Christmastime Again

Lovely spot to rest at Bok Towers

Boy have I been lax about writing in my blog !  Fall has passed, we've migrated once again to warmer, but not by much! places.  We hear that it is still like fall in Vermont.  Christmas without snow,  I remember a few of those several years ago.  It has been too hot here for my liking.  But today we have some rain and the promise of cooler days.  I will enjoy that!

I am trying to have a Christmas season that is not stressful, where I quit being anxious about what to buy for each of my large family.  Since this shopping, choosing and pricing not to mention wrapping and mailing is not celebrating the true meaning of Christmas we decided this year to stop all this flurry of activity.  I wrote a letter to my family members, children, grandchildren and all asking for their forgiveness for not participating in commercial Christmas any more.  If people were really honest they too would say that it isn't the quantity of gifts or the amount of money spent on them that makes them happy at this blessed time of the year.  Being together, if possible with your loved ones sometime during this season is the greatest blessing to be had.  Sharing a meal and a few hours reminiscing, telling family stories, just being happy together is the best thing.  Being so far away, hiding out from winter's cruel cold is,  most of the winter, a blessing ... but at Christmas, it is hard to be away from family.  So I hope mine will gather together and share the love and not worry about how much to spend or what on earth to buy for each other!  

Going out caroling is a great way to share the true spirit too.  I love the candlelight services at church too.  We are having our Christmas dinner again this year here with our Sunshine family. 

 Some  friends and I went on a little outing this week to visit the Bok Tower Gardens in Lakeland, a couple hours from here.  We spent the day in a peaceful, serene place where the Carillon Bells, all sixty of them (the largest being over 6 feet tall!) play out over this peaceful place, playing from the Singing Tower which is made of pink marble and coquina rock, and is 205 feet tall with a moat all around where the pretty Koi fish swim and strange looking lily pads float about. We also had a tour of the Pinewood Estate and Gardens all decorated for Christmas, followed by  a wonderful lunch at the Blue Palmetto Cafe.  

Posing inside a huge picture frame in one of the gardens. 

Petting this really tame fellow on one of the porticos!!

Close up of the Tower

 Front, showing the lovely carved brass door.

The strange, huge lily pads.

I loved the Butlers Pantry!  

I chose to use just our small but lovely Christmas tree this year.  Den puts up his six foot Star again in the back, high above the roof peak so it can be seen from all around.  I didn't get a picture as it keeps getting too dark and my camera doesn't capture that too well.  

Our sweet little tree and coffee table nativity

So this is Christmas!  Enjoy this wonderful season!  Let's be thankful to our God for His Great Gift!  A one time gift and truly Priceless!  A gift that keeps on giving!  The Gift of His Great Love and our Salvation!

A BLESSED AND  MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!