The after Christmas blues….

There is always that time for me after the holidays, when all the decorations are packed away when I feel kind of blah. 

I do have tablecloths, plates, flags, etc for every month of the year but especially love the “BER” months.

Which would you rather look at ?

Or this?

Kind of a letdown.  But only 10 months until it all goes up again.

This difference in the house from December to January is so stark.  I started to look around to focus on what I have out all year round that makes me happy.

So here they are in no particular order.

Two puzzles Jenn completed and framed for me.  Great gifts !

Once is all about my favorite food, CHEESE !

The other is called Writers Paradise.

If I look around my living room, I can look at three more of my loves, a lighthouse, Christmas tree and a pineapple.

Lighthouses are one of my obsessions, I just love looking at them.  I have a collection of them and books about them.  Among the books is one of my favorites from when I was young, “The Little Red Lighthouse And The Great Gray Bridge”.

Christmas Tree’s, no explanation needed there.

Pineapples remind me of Mom and my Hawaiian heritage.

Jenn also got me a very cool canvas that makes me think of my Ohana.

And then I have the over 1600 piece Lego truck Jenn patiently assembled for me.  It has items to put in the back of the truck for spring, summer, fall and winter.  A red truck that doesn’t have to go away,  A red truck for all seasons.

While they may not provide the excitement associated with Christmas, they are constants that give me joy.

Little things like these are the reason I write in my journal five good things about each day. Some days, the five entries are so easy I could write them before noon.  Other days, it is a challenge to get that fifth entry done. I can get pretty desperate and come up with something nonsensical.  

So while, I might feel sad that all the lights, ornaments and garland are packed away until next November, I still have other things to look at that make me smile.

Whether it be one of the items in the photos above or a sunrise or sunset or a really good cup of coffee, we all have things in our lives each day that give us joy.  

We just need to stop and smell the roses and look for them.

And by my best estimate, I only have about 280 days until I can decorate again.  In case you are trying to figure out the date it is November 1st.

Until then  these will have to suffice.

Yes, I still keep these up.  I just can’t totally let Christmas go…..

See you next week.