Best Ever Christmas Gifts, Given and Received

 

Lil Bear loving the magic XO

Our pup, Lil Bear has found a cozy place to take a snooze - right under the lovely sparkle of the Christmas tree. We had the most perfect day to pick it out at a tree farm nearby, waited for the unseasonably warm weather and enjoyed 50 plus degrees of gorgeous breezes while we strolled through the fragrant trees awaiting their new caretakers and festive decorations. We brought her home on Sunday and she's most happy to be here, and will also be happy to contribute to helping the Earth after her festivities, as we all do at some point.

We've enjoyed collecting our ornaments over a 22-year period. Some were given to us, but most we picked out together, one or two each year. Because they're fragile, we wrap them in soft tissue paper and put them into bunches of little boxes, since they didn't all originally come in their own box. This year it was quite amusing  as we unpacked them, to find that the pirate and the mermaid have been sleeping together all year in the same little box and we're not quite sure if Neptune is upset about that and wanting to punch pirate in the nose, so we hung Lynx nearby to referee. 

The Pirate!

The Mermaid! (Neptune's daughter?)

Salty old Neptune himself, and the Lynx!

We have a good time while hanging the ornaments for sure. And yep, that pickle is hiding somewhere! We'll ask one of the kids to find it so they can have good luck all year - you know the legend about finding the pickle don't you? We'll put the tree skirt properly around the bottom soon; these days we do the decorating in shifts, not marathon sessions, lol.

So as we were decorating I was reminded of Christmases past, this year being rather bittersweet, having my mother and my sister in their Heavens now. Wow I loved the giving all those years, and I love the thoughtfulness behind the receiving too.

One of my ever so favorite Christmas gifts that I received was when I was about 11 years old. My parents gave me a HUGE box of really good quality ART SUPPLIES! Oh my goodness, when I opened it I knew in my heart I was opening a portal to a world where I belonged and I cried happiness tears just looking at it. It was full of colors of all kinds and glorious papers, paints and brushes and palette and tools and pencils and just everything an artist could want to play with. And that I did for countless hours, not just through that holiday, but for the rest of my entire life. With that gift, I learned to cultivate my imagination, which is without limitation, and what a joy it has always been, not just for me, but for others as well, which is an added blessing! What a lovely gift, which I will never forget. Thanks Mom and Dad!

And the gift that came to mind that was most joyous to give was the one that made my mother and sister and me howl with laughter so hard we just couldn't stop. We had a florist in town, and I LOVED to shop there, right up the street and around the corner from where we live. It was called Queen Anne's Lace and never was there another flower shop like it! The owner, a gorgeous free spirit woman, had not only a dog in her shop, but also a parrot! Yep! And her shop was the most fun experience each and every time I went in. Her flowers were always beautiful with lots to choose from, and they always smelled divine. She also carried loads of other kinds of gifts. 

So for my mother and my sis and myself this holiday years ago, I picked out three little puppets my gypsy florist had hanging from the ceiling. One was all dressed in white with feather boa and angel wings. She was elegant and ethereal and I knew just right for my sis. Another was bawdy and bold, dressed in purple and red, with an attitude and lovely laughing face to match. She had twinkly eyes and I just knew her spirits were high and jolly, and she was just right for my mom. The last was a bright-eyed little lady all dressed in yellow, with a gardening hat on and daisies all over her. She was an Earth girl and happy as the afternoon sun in spring. She was just right for me.

I was pleased when I bought them, and I decided to let everyone choose whichever one they might want. So I didn't wrap them tight, I tucked them all into a big bag and each was cushioned with soft colorful tissue paper. When I got to my mother's home, with my sis there too, I handed the bag to mom and said, "You choose first!" Welp when she came upon the bawdy bold red feather boa puppet she absolutely belted out that Mama laugh that only she could do over the years, and it didn't stop until the tears ran from her eyes. So we started laughing too. Then Mellie, my sis picked out hers, and I knew she'd go for the elegant one - they fell in love, and the laughter continued until our tummies hurt. I got my daisy girl, and we all had some wine to celebrate, and it is a gift I'll never forget, for it wasn't so much the things themselves, but the joy of sharing them and the laughter they brought that is most precious. Each of us hung our puppets up in our homes. My mom had hers in her sunporch all the days of her life and I'm so glad it brought her joy. I think my sis put hers in her home study, where she had a lot of other beautiful and elegant things, and I put mine in my bedroom, watching over me while I slept. 

So at this time of year, when my Lovies are in their Heavens and I miss them so much, it is wonderful to remember these special moments that gave and kept on giving for a long, long time. Even now. 

I can add that one of my favorite gifts from my beloved sis was a pair of softly lined little black ankle UGH boots, the Christmas before she died, as if she were saying to me, "Keep on going my sweet," so I do. And I just love tucking my feet into those soft boots and with every step I carry them with me, my Loves.

Happy Holidays to you, and may treasured memories keep your hearts warm.

Namaste,

~Jen