Wintertide Tractations: Twinkle

 Guess what, folks?!  The ninth of Wintertide Tractations and I am excited to share some photos from our recent family decorating!  The word is, very appropriately, Twinkle!

Start.

Little did Kyrie know, when I asked her to come up with 31 words for me to write about back in October, that her little sister would be writing about them in December and the word Twinkle would be drawn the day after we finally got our Christmas ornaments out.  Yes, my sweet family kindly waited 'til I was done with my last final of the semester to put out our decorations for the season!  It felt so strange: listening to Christmas music, practicing Christmas songs at church for our Cantata, seeing lights and signs of the season in yards and at school...and having absolutely nothing adorning our home to affirm that, yes, Christmas is actually here again! Now school is out and the festivities have begun!

I guess I have to add, Kyrie helped out with a yard sale a few days ago and found the above reindeer, so our house wasn't completely void of decorations.  The deer were in need of some TLC so she brought them home, mended them, and now, I am happy to say, they have joined the ranks with our other Christmas pieces.  They're so noble and delightful to me.

We have a few pieces that seem to embody certain ideas to me. One of these is an ornament made by my dear Mother.  One year Kyrie came up with a project for us to do as a family and we sat at the dining table after supper one evening and made miniature wreaths to hang on our garland.  Each one is different, but my mother's speaks of a quiet, peaceful, country Christmas like I love. 

The soft, inviting green yarn she used and the down-home plaid ribbon take me on a daydream.  I walk down a country road. It's winter in the South, cold, yes, but breaking up the monotony of bare woods are green pastures, testament to a farmer's careful attendance to his herds' needs.  I see a white, clapboard farmhouse and cheer inside at the wisp of smoke curling up from its chimney.  I climb the porch steps and notice work boots lined up neatly outside the back kitchen door.  A Christmas wreath wishes me a "Merry Christmas!" as I knock timidly.  The door swings open to reveal the woman of the house, her hair pulled back and coming out a bit here and there, wiping her hands on a generous white apron.  She invites me in neighborly and I smile at the smell of the homemade Chex mix baking and the sight of warm persimmon muffins cooling near the stove.  I hear the sound of children and catch sight of one or two as they dash giggling past the kitchen doorway.  I find that I am home.  I feel loved and accepted.  I suddenly become the mother of these children, the wife of the man of the house, the overseer of the home.  I am where I belong.   {In dreams I've had, sometimes I fade from one person into another. Perhaps you've had similar experiences?}  I probably cherish this dream too much.  I desire to be content with whatever the Lord gives me, whether that's singleness my whole life, or marriage without children, or a home overflowing with little ones.  Whether that's an apartment in a bustling city instead of the farmhouse in the peaceful pasture. 

Wow! I've gotten off track.  Christmas ornaments have a way of taking me down side-trails and imaginings.... 

This arrangement has been one of my favorites for awhile now.  Some years ago Kyrie purchased these darling little balls and it seems just the right touch to have them on the coffee table.  They join our “Pinecone Family” in a way that appeals to me.  Classy plus simple, elegant plus sincere and down-home; hard to beat in my mind.  Additionally, my Christmas bell and a long-standing member of the team, my cinnamon-candle holder made when I was about five, add to the congregation on the coffee table this year. 

When we finally had decorated enough to suit our fancy, it was rewarding to sit back on the couch with all the lights off except those on our garland and take in the twinkle and the warmth of our signature Christmas decorations.  The holiday is certainly about so much more than the way my family decorates, but there's a degree of "specia-lness" about decorating together, remembering the stories behind this or that piece, exchanging life happenings with each other, and enjoying a simple, quiet evening at home.  I'm so thankful for the family that the Lord has given me!  Without my Dad, Mother, and Kyrie, I feel certain there would be far less twinkle in the lights and ornaments for me.  The Lord has been gracious.