My Christmas our way Paint Party Friday

Yesterday my son in law turned Ten thousand days old!!

 The world did not end! So we got him and ice cream cake to celebrate!!!

 I tried to edit the colors but the colored swirls literally looked like poop....

Hope that dispels your craving for an ice-cream cake!

Thoughts whirl in my brain this season.

The worlds is a frenetic sad place

I can barely keep up.

Christmas has changed.

The poor struggle to give to the rich

Divorce has obliterated seasonal routine.

Still you

 

 Juggle dates to suit all!

Give money and gift cards

to those with everything

Days off are banked for later

when it doesn't really matter

People are over tired

or sick,  Still you

 

 Bake, clean

drop off gifts to 

 food banks

  women's shelters

 while news reports

spew carnage 

of women and children

making it  difficult to

 and concentrate on

preparing  the promised dessert

for the pseudo Christmas dinner

created for

children of divorce.

So you

Kick back sip a cocktail

and reflect

on what was

what is

and

what will be

Take a deep breath

 Continue on,

 Wishing,

those who have less

 to have more  

For violence to

dissipate

and 

the true

spirit of Christmas

to regenerate!!

Wishing those who celebrate Christmas

a Merry one filled with happiness!

To all others a joyous season filled

with everyone and everything you love!

These are my loved ones  

My Nephew, brother, and niece

Beardo and Cupcake

Cupcake and I celebrating Christmas 

at My brothers

My sweet sister in law who  is such a fun person!

Every year we promise to see each other more

yet life gets in the way!!

Fifty one year old handsome,

Mr. Domestic puts on the Ritz for his family!

Christmas although it's not been on the actual

day for well over ten years now is his favorite

day of the year! 

He does everything in his

power to recreate Christmases from our childhood

right down to Nat King Cole singing 

the Christmas song as his son walks down 

the stairs on the designated day!

Christmas may not be celebrated on the 25th

but one can never take for granted a special 

family gathering, because you just never know

 how many you have left!!

Today I feel  so blessed and full of gratitude!!

Please visit paint party friday to

celebrate the artists I adore!!

Iron Bird and Christmas Trees!!

One of my favorite Christmas traditions  is to hit up the Art Knapps just outside of White Rock B.C. to capture some photos of their luxurious seasonal decor! Each year it's different, but always so beautiful. It actually makes my heart sing!!  You can probably see why, with all this delicious color tugging at my heart strings!!

Lucky there were so many people, otherwise I may have done a jig.... not really, my hip just isn't conducive to dancing these days! But it really does make me that happy!! I know my friend couldn't tell because I was so focused on trying to get photos! 

It was difficult to get these photos because people kept stepping into my line of fire! Oops I just notice one there!! Didn't even see her.....so lets play where waldo. Guess I better check the other photos a bit  closer!  We usually go on a week day, this year we braved the very busy Sunday!!

I can't even imagine the planning that went into these beautiful displays! Some amazing artist I suppose.   I always wonder about the people who design and facilitate such a feat. Just like I always wonder about the writers of a good television program. Who are these people? Why don't they get the accolades they deserve when they can make you laugh one moment and cry the next!

We managed to fit in a lunch before hand too!! Cupcake is returning home today from some very cold temperatures up North. I was hoping she could enjoy these photos while waiting in the airport!!

I've been spending awesome time with Beardo, we barely cooked since she's been gone. However we have accomplished quite a bit... Excited for her return and to hear all about her adventures, and how she coped with the -21 below zero Celsius temperatures!! She does not do cold well!!

 I'm so excited to share this newly recorded song "Iron Bird" that Beardo wrote for Cupcake last year  when she traveled to England on Business!! He's a folk artist, hope you enjoy his music!!! I'm so proud of him!!

  Better Brother singing Iron Bird

All copy rights  for the song "Iron Bird" belong to Better Brother, lyrics and music.

Paint Party Friday Small moments

The original acrylic

Sometimes things go wrong, very wrong.  Often there is nothing we can do but hold our breath and wait for it all to play out. During which time there may be pain, loads of pain, either physically, fiscally, or emotionally. Somehow, with friends and family support,   a small switch in perspective I`ve been able to change things up to make life a little more comfortable. For me finding gratitude in the smallest things helps take my mind off the larger issues at hand.

Digital color edit

Just the other day I was reminded of how I felt twenty years ago while my mom was dying.  During that time I  had  complained to a friend how things were falling by the wayside with me spending so much time at the hospital. Weeds were overtaking my beautiful gardens. 

A few days later two of my friends showed up at the door.  Garden gloves and cinnamon buns in hand prepared to weed!  Instead I threw on the coffee  and refused to let them weed. I needed  my friends for comfort, a few laughs,   to feel normalcy in a world out of control. As I write this, tears stream my face at the importance of that pivotal day which will be embedded with gratitude in my heart forever! 

In those hours of darkness my dear  friends picked up my shattered heart off the ground, pieced it together, kissing it with their friendship. My complaints were never about the weeds. In fact a few days before they arrived I opened the door to see a vibrant yellow  dandelion bloom. Despite the  nemesis  to my garden, it was beautiful, alive and growing.  Unlike my poor mother, who was way too young,  suffering cancer on her death bed.

Digital collage of my original

Life is like that sometimes. Finding those simple pleasing moments to thoroughly bask in,  got me through the difficult stuff  to find peace, joy and the true magic of life.  It was no different with my hard  divorce, an illness, and terrible fiscal blurps!

Digital collage with re-sized trees all
 done in microsoft paint program

A few adjustments in perspective, a heart full of gratitude and I could find happiness in a giggle with friends, a burst of color in a store front, a good memory, a card game with my daughter,  the smell of coffeebrewing, and a delicious meal! Because no matter where I looked, no matter how bad I felt I always knew it could be worse so I should appreciate what is!

Color edits done at photobucket

 I never forgot and hold dear to this day what my moms best friend said to me just after she died, " I promise you, it will get better!"  And it did...... over the years I hear myself repeat that to others because it truly helped me so much! Christmas is a time of celebration, although I am fortunate to feel the spirit  this year not everyone can.  Some people are into the season carrying a very heavy heart, I am wishing them love and a few simple moments of peace and joy.

It's not every year I feel the spirit of the season! How about you do you have the spirit this year?

I missed the party this week,  please forgive me and  visit my sweet artist friends at Paint Party friday you won't be disappointed!!