#3 Making Something Out of Nothing
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays & Bountiful Blessings to you and yours!
I gotta admit, each year it takes me a bit of coaxing to get to this place. The place where I can honestly offer that greeting from an authentic and heart felt place. When it comes to welcoming the holidays, believe it or not, my true nature is pretty “bah-humbug.” Stress, anxiety and general contrary-ness get the best of me every year.
BUT, I happen to be married to the uber-positive, ever-optimist, holiday-loving, rose-colored glasses kind of guy that is Mr. Hart. He LOVES the holidays with unwavering contagious enthusiasm.
He’s got collections of antique ornaments, nutcrackers, Christmas villages, and family heirlooms. He’s got seasonal light bulbs he rotates into all the light fixtures. The kitchen fixtures are now emitting a faint, frosty blue light, and I’ll need my phone’s flashlight to read today’s baking recipes. He offered to change them back, but I had to admit they look and feel good.
And that’s how he does it.
He goes about his holiday business by himself. Planning, shopping, decorating, making…until I come around. And when I finally come around, I do what I do best. I make something out of nothing. It’s that challenge that shifts my spirit.
There are no flowers, except my three new amaryllis that are on the verge of blooming. And despite being watered and resting on a heat mat under grow lights, the rest of them plan to sleep right through Christmas. My orchids are loaded with bloom stalks and buds, but again, no flowers. So last week, I bought three 1/2 price cedar garlands (thanks Cottage Gardens) and gave myself a challenge. How could I use it and how far could it go?
What I came up with really wasn’t anything never before seen, but I used what I had on hand to create something new and in the holiday spirit. I was able to decorate the dining room and kitchen and it feels much better, much warmer, and so do I.
So on that note, I’ll get to my baking and wish you the Merriest Christmas and Happiest of Holidays!
