COMFORT AND JOY. . .

           It was a very full day and one I didn't know if I would get through . . .  On my 
           schedule was an initial consultation with a new client (two hours) followed by a trip into
           city to meet friends I met in England and then home to entertain; a cookie exchange.
           Over scheduling is the worse and I am guilty of it much too often.  It makes me crazy!
           But, the initial consultation went very well, Holiday Tea at the Drake was the best
           thing I could have done for myself . . . . such refinement and relaxation while sipping
           tea, eating scones smothered with clotted cream, lemon curd and jams.  What a way
           to multi task and enjoy friendships! (and to think I thought about having to cancel.!)

Left the city in time to make it home with time to spare!  Yikes!  'Lit' the candles in the urns, ran in the house,

threw off my coat and started my ripleys believe it

or not act!!!

A close up of the urns at night. . . OMG,  could it be

that I moved my camera again??????

While putting finishing touches on that less is more tree. . . .

I just didn't make it.  Made this nest and tried to set in

in the tree and it was way too big,  so. . . . .( this was all

done before hand!!)

So, I sprayed an old garland with my handy 24k gold paint

and gathered by wrapping my hand with garland to create

a nest.  I put some moss in the center and put in two faux eggs!

I then nestled it onto a tree branch and surrounded the nest

with birds; such a tizzy they were in as to  who

could have layed these eggs .  .  .  .

Loved using the extra large gold spheres that had to

be tucked deep into the tree  (24" in diam.)

My tree finally finished before I left this morning.

In the center of this photo, another extra large orb in

pure glass!  Lights just twinkle like crazy with this

deeply tucked ornament.

The cookie exchange so much fun and a little different

from those I have done in the past . . . . .you see, all of

the cookies brought this evening will be going downtown

to the Veterans Hospital on Sunday to be shared between

over a hundred men.  We will be caroling and bringing

joy to many who even most recently have returned

from Afganistan and Iraq.

I have never done this before in a hospital ward, but I

know it will be a rewarding part of the Christmas season.

After everyone left, I blew out all of the candles, sat down

with a glass of wine and felt I had completed a day that

covered all that I had started out to do.  No better

way to end a day with such COMFORT AND JOY.