Monday, December 2, 2013

Chatting about the Holidays and Dec. Daily over a Cup of Tea

Abi over at Creating Paper Dreams hosts a monthly gathering where bloggers can sit and have a virtual chat over a cup of tea. This month, she's chatting about the upcoming holidays. And I'd love to sit down and chat with you about the same thing. I'd start by showing you my latest Christmas acquisition. I saw it in the store last weekend and couldn't pass it up, even though it wasn't yet December and we just finished celebrating Thanksgiving this weekend.
I bought it because this year I'm feeling pretty festive, and I wanted to start decorating early. Next I'd show you a couple of pages from my December Daily album. Here are the pages for December 1. 

The journaling on the bottom of the second page reads "Sunday, Dec. 1.  December began just as the cross-country season ended.  We spent Thanksgiving at the Cargases enjoying a brief visit with Henry home from college. Clara and I spent Friday and Saturday in Fresno where she competed in the California State Championships and ran her best race of the season. By today, we were ready for a quiet day around the house. One season ends, a new one begins."  On the upper left journaling strips, I wrote about our sleepy winter day: "On December 1, we did homework, went to E.F. (our gym); checked out college websites to see if Clara could run there; did laundry; ate stuffed squash and watched The Walking Dead." I'm going to put this photograph on the first page. And here's the photograph I plan to feature on my December 2 page:
It's a photograph of the wonderful Christmas cards I got today from blog friends and a super cute ornament as a thank-you for hosting the photography scavenger hunt. I'm also going to put our Christmas card on this page. The journaling for Dec. 2 reads "I received my first Christmas cards today, as well as a really cute ornament. This spurred me to order our Christmas cards."
If you had time to have another cup of tea and chat some more, I'd share with you the introductory page of my December Daily album:
The journaling reads simply "Life is Good. A record of the everyday joys of our life this holiday season. "  I'd tell you that as much as I am feeling excited and festive this year, I still sometimes feel haunted by the ghosts of Christmas past. Last year our lives were in such tumult, and the memories return when I find the box of Christmas cards I ordered last year and never sent or remember shopping for our first artificial tree because I knew we could not make it out to the tree farm. I'd tell you that building my pages for December Daily 2013, writing the journaling, sticking down the cute embellishments and applying wash tape, always make me feel better. As does chatting with good friends. Over tea (virtual or otherwise). And finally, I'd ask if you have any holiday news to share . . . 

20 comments:

Jane said...

I hope you and your family have a truly wonderful Christmas this year x

Becky said...

Wishing you a wonderful Christmas - pleased that your 'thank you' arrived safely. I am enjoying doing my journal for December too :)

Karen said...

You and your family deserve an especially festive Christmas! We have lots going on here, and I'm starting my Christmas Journal. It's going to be part of Project Life this year, so I'm writing the journaling as I go and taking photos, but won't start it until I have a better idea what kind of divided page protector I will need.

Unknown said...

Thanks for the tea and chat.

ComfyMom~Stacey said...

I love your pages! December marks the end of sports for us as well. Until baseball season anyway.

Susanne said...

A little crafty chatting is always a pleasure at your place, Rinda. Thanks.

Sian said...

I was making some cards this afternoon and I did think back to last year and your Christmas. It's so good to hear the excitement for this year in your voice!

This Christmas I am very much looking forward to the return of TTo and his Uncle Dave.

Jo Murray said...

Merry Christmas Rinda! 2014 will be even better... a new era of achievements and success.

scrappyjacky said...

Glad that this year will be a lot more festive for you.

Deb @ PaperTurtle said...

This is such a sweet post, Rinda. I love the way you are documenting your December, and I was really touched by your final paragraph. It seems like you are approaching Christmas in a very humble way this year. So am I. xo

Abi said...

That ornament is beautiful. It really made me smile. Your pages are great. I love seeing the various december daily's pop up on blogs. They are all so different but so personal too.
Thank you for stopping for tea with me today.

Theresa said...

love he December daily pages, I am behind already, but to be honest I'm not quite in the Christmas groove yet - maybe I need a mince pie.
Enjoy the season.

Amy said...

So much changes in a year doesn't it? I'm glad you have renewed hope this year and so many good things to look forward to.

alexa said...

I do love that first page of your December Daily ... and so glad to read that this year is so different for you all :).

Kirsty.A said...

Thanks for the tea. Well done to Ckara. Your December Daily is looking good

Melissa said...

Looks like you're going to have a great December album. I've received my first Christmas card from a blog friend, too, and am feeling festive & already enjoying the holiday season. I'm hoping to get my cards addressed & ready to mail out in the next few days.

So glad that things are easier & going so well for y'all this holiday season! Enjoy!

Lou said...

a lovely christmassey post x have a lovely time x

Anonymous said...

Wishing you a more joyful Christmas this year. We're having a very subdued Christmas this year. What decorating we will be doing will be done tomorrow and the cards will get done on the weekend too. Looking forward to seeing what else you do in your December Daily book.

Missus Wookie said...

Hope filling in the December Daily continues to raise your spirits.

Miriam said...

Wishing you and your family joy and peace this Christmas. x It has been wonderful to chat over tea with you these past months.