My favorite Christmas tradition

Vintage sled with greenery

In another life, I would have loved having a nursery and a degree in landscape design. There is nothing I love much more than making landscape beds, planting things and having my hands in good dirt. The trouble is that I have no knowledge, so I've made mostly mistakes through the years, as I've planted, dug up, transplanted, killed, thrown away and mostly mismanaged my own landscape. What I'd really focus on (in that other realm) is using native plants for landscaping -- such a smart and practical way to do it, and those things have a much better chance of survival! Maybe when we retire (Hahaha!) I'll do that -- go back to school and become a world-famous landscape architect. In the meantime, I'll content myself with practicing and playing in my own backyard.

 

 

 

Winter is my favorite time to be outside (except when it's 20 degrees with a stiff north wind.) The approach of Christmas always inspires me to head out and clip some pine, cedar and red berries to make a few decorations. I love the elegant, tasteful, everything-coordinated-and-matched décor I see in magazines and on sites like Pinterest, but my truly favorite kind of Christmas decorations are the homely ones made with simple trimmings from the woods nearby. My homemade decorations won't win any Yard-of-the-Month award, but they make me happy. I guess that is what matters, after all. This weekend we'll cut a cedar tree and put lights and ornaments on it and my decorating will be complete. Just like we've always done it ... keeping traditions is what makes Christmas special, isn't it?