in the spirit...

I realize that the quality of these pictures is most certainly lacking, but I wanted to make it well-known that the flower blossoms on both of my Christmas cactus plants are definitely there! I somehow managed to not fuss over them too much, but I don't dare get too excited lest they sense it and all fall off. Assuming they don't, I will definitely take some better shots when they bloom.
Ah, the Christmas tree! I went with Dad to his woodlot on Saturday, and we picked this fine specimen of a tree while husband was at work. Husband and I set it up yesterday, and I think it looks quite lovely. The lights are kind of odd, though... we had some working strings of regular white lights, but some were flickery. So we bought some 'pure white' LED lights to do the rest of the tree rather than risk some sort of firy incident, and it turns out that they're the ones that look blue. The ones which look like the other ones cost a bunch more. Oh well, there are definitely more important things to think about at Christmas.
My big project after getting the tree and a bunch of branches on Saturday was to make this garland for the staircase. A bit messy, a lot delicious-smelling, and a lovely enough result. Not bad for my first garland-making attempt, if I do say so myself!
Another poor-quality picture, but this sums up the feel of our house this season. (Not the poor quality part, but what's in the picture.) I got some pine branches and put this lovely lantern which a very sweet friend gave to me a long time ago in our dining room window, and I think it looks perfect. I guess it really has to be seen in person for the full effect (same room as the cozy wood stove, you can see the tree through the doorway, etc.) but I'm enjoying it very much.

In other Christmas-y-ness, I'm reading Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, which I love. I've read it a million times, but I love to read it at Christmas. Maybe it's the pregnancy hormones, but I've already cried about three times, and I'm only on chapter 4. Speaking of crying, husband and I watched Love Actually last night (which I've seen a million times and love more every time I watch it). Other reading that I associate with Christmas and plan to work away at after Little Women is done are The Chronicles of Narnia series, the Harry Potter series and the Anne of Green Gables series. That should take me until the baby is born! I don't feel like I have enough energy to read strenuous stuff. I just finished The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, and that was a very well written and entertaining read. Couldn't put it down - totally absorbing.

In baby news, baby Graham is about the size of a jumbo shrimp! How exciting. I'm feeling pretty good, but even though I'm not as tired as I was, I'm more tired than pre-pregnancy me. Which means that although the tree is up, decoration boxes and miscellany still need to be sorted and put away sometime in the near future. Maybe tonight after a few more chapters are read...

Hey! The rain just turned to snow! Merry Christmas!