Back to the Basics Christmas

Popular Christmas greetings this year in Santa Monica, California may be heard as "Happy Holidays" and not "Merry Christmas" at least for some people. I like to say both as I love the holidays including Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. All three holidays bring back special memories I have of my family.

My special memories of holidays from November, December, and January include family gatherings with tasty prepared recipes, driving around town to look at Christmas lights, drinking hot apple cider, receiving fruit and candy paper gift bags handed out at church, enjoying fireworks with my family and cousins, singing Christmas carols with the church youth group, and just enjoying family.

One thing we didn't have too often in East Texas was snow, but occasionally we did. When we had snow, school was canceled. You got to stay home and build snowmen. Snow is beautiful, and I love it - for no more than a week every year. I'll let my sweet friends who live in the northern states enjoy longer durations of snow. I enjoy looking at their pictures. Speaking of pictures, it did snow not far from my cottage cabin about a week ago. There is a farm we always pass to get to our cottage cabin, and it looked like ones I see on Christmas cards.

These kind of Christmas and other holiday memories are simple ones, don't cost much money, and include Christ. Some may leave Him out, but I love to include Him in my holidays. This year I'm having a back-to-the-basics Christmas. Simple pretties. Baked tasty goodies. Bible reading. Gifts-from-the-heart giving. Loving Christ. Loving others.

Thank you for visiting Southwest Cottage Designs.

Merry Christmas!

I'm linking up to Pink Saturday.