Faded memories.

I continue to learn to be a patient person.  Now, yes, I am 62 years old and you would think I might know this by now, but, it is not a skill I have mastered.  At least, not as of yet.  So I’m learning.  I’m learning that you can’t always get what you want, but you can get some stuff.
 

The mantel for Christmas is a no go.  I am accepting.  I am going to be patient as I know when it does happen, it will be awesome.  Even though I would love for it to be here when my son and his wife arrive from 2000 miles to spend just a few days here at Christmas and I could show him how cute it is, I am moving on.  Next.

I did secure two of the cutest little ottomans during Target’s Black Friday sale and they will be positioned under my two new skinny windows (yes, on either side of the fireplace) against newly painted grey walls.  They are also grey, darker and just perfect as they could be.  I am so pleased with them and although they won’t last forever, I know this, they are perfect right now.  I hope to go get my chairs next week, although hubs is reluctant.  I am sure the furniture store would like me to clear them out since they have been in since October.

In the meantime, while learning more about patience than I care to learn, I have set a few things out to decorate for the holidays.  Not a lot of things, but, the grandkids will be here later this month for a quick weekend stay, and well, you know, they have to see some of GiGi’s prized Christmas do-dads.  I stopped putting up a tree a few years ago as we are now out of town on Christmas morning.  I do have one little tree that holds many Santa ornaments.  That was kind of my thing back when I was accumulating more ornaments than any one person needs.  Honestly, if I see one that is too cute to pass up, I still will grab one.  They bring me a bit of joy, you know?

I’ve written before about growing up in a mobile home and not having much from my childhood, at least, nothing big or bulky or more than I could carry on my own.  I have my Raggedy Ann doll and she is raggedy.  I have some report cards and school papers, and only because they are flat.  I am sure I must have made Christmas ornaments.  I know I made miles of that construction paper garland – every kid has.  My big memory from Christmas as a kid was the aluminum tree with the rotating light to shine on it.  My mom was so proud of it and her satin ornaments.  She was pleased for several years with that tree.  It folded up nice and small and I swear I have no idea where she kept that thing from year to year.  Did she keep things in the trunk of her car? Mobile homes are not big on storage areas.  Give this some thought and you will understand why I have nothing from my childhood.  Just good ol’ Raggedy Ann and memories as faded as she is.

Christmas memories.  Maybe I will spend some time this week unlocking some Christmas memories long filed away in the corners of my brain.  I read long ago that the memory portion of your brain has to “warm up”…that’s why you are better at Trivial Pursuit at the end of the game than you were at the beginning.  When I am practicing patience this week, I will also warm up the brain for some more Christmas memories.  Something more than that dang metal tree.