The End of the Year

Barberries

I hope everyone had a great Christmas, and now are ready to welcome the New Year! In my world, we received more than 10 inches of snow. We had a White Christmas indeed.

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Berry Merry Christmas

Just have yourself a Berry Merry Christmas!

and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Remembering

It is unbelievably warm these past two days here in Metro Detroit. No sun, but fog and drizzle rain! I'll take it and be happy one day at a time. We are so close to Christmas now and only seven days away.

The 24th of this month, which is Christmas Eve, marks 25 years of my dad's passing. We always have a prayer mass for him at this time, officially in Michigan, and no matter where my mom is, she would flight home.

It is my mom's tradition, belief, and custom in her old fashion way. It is a beautiful and meaningful event, but also has taken out of context to the point of demanding for those that still live in Michigan. 

In my honest opinion, after this year we should be rid of this ritual, not that I will forget about my dad, but that I should be able to attend my own church just once for Christmas Eve celebration. I have been a member of my parish for over 10 years, but never did have a chance to be there for Christmas celebration, because we always have to be with my mom at her Vietnamese church.

I will stop my rambling now, and take a moment to remember those who have died in the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary. My heart and prayer go to the families who are experiencing the biggest loss of their lives now.

My questions are:

1) How do you or your family practice remembrance of beloved souls?

2) Why is it that shooting seemed to take place at school?

Join me at Thursday Two Questions!

Pretty Lavender Morning Glory

Pretty Morning Glory

I am digging way way deep in my archives to find something to post for this weekend, and this pretty lavender morning glory screamed for attention. I don't remember where I took the photo or where I saw it, but it is shown here now.

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Home Little Decorations

I decided that this year I am not going to put up the Christmas tree, or digging in the attic to bring out the many storage containers. My children are grown, and they really don't want to drag out the Christmas stuffs or "singing around the Christmas tree" anymore.

It is perfectly fine with me as it is lots of work to do by one-self. Simpler is always better, I believe!

However, since I am somewhat a religious person, I need to have a touch of Christmas spirit around my house, so I frantically searched the thrift stores for small decoration items. I just want to add a bit here and there, which I accomplished in two evenings. Done! No mess! No waiting for the kids to bring down the boxes, and no hollering at them to put the boxes back!

All the decorations you see in the picture cost me less than 25 dollars including tax.  Adding little knick knack here and there gives the house a festive look, and what my kids like most are the candles. They light them up every night now to see that glow :-) I am now ready for Christmas and visitors.

This week questions are:

1) When decorating for the Holidays, do you involved all family members in the process?

2) Are your house decorated throughout, inside and out, every nook and corner?

Joining Thursday Two Questions!

Beloved Purple World

My Purple World

Imagine for a moment, would you, when you take a step outside and walk right into an unbelievable and magical world of purple sky. Even if you don't like the color purple, which I do, I love, ask yourself how many times you see such a display of purple (lavender) color in the sky?

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Birthday Celebration

My youngest child turns 14 today, and I feel a bit unbalance with the thought that those years went by in a blink of the eyes. We can't stop going forward or the process of growing. I am getting old, and so will my son.

I still remember carrying him in my belly and went through 12 hours of sheer ripping pain before I could see his little face.  It's love! The greatest love on this earth that we human go through, generation after generation.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JoJo!

Now, these are my questions for this week:

1) Knowing what you knew now, would you chose to have children or would you prefer not to? (My gynecologists, both women, chose not to have children of their own!)

2) Do you still have young children in the house, or are you caring for young ones now?

Joining Thursday Two Questions!

Nature In December

Still Blooming

I am not sure what this flower is called, but it is till blooming in December. There are only two out of three left in my garden, and they have survived two many cold days already. It is kind of sad to see everything else turned brown, and this yellow beauty stands by herself though.

Mosaic of Nature In December

The trees with berries are very pretty to see at this time of year, especially when the sky is blue with white cloud. The rose branches are going strong also, with a touch of pink on their leaves at different spots.

Joining Macro Monday, and Mosaic Monday!!