"Mary Did You Know?"

A little after-dinner music at our house this evening . . .

Full-Size Tree or Tabletop Tree?

I have heard it said that "tabletop trees are for old people." 

But are they? 

I showed you our Christmas tree in my last post. It is a seven-foot tree that we purchased the first Christmas we were in Pineapple House, replacing the slimline tree we had in the small living room at The Farmhouse. 

This is our forty-second Christmas as a married couple, and we have always had full-size trees. I still remember the excitement of going to purchase our very first Christmas tree at the local Drug Fair. When our oldest children were in elementary school, we began getting fresh cut trees from a local tree farm. Then the year that our freshly cut tree had some sort of blight and dropped so. many. needles that it was nearly bare (and a fire hazzard!), we bought a new artificial tree just a few days before Christmas. We've had an artificial ever since.

We love trimming the tree every year (especially since the children started stringing the lights) and decorating it with garlands and treasured ornaments while Bing Crosby's White Christmas album plays in the background. It is a family tree with no theme other than "family history" and it's just right.

But (getting back to that "tabletop trees are for old people" idea) . . . 

I fully intend to have a tabletop tree when our last child has left the nest!  

(Which is okay, because I am old, right?)

I even have an inspiration photo, torn out of a 2008 Country Living magazine. 

How cute is this tree?! I can fully imagine this kind of set-up in the Pineapple House living room! And it doesn't even feel like a concession . . . more like a goal! 

So what do you think? Do you have a full-size tree or a tabletop tree in your home? Are tabletop trees really for old people? ~smile~   

Slow Decorating: The Christmas Tree

We began decorating for Christmas early last week . . . and then we fiddled around with it for days! 

A little here.

Thinking.

A little there. 

Looking at old photos on my blog.

More thinking.

Perusing old magazine clippings I've collected over the years.

Tweaking.

That's how we roll, Bekah and I. 

(Does anyone else decorate s-l-o-w-l-y?)

But (other than the mess), we enjoyed the process! We played Christmas music (including lots of throwbacks to the 80's and 90's). We burned Woodwick candles for their evergreen aroma and for their cozy crackling sound. We may or may not have made a coffee run.

Slow isn't always bad! 

Before I talk about this year's tree, let me share one of the songs we played on repeat as we decorated. Oh my. Such a glorious message! "You are the long awaited One! You are Emmanuel!" 

Our first completed project: the Christmas tree.

We had talked about doing a theme tree this year. Not only was Bekah on board with it, it was her idea! It was going to be Colonial with dried fruits and pomanders, cranberry and popcorn garlands, dried flowers. But the Christmas season sneaked up on us and we didn't have all the things we needed, so we put that idea on hold until next year. 

Bekah "fluffed" the tree and strung the lights, but when she added the strings of red wooden beads that we've used for years, I just wasn't feeling them. So for this year, I decided to use plaid ribbon as a garland. I cut my ribbon in four-foot lengths and wove them through the tree. It was easy and it's a fun change . . . but I'll still look for faux cranberry garlands for next year. 

There was another change in this year's tree. We are missing  Kati's ornaments because she took her treasured collection to her new home! (You can read about our ornament tradition here.) So Bekah hung all of hers, and Ron and I dug deep in our box and pulled out some old ones . . . and somehow, we have enough!

Here are some favorites . . . 

This one represents our annual "Girls' Day Out" tradition.

One of Bekah's three piano ornaments

The chain saw man, representing the many, many years that Ron cut firewood to heat The Farmhouse.

One of my favorites. (I love sheep!)

Kati gave this one to us on our first Christmas at Pineapple House.

Granddaughter Maddie made this felt nativity.

Bekah loves Polish pottery.

This is Bekah's 2019 ornament, in memory of our dear Pinky who passed away in March.

To complement the plaid ribbon garland, I pulled out my plaid tree skirt. It was approved. :) 

Curious minds want to know:

Have you ever done a themed tree? How long does it take you to decorate your house for Christmas? 

{30 Days of Thankfulness} Day 30

It is hard to know how to end these 30 days . . . because thankfulness should never end really.  There is ALWAYS something to thank the Lord for! His mercies are new every morning!

I am thankful for sweet time spent with family.

It was good to gather with my dear ones on Thanksgiving Day. We missed my parents greatly, as my dad was under the weather and my mom stayed at home with him. We had no extended family or other guests this year, so it was "just the twenty of us." (Andrew is amused when we say that. 😄)

"Just the twenty of us" sang together on Thanksgiving evening. Here is one of our songs:

I am thankful for my new iPhone. 

Yes, I am joining the 21st century and I am looking forward to learning how to use the camera and posting more frequently on Instagram and who knows what else. I can also record videos (like the one above), although I don't want my family to be afraid to see my get my phone out. 


I am thankful that we had a long visit from Kati. 

It has done my heart good to have her here for these thirteen days! Kati was able to come early while Andrew was on a business trip and working, so we had some extra time with her. We enjoyed  that thoroughly. Kati is such an easy person to be with. (Don't you think that's a good thing to say about a person?)

She and Andrew leave for home early tomorrow and I am trying hard not to be sad. (Christmas decorating and a busy week will help.) 

I am thankful for leftovers. 

Really! I love leftovers . . . especially Thanksgiving leftovers, (That's one of the benefits of hosting Thanksgiving dinner.) Tonight we had turkey pot pie and we also used up all of the smidges of Thanksgiving dinner. A few Brussels sprouts. The rest of the stuffing. Some mashed potatoes. Bekah made our quick cranberry conserve and we were good to go.

Oh, and leftover dessert is good too! 

This evening (and always), I am thankful for His amazing grace! 

I am amazed that He reached down and shined the light of the Gospel on me!

Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die. 

Thank you, friends, for joining me on this 30-day journey of thankfulness! It has been a pleasure to share my "gratefuls" with you . . . and to hear some of yours! 

{30 Days of Thankfulness} Day 29

I am thankful for answered prayers. 

I am amazed that the God of the universe hears my simple pleas to Him. 

(Of course, He doesn't always say "yes." Sometimes He says "no," but that is no less an answer. I must trust that He is all-wise, all-knowing, and always, always good.) 

This year, He has answered Kati's prayer (and ours) for a Christian husband . . . and also her prayers to be a mom.

He has answered our pleas for help in planning a wedding, finishing homeschooling, and planning a graduation. 

He has answered our prayers for restored health for a loved one. 

He has answered our prayers for grandchildren to walk with the Lord. 

Those are big prayers and big answers.

But there are also prayers like daily bread and daily grace and forgiveness and direction and wisdom and guidance. Those are certainly no smaller, but the answers may be slow and subtle and only noticed by one who is paying attention.

And sometimes there are prayers that are not known to anyone but the pray-er. And the answer may seem small to an onlooker, but is no less than miraculous to the one who has prayed. Let me tell you about one such answer.

Since a car accident eleven years ago, I have suffered from travel anxiety. I am not a good passenger, and I am only comfortable driving in my "safe" zones. When Deanna and I started talking about meeting somewhere for a visit, I was secretly hoping it would be a little closer to me. Not because of the time or the distance, but because of the drive. But, as it worked out, the place we found to meet would take me out of my "safe" driving zone, through more traffic and major highways than I had personally driven in those eleven years!

The day came (eek! no one had cancelled!) and off I drove to meet my friend. I prayed before I left . . . and basically all the way! 

And the day was glorious! It was a beautiful autumn day (my favorite kind of day). There was beauty all around. I enjoyed the time to talk with the Lord. Not just about travel, but about lots of things. I usually listen to music in the car, but I was enjoying this uninterrupted time with God. I felt His presence.

As I drove to the tea room, I experienced unexplained peace. On the way home, there was more traffic, and yet, I remained calm.

If you're a person who doesn't mind driving (I was once that person, so I understand!), you may think that this was no big deal. But it definitely was a big deal and it was an answer to prayer! 

Again, I am amazed that the God of the universe hears my simple pleas to Him . . . but I am so grateful that He does!

{30 Days of Thankfulness} Day 28

Around our table, we gave thanks! 

{30 Days of Thankfulness} Day 27

The l-o-n-g table is set, festive and ready for our dear ones to gather around. Andrew has arrived safely; the newlyweds are reunited. Tomorrow is the day of Thanksgiving . . . 

but the thanks giving should not end there! 

Thanksgiving is a spiritual exercise, necessary to the building of a healthy soul. It takes us out of the stuffiness of ourselves into the fresh breeze and sunlight of the will of God."   ~ Elisabeth Elliot in Keep a Quiet Heart 

{30 Days of Thankfulness} Days 25 and 26

It's been a busy month here and my "daily" posts have not always happened, but we're almost at the finish line and truly the easy part is finding reasons to be thankful. So I'll double up (again) tonight and I'll keep posting gratitudes for a few more days. 

Day 25:

I am thankful for these birthday boys, brothers whose birthdays are on consecutive days. Peter is 9 this year; Paul is 5. 

I am thankful for all of my grands. They bring us such joy. And I am thankful that their parents bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. 

I am thankful for family gatherings. We gathered this past weekend to celebrate the November birthdays: the brothers and their Aunt Kati. I love when my people are gathered! 

Day 26:

I am thankful for good times in the kitchen today. The aroma of Thanksgiving. Happy smiles. The three of us cooking together. The new Collingsworth Family Christmas album on Spotify. 

Stuffing. ✔ Chocolate pie. ✔ Sweet potato pie. ✔ 

{30 Days of Thankfulness} Day 24

Bless the Lord, O my soul;

And all that is within me, bless His holy name! 

Bless the Lord, O my soul, 

And forget not all His benefits:

Who forgives all your iniquities, 

Who heals all your diseases, 

Who redeems your life from destruction, 

Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, 

Who satisfies your mouth with good things, 

So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Psalm 103:1-5

{30 Days of Thankfulness} Day 23

I am thankful for my "servants." 

I just heard the buzzer ring in the basement, letting me know that the laundry is dry. That reminded me of how thankful I am for such "servants" . . .

          my clothes dryer

          my washing machine

          my dishwasher

          my hot water heater

          my oven

          my boiler

          my coffee pot.

These tools work for me, helping me with my daily tasks of keeping a home. 

{30 Days of Thankfulness} Day 22

I am thankful for God's assurance that He will direct our paths. 

When we're faced with the unexpected and with decision and dilemmas and forks in the road, it is so easy to be overwhelmed. But then I remember:

~ He has promised never to leave me or forsake me. (Hebrews 13:3)

~ He is with me always. (Matthew 28:20)

~ He will direct my paths, if I have submitted those paths to Him. (Proverbs 3:5.6) 

{30 Days of Thanksgiving} Day 21

I am thankful for a day that we could continue a favorite tradition. 

It's a simple Christmas tradition that we have carried on for years. We call it Girls' Day Out. We go to Barnes and Noble and drink Starbucks holiday drinks. We peruse magazines as we sip. We chat. We take selfies. Then we browse the books. 

But now Kati is married and living far away. She and Andrew won't be home for Christmas this year. 

Soooo . . . we decided to go while she is home for Thanksgiving. Because, why not?!

Today was the day!

It was a day for memories and for making memories. So thankful for our time together! 

{30 Days of Thankfulness} Day 20

Today I am thankful for a gathering of homeschooled girls at our monthly book club. 

Even though I have "retired" from homeschooling, I decided to continue with book club again this year. It is a sweet time of book talk, tea and goodies, creativity, and fellowship. I am blessed to have these girls in my life! 

{30 Days of Thankfulness} Days 18 and 19

Day 18 and 19: 

I am thankful for travel safety, overdue hugs, an unexpected meeting with friends, a grandmother visit, a big pot of vegetable beef soup, catching up, planning, lingering conversations, laughter, coffee stops, car rides, company in the kitchen.

It is good to have our sweet girl home for a visit. 

(Andrew is working and will be coming later. We can't wait to see him too!)

{30 Days of Thankfulness} Day 17

I am thankful for the gift of music. 

🎹   One of the joys of my life is listening to my daughter Bekah play the piano. She treats us to impromptu concerts and she takes requests. She plays classical music, show tunes, folk songs, and hymns.

Recently, Bekah was looking at some Christmas music on Amazon and came across a book of songs from Josh Groban's album, Noel. She grabbed her tablet, opened the "look inside" feature, and played sample pages of several beautiful Christmas arrangements. Of course, since these were sample pages, each selection ended abruptly and the lovely music ended. I think we're going to need to purchase this book . . .

Yes, definitely one of the joys of my life. 

🎹   I love Thanksgiving music.
🎜  "Come, Ye Thankful People, Come"
🎝  "For the Beauty of the Earth"
♬  "We Gather Together"

Or the newer . . .
♫  "Give Thanks" (worship song)
🎝 " My Heart is Filled with Thankfulness" (by the Gettys)

I have told you before about the CD that we play in November, a wonderful collection of Thanksgiving songs and hymns. It accompanies the book Thanksgiving: A Time to Remember by Barbara Rainey.

We sing a hymn together each year before we eat our Thanksgiving dinner. Last year was "Come, Ye Thankful People, Come." This year, we think it will be "My Heart is Filled with Thankfulness." It is so meaningful to sing a song of praise before the feast.


🎹   I am especially thankful for how music is a vehicle for worship.
A hymn or a spiritual song can stir your soul, teach doctrine, convict your heart, encourage you in the journey, and inspire you to worship the Creator. Singing words of truth transcends the everyday, the commonplace, and takes us to Heavenly places!