Newsletter chitchat - November 14, 2023

[Cassel]

Are you the kind of person who likes to have just a few decorations for whatever holiday you are celebrating, or are you among the ones who love to have decorations everywhere?

Do you have pictures of your decorations? They could be from this year, if you already put them up, or from previous years.

Let's chat.

[Corrie Kinkel]

I don't have decorated yet. After Dec 5th I'm going to and that is after we had "Sinterklaas" although we no longer celebrate this. I have kept that "rule" for so long now that it doesn't feel right to start before. Of course I have a couple of those little lights dotted around the living but that has more to do with the fact that it is getting dark so early now. Since we moved to this  much smaller house 6 years ago, we don't have the space any longer for a big tree and we don't have much storage space either. But on top of our cupboards I always have garlands with small decorations and lights, we have a sweet little fake tree (no photo) and I can't go without Pointsettias. The rest of the deco varies, depending if we have company or go somewhere else. One item is always present and that is the candle holder that my youngest granddaughter made 6 years ago, although we now have battery operated lights for it. Outside I mostly have some lights in a plant on the patio and maybe I do a wreath with light and fir-cones on the table outside. On the front we have not much space and there is a streetlight directly in front of our house. Next to the frontdoor we do have a light but we almost never use it thanks to that streetlight; no problem there finding the keyhole.

[Rene Marker]

I don't decorate much at all. I put some decorations out at Christmas usually after Thanksgiving. These days I use table top trees since I have no gifts to put under a big tree and I can't handle a large tree by myself anymore. I have 4 table top trees that I keep decorated and when not out, they are covered by a plastic bag and live in the bottom of a closet. One goes in my office, one goes in my living room and the other 2 I alternate putting them on the dining room table.

Last year I added an ornament tree with some of the pewter Longaberger ornaments I've had for yours as a decoration in my living room. I never put it away! Also, last year I never took down the tree in my office. That may be the extent of my decorations this year.

I had my surgery follow-up this week and the replacement valve has not settled in place like it should have so I haven't been feeling too great lately. I'm having a test on the 27th to see what can be done. Once that is done, I wait until the cardiac structural team has a meeting about their cases to discuss what treatment is indicated. No idea when that meeting will be so it could very well be that anything will get done before the holidays so I probably won't be able to put anything else out unless I get someone to come get the stuff off the shelves of the closet for me.

[Cristina]

On 11/16/2023 at 11:48 PM, Rene Marker said:

I had my surgery follow-up this week and the replacement valve has not settled in place like it should have so I haven't been feeling too great lately. I'm having a test on the 27th to see what can be done...

Rene, I am sending you my best wishes. 🙏

[Suzy]

Oh, Rene, I wish it hadn't happened this way! Fingers crossed and heartfelt prayers winging your way! I hope you get some really good answers - along with a good outcome!

[Ann Seeber]

On 11/16/2023 at 5:48 PM, Rene Marker said:

I had my surgery follow-up this week and the replacement valve has not settled in place like it should have so I haven't been feeling too great lately.

Oh, dear, so sorry to read this. Hang in there, Rene, we're all rooting for you. I wouldn't worry about decorating right now and just concentrate on resting and getting better. Hugs to you!

[Corrie Kinkel]

On 11/16/2023 at 11:48 PM, Rene Marker said:

I don't decorate much at all. I put some decorations out at Christmas usually after Thanksgiving. These days I use table top trees since I have no gifts to put under a big tree and I can't handle a large tree by myself anymore. I have 4 table top trees that I keep decorated and when not out, they are covered by a plastic bag and live in the bottom of a closet. One goes in my office, one goes in my living room and the other 2 I alternate putting them on the dining room table.

Last year I added an ornament tree with some of the pewter Longaberger ornaments I've had for yours as a decoration in my living room. I never put it away! Also, last year I never took down the tree in my office. That may be the extent of my decorations this year.

I had my surgery follow-up this week and the replacement valve has not settled in place like it should have so I haven't been feeling too great lately. I'm having a test on the 27th to see what can be done. Once that is done, I wait until the cardiac structural team has a meeting about their cases to discuss what treatment is indicated. No idea when that meeting will be so it could very well be that anything will get done before the holidays so I probably won't be able to put anything else out unless I get someone to come get the stuff off the shelves of the closet for me.

Rene so sorry to hear, hope that all goes well in the end. What a miserable end to 2023. All the best and let us know if possible, how you are doing!

[Gerry Landreth]

I do a lot of decorating. Since I moved back to Alabama to care for my mom, it grew each year.

Even though she had a bad childhood, she still loved Christmas. I did my best to bring as much magic to it as I could to help make up for lost Christmases.

She passed away earlier this year. Since it is just me and the cats, I considered keeping it to a minimum if I did anything at all. After pondering a bit, I decided to go ahead, starting with the 9-ft. tree in the living room. 

Edited November 20, 2023 by Gerry Landreth

[Bonnie Ballentine]

I use to decorate big. I stopped when my parents passed. I do a little here and there but not much. I miss the bigger family celebrations.

[Anne Lamp]

The main thing we have always done was get a real tree and decorate that.  Last year was the last year for that because it was getting to hard for me to get the lights on. I am sure there will be tears in my eyes when I put up the brand new artificial one this year.