cottage would be complete without a roaring fire in the fireplace, right?  Well, okay, true confession. While we do have a woodburning stove, it’s been way too warm this winter to burn wood. This photo is actually a fireplace DVD playing on our TV I bought for the “effect.” It is amazing how well it does for ambiance though I do miss the smell of a woodstove burning!

Wishing you each a warm, cozy, and blessed Christmas!

I was thinking about the days I worked in the corporate world and how fun the days before Christmas were. It was fun exchanging gifts with my co-workers and being in the Christmas spirit with them.

But when one works alone, well, you have to make your own fun and find the spirit in your own way.

I admit I was feeling a bit blue this morning, alone in my writing cottage. But then I caught some action outside my window of the little chickadee’s happily enjoying the gift of peanut butter and seed I made for them.

I had bought these two wreaths a few weeks ago that came with feed already on them. But I’ve refilled them twice now making my own feed to keep my feathered friends happy.

And then I realized, these are my new co-workers (along with Gidget and Kylie, that is!) and I instantly didn’t feel alone.

I really do enjoy a lot of time alone, but once and awhile, it can feel lonely working by myself.  But then the birds reminded me today that I’m never really ever alone.

And I always have the choice to get out and about…which I plan to do shortly with a trip to the post office and then to our local deli for a bite of lunch.

As for that other co-worker of mine… she is snoring like nobodies business today!  Not naming names here, but her name starts with a G.

Happy Solstice! Today marks the shortest and darkest day of the year. But it feels like a celebration of its own in that we now are heading to more light again as we head into the heart of winter toward spring.

I love this photo of Gidget wrapped up in tiny Christmas lights. While staying overnight earlier this month at my best friend’s house, we couldn’t resist putting these twinkling lights around her. She certainly didn’t seem to mind and hammed it up as usual for the camera.

But looking at the photo today it reminds me that after long, dark days, the light always returns….just like life itself with it’s ups and downs.

While I don’t mind these days of hibernating more, snuggled in reading many books with Christmas themes (on my sixth one in the last three weeks!) I have to say I’m actually looking forward to the days getting longer again.

It’s rather hard not to think about spring also because of our unusual winter we’ve had with only a dusting of snow which is now melted — rain today and and more rain predicted for Wednesday — so no snow for us this Christmas.

But the spirit of Christmas is in my heart as the days grow longer and bring in more light as we move closer to 2016.