Happy Sunday…one week from Christmas Eve. Welcome to Sunday mornings at home.
If all goes well, then one week from today, our home will be filled once again with laughter from the six grandchildren.
Not even a foot set-back can rob me of the joy this time of year brings.
Today, is always a lifestyle post which includes what is currently on my mind.
I understand that readers who want more focus in a post struggle with this…but having at least one a week which can go many directions is fun for me.
So, for the braver ones in the audience…please join me today for Sunday Mornings at Home.
SUNDAY MORNINGS AT HOME: LAST WEEK ON INSTAGRAM
I wrote a post last week on IG and FB which I did not want to write, but felt compelled to write.
It said,
“I have been blogging about fashion, style and beauty for women in the second half of life for 14 years.
One big lesson I have learned is that impeccable style begins within us and not on the outside. I do not care what a woman is wearing or how her hair is styled, if she is unkind, arrogant, mean, or nasty, she is NOT a woman with impeccable style.
It so grieves me to see women who are 50, 60,70 and beyond write nasty comments to fashion influencers. We are the ones with experience and wisdom who should set examples of kindness for others.
If your comment is not edifying, encouraging, or helpful….just do not write it.
Our voices are needed…more than ever…to help and not hurt.
Be a strong woman of impeccable style and set an example of kindness.”
I did not write this because I was being treated unkindly, but rather, because I knew a group of younger over 50 bloggers who were being treated unkindly and had traced it back to over 60 bloggers.
I know these women and it broke my heart to hear the venom being spewed at them from older women. So unnecessary!
This audience…YOU who read this blog…is so kind and edifying to one another…and I am very grateful for that.
I share this with you because I want to red flag this for when you are on Facebook or Instagram or another. Let us be the ones who step in and say STOP.
SUNDAY MORNINGS AT HOME: SPEAKING OF YOU
Speaking of you in this Sunday Mornings at Home, I was blessed beyond all measure by your answers to the Reader Survey on Thursday.
I felt like I spending an afternoon really getting to know some of you and it was so enjoyable.
Also, your answers were very helpful to me in planning content for 2024 and I cannot wait to get started.
I think you will also enjoy reading other answers.
I wish you could see the ones I received in email, but since they were sent to email for privacy, they will remain between those women and me.
I smile just thinking of you, and have loved your holiday decor pictures! Here is one more….
Josephine sent her mantel complete with these nutcrackers that I love!
But, she wanted us to know that it isn’t finished yet….“It won’t be completely complete until the rest of the family, children and grandchildren, bring their stockings to hang!”
Merry Christmas to your family, Josephine…thanks for sharing them with us!
SUNDAY MORNINGS AT HOME: FROM THAT SWEET LITTLE VOICE
I shared in another Sunday Mornings at Home that my grandsons helped to decorate our real tree this year.
The five-year-old, in his sweet little voice, asked, “Gigi, what is J-O-Y?”
You see, there are several ornaments and decorations throughout the house with my favorite word on them.
My answer: “When you come home after school and find homemade cookies in the kitchen, you have a sense of happiness. Happiness is a moment in time when all circumstances bring you a great feeling.
But, if the cookie plate falls, then sadness takes over. It is a moment of disappointment and loss. We can be sad and still feel JOY deep inside. JOY is a gift from Jesus. It is a reassurance in our hearts that no matter what is going on,
God loves us and is there with us and will see us through. JOY is God’s unchanging love. It is a love we can trust in…even when the cookie plate falls.”
J-O-Y reminds me to keep smiling and trust.
SUNDAY MORNINGS AT HOME: HOLIDAY CALENDAR
I know…I am with you…so much to be done this week.
I plan to have some end of year content for you as I prepare for my family to come celebrate together.
Also, the two big moments on my calendar before the weekend are….getting my hair done (way overdue) and getting stitches out!!
That will leave the pins to come out in January.
For the first time..ever…I am going to hire help to wrap gifts. I plan to make it fun for both of us!
After Christmas, we will dive head on into 2024 together.
Now, when I was 11, I wrote this poem and have recited every year since then…many of you have already heard it…for the rest here it is….
T’WAS THE WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS
By Pamela Lutrell
Twas the week before Christmas
My heart was aflitter.
A week to go on of being sweet
And not bitter.
If I am bad ‘
then Santa might see
And on Christmas Day,
there’ll be nothing for me.
It is not that I lead a life of crime
I am usually sweet….
But not all of the time…
I am tempted
Oh yes!
Hmm…but not very much.
Again there’s that cake I was told not to touch.
When I saw that cake
I felt Santa’s eyes.
So I blamed it on brother.
I guess that was wise.
For me, being bad is just hard to resist.
So, I’ll be good this week
And get half of my list!
Makes you wonder what type of rebellious child I really was!
Let me know if you have any thoughts on Sunday Mornings at Home!
KEEP SMILING!!
By Pamela Lutrell
I was encouraged to explain more about my SHOPPING LINKSpage and how to use it. (In fact I just added a few new brands to the list)
I am an affiliate for many different brands and when you click on those brands and shop, then I receive a small commission.
This is such an important income for me and my family.
I have tried to include the brands most shopped by this audience, but sometimes I miss one of your favorites.
If you will tell me what you are shopping, then I can tell you if I am affiliate for them and give you that link…if it is not already on the page.
And remember to send your holiday recipes and decorations with pictures to over50feeling40@gmail.com. Send to email and do not try to put in comments! YOU are the best.
45 Comments
Oh Pam I love this post so much. I love what you write on Sundays and it is a pleasure to read your thoughts and feelings. Sunday is a good day to reflect on the past week and also to look forward to the week ahead.I hope all goes well with the removal of your stitches and your attitude during your recovery has been so positive.
I will reply to your survey by email too.
Best wishes.
Thank you for being here, Julie. I love having friends in Australia!
I understand your feeling about being kind in responses but Influencers blog and IG to make money and have to accept all the good and bad that comes with promoting their market share. It can be a fairly lucrative endeavor. It takes work, content doesn’t manifest itself. But in every post you have an addendum about how the money you make is important to your family, if there is somewhere I shop, let you know so you can become an affiliate. You get free things. As a reader I have to sort through what to believe and not believe. When I see an influencer push cheap goods produced in child labor filled sweatshops I ought to have the right to call it out. Many influencers have support staff who are not treated well, don’t get benefits, they are sideline casualties. I have seen influencers “borrow” words, phrases, style and sponsors from other bloggers and it can be devastating. So it’s not just readers who criticize, it’s other bloggers and influencers. These are highly competitive markets. One month influencers insist product X is the best and the next its product Y. It must be like dancing at the edge of a volcano.
Ann, interesting comment. What I am referring to are women being ugly to influencers personally….attacking their weight for example. It is far different from saying you don’t care for the brands they represent. Thank goodness this has not happened to me in a long time, but I have experienced before…it is just plain mean. Also, if you don’t like their brands, don’t follow them. No need to attack them.
I love your Sunday reflections. There is much to think about in today’s post. Your first part offers food for thought: the divisiveness, and anonymity that can help create it, is rampant , but your focus on joy gives us hope and can lead to healing.
I wrote a 3 stanza poem in grade 5 that I thought I would never forget. Alas, it is only the first stanza I can recall! But here it is:
Christmas is the time of year
When buying presents bring good cheer.
Under the lighted Christmas tree,
Children are happy as can be.
Not as ‘interesting’ as yours, but it was heartfelt! Have a lovely day, and good luck this week!
Mine was a little rebellious! I prefer your happier version. Thanks for sharing, Deborah.
Good morning, Pam. What a terrific poem! Thanks for sharing with us. Don’t work too hard this week. Take some time just for you. The Sunday post is my favorite. Blessings for continued healing.
Pam, like Julie, I look forward to your Sunday posts as a place to renew myself for the week ahead. You always seem to write your Sunday Mornings with such calm and assurance for the good of the week ahead. I love your almost daily affirmation of approaching every situation with joy, and I now think about it definitely more than I did in the past. I come to your blog first thing every morning knowing you will give me a boost to have a good attitude as I approach the day. I wish I were close by since I love to wrap presents and would gladly help with yours. My two sons used to bring me all their presents to wrap but sadly, we seem to have become a society of gift bags or no longer wrap at all. I hope you have a blessed Sunday.
Thank you, Marcia. So, glad you enjoyed the poem!
It makes so sad and angry too that people feel free to attack like that. It takes great strength to put yourself out there then to have another send out hate for no reason to hurt, I just don’t understand why.
Getting your hair done is going to feel so good, enjoy the experience, and stitches out, yay
A treat to get help with the wrapping will save your energy for the family festivities and sounds like fun, I love wrapping and decorating presents.
Your poem from your younger self is adorable
Your explanation of J O Y for your grandson is amazing and something we can all remember.
This is the reason I enjoy Sunday mornings with Pam.
My children have often brought me presents to wrap and I have tons of wrapping. This year may see more gift bags, but I am like you and prefer to actually wrap the boxes. So glad you enjoy Sundays here!
And I enjoy Sundays with all of you too!
And I am so excited about getting my hair done! Yay!
I love your poem and see another under 11-year-old, always tempted to do something small that Santa might frown at. Me!
I love your Sunday blogs- its like a visit from a good friend.
Enjoy the spirit of this wonderful Season. Just listened to an older Christmas song- “Its The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” Love it!
I am sadden to hear that people are abusing each other. Yes it does take a brave person to blog online. When people are mean, I just assume that THEY have a sad situation and are hurting and attack others. I have to say I am surprised it is us oldy moldy ones doing it. We should be mature enough to know better. But we all go through tough times and the anonymity of being online makes it easier for people to be rude. As Thumper said…”if you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothing at all!”
I think Sundays at home and Tuesday news are my favourite posts….but hearing about your life and grands is my favourite!
I love it as well, Paulette! So much happy music!
Thanks, Barb! I was shocked to learn this group was getting trolled by our age group. That is what motivated me to write the IG post. If that post makes one person stop before they write something ugly, then it is worth it.
Sundays at Home is probably my favorite. Perhaps it is a glimpse into our shared desire to find our Joy. There is also that element of transparency.
Oh and I love the little girl who wrote that poem. Even then you were honest and transparent.
I love your Sunday posts! It helps me to know you better.
It’s disheartening to think of older women as being mean. The best I can do is to let kindness and respect begin with me. My 41 year teaching career helps me. I like to think of people as one of my many students that I loved.
Thank you, Suzi. I love writing it.
lol…she was! And she loved to create and still does.
Teachers are so special! Thank you Linlee!
Dear Pam, you bring me JOY in each post. DeborahLM mentioned the word ‘anonymity’ contributing to uncivil reader responses. I totally agree that we are often too quick to give a knee-jerk response, and sometimes believe everyone needs to hear our opinion. I often read something online (mostly on Facebook), feel an urge to respond, but take a breath, move on, and let it go. Life is just too short for pettiness and self-inflicted unhappiness. On a flip side, your writing makes me feel like you are a friend and definitely not anonymous, and I enjoy so much the sharing from your readers as well. God bless us everyone!
If I was closer, I’d come wrap gifts with you! I wrapped the last of mine last night. That’s one part of Christmas that I’ve always loved. When you were a little girl writing that poem, I was probably wrapping gifts for my mom. I remember the year that I finally told her that I’d only wrap gifts that were in plain packaging so that I didn’t already know what everyone was getting on Christmas morning! I even wrapped gifts for a department store one Christmas during my university years.
You made me smile, Elaine. I love to wrap gifts and have always taken it so seriously as far as how they look under the tree. When my six grandchildren walk in I always desire for the house to be magical. But, alas, this year I must have help. I can stand or bend for that long yet. Back to it next year!
Where I live some people have “be kind” signs in their yard. I agree with the sentiment but find it a little dismaying that they feel the need to say this. But it is true that once bloggers put themselves out there, other women feel it’s okay to take a whack at them. The “be kind” message can get lost online. On the flip side, not all bloggers are nice themselves. They can carry a chip on their shoulders and misinterpret benign comments into something else. I’ve seen some snippy responses out there. But I think you are right: my mom, and I’m sure yours, said, ‘if you can’t say something nice about someone, then don’t say anything at all.” Love your poem, BTW!
I said above that I can keep kindness in my heart if I view people as my former students.
Here’s a fun fact: I first began teaching in a high school and was only 3 years older than my students. Those “kids” are now 72 years old. A lot of you commenting here could have been my students and I think you are lovely and wonderful “girls”.
Count me in on team Sunday Morning! I always look forward to these posts. I’m weighing in a little late because we are visiting my grandson. One thing when I was teaching we always told the kids was “character is what you do when no one is watching.” These nasty women need to remember there is a real person trying on those clothes.
Thanks Linlee…you make me smile!
Yes they do, Linda…I agree…have fun with your grandson.
It is so sad that kindness must me encouraged over and over again. Nobody puts themselves out there to be personally attacked. After watching my high school students bully other students the last year I taught, it breaks my heart to watch it done by some adults.
Pam,
Your words on impeccable style are so right on. Why some women are so hurtful is so puzzling. They have forgotten to “treat others how you want to be treated” and may have never learned that.
What a wonderful explanation for the meaning of Joy! I will be borrowing it.
I enjoy your blog so much. Your encouragement and joy are so welcome since I’ve retired.
Besides your encouragement, I’ve enjoyed your Texas posts especially since my son and his family moved to Texas and live north of you.
He is now a police officer in Texas too. Please be praying for law enforcement and others associated with them. It’s a difficult time for them.
Have a wonderful Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!
I will pray for him, Lorraine and thank him for me for his service to our state and his community. I understand completely. You have raised a special man.
Your Sunday posts are always nice to read. This one was no exception. The explanation of JOY is a good one to remember!
Thank you, Kim. What is so wonderful about children is they challenge us to use illustrations they can connect with…many times it helps adults as well. Thanks for being here.
Yes, indeed, thank you for the difference between joy, happiness and sadness articulated so well. One person I admire, once heard someone close to him be critical of another. His response was, “you could have gone all day without saying that.” That has always “stuck with me.” Who needs the criticism. Most people are trying pretty hard.
As a sewist I started a tradition long before gift bags were a thing of creating a beautiful gift bag each Christmas. I would “audition” the Christmas fabric the day after Thanksgiving at the fabric store and then sew a simple bag. Mind you, young children want wrapping paper, but I began this when our children were teens. By then it was the gift, not the paper, they were after. Also, these were gifts within the family for the most part. I did not make these bags to be given away, though I guess I have given some away. Then Amazon learned what I was doing, and well you know the rest. Wrapping paper is mighty fun, but I love my stash of bags.
Love your blog and post. Wishing all the ability to turn towards the Light of lights!
What a wonderful tradition with the bags, Mary. If you ever wanted to sell them, look at Etsy. That is where projects like it thrive. Thank you for sharing.
I do so enjoy your Sunday posts because they are honest & real. Sunday is a day for me to recharge for my week ahead & whatever it may bring, so these posts fit right in with that. I love your explanation of joy. It is something that stays with you not a fleeting emotion. I hope all goes well with the stitches & that you enjoy your hair appointment.
Thank you, Becky. Have a wonderful week!
Pam, just for the record I am one of your readers who loves to read “Sunday mornings at Home.” Even though I don’t usually get to it until Sunday evening ha ha.
As far as your comments on Instagram, I have just two words – Well said!
Thank you, Yvette. So glad you enjoy it.
What a fabulous creative poem. So impressed that you wrote it when you were just 11 years old. Lovely lesson on JOY for your grandson. I wish I could help you wrap your presents. Both my mother and grandmother hired me to wrap for them when I was growing up. I especially loved going to my grandmother’s house to wrap as she bought her paper & ribbon at Hallmark. We’d share cookies and cocoa and I’d listen to her lovely classical Christmas album. There we 6 of us in my family–4 boys– so mother’s wrapping paper was from the dime store. No need to make presents fancy for the boys as they ripped through them so fast. You always trigger these great memories for me. I love your Sunday at Home blog. Please don’t change it. So happy your stitches are coming out this week!
I will not change it, Kathie! I promise and oh how I wish you were here to help me wrap!
Merry Christmas Pam.
I agree with others and you, let’s be kind and share joy.
This past week I have been singing “Joy to the World” and other carols, it makes my heart rejoice.
Oh Pam I love this post so much. I love what you write on Sundays and it is a pleasure to read your thoughts and feelings. Sunday is a good day to reflect on the past week and also to look forward to the week ahead.I hope all goes well with the removal of your stitches and your attitude during your recovery has been so positive.
I will reply to your survey by email too.
Best wishes.
Thank you for being here, Julie. I love having friends in Australia!
I understand your feeling about being kind in responses but Influencers blog and IG to make money and have to accept all the good and bad that comes with promoting their market share. It can be a fairly lucrative endeavor. It takes work, content doesn’t manifest itself. But in every post you have an addendum about how the money you make is important to your family, if there is somewhere I shop, let you know so you can become an affiliate. You get free things. As a reader I have to sort through what to believe and not believe. When I see an influencer push cheap goods produced in child labor filled sweatshops I ought to have the right to call it out. Many influencers have support staff who are not treated well, don’t get benefits, they are sideline casualties. I have seen influencers “borrow” words, phrases, style and sponsors from other bloggers and it can be devastating. So it’s not just readers who criticize, it’s other bloggers and influencers. These are highly competitive markets. One month influencers insist product X is the best and the next its product Y. It must be like dancing at the edge of a volcano.
Ann, interesting comment. What I am referring to are women being ugly to influencers personally….attacking their weight for example. It is far different from saying you don’t care for the brands they represent. Thank goodness this has not happened to me in a long time, but I have experienced before…it is just plain mean. Also, if you don’t like their brands, don’t follow them. No need to attack them.
I love your Sunday reflections. There is much to think about in today’s post. Your first part offers food for thought: the divisiveness, and anonymity that can help create it, is rampant , but your focus on joy gives us hope and can lead to healing.
I wrote a 3 stanza poem in grade 5 that I thought I would never forget. Alas, it is only the first stanza I can recall! But here it is:
Christmas is the time of year
When buying presents bring good cheer.
Under the lighted Christmas tree,
Children are happy as can be.
Not as ‘interesting’ as yours, but it was heartfelt! Have a lovely day, and good luck this week!
Mine was a little rebellious! I prefer your happier version. Thanks for sharing, Deborah.
Good morning, Pam. What a terrific poem! Thanks for sharing with us. Don’t work too hard this week. Take some time just for you. The Sunday post is my favorite. Blessings for continued healing.
Pam, like Julie, I look forward to your Sunday posts as a place to renew myself for the week ahead. You always seem to write your Sunday Mornings with such calm and assurance for the good of the week ahead. I love your almost daily affirmation of approaching every situation with joy, and I now think about it definitely more than I did in the past. I come to your blog first thing every morning knowing you will give me a boost to have a good attitude as I approach the day. I wish I were close by since I love to wrap presents and would gladly help with yours. My two sons used to bring me all their presents to wrap but sadly, we seem to have become a society of gift bags or no longer wrap at all. I hope you have a blessed Sunday.
Thank you, Marcia. So, glad you enjoyed the poem!
It makes so sad and angry too that people feel free to attack like that. It takes great strength to put yourself out there then to have another send out hate for no reason to hurt, I just don’t understand why.
Getting your hair done is going to feel so good, enjoy the experience, and stitches out, yay
A treat to get help with the wrapping will save your energy for the family festivities and sounds like fun, I love wrapping and decorating presents.
Your poem from your younger self is adorable
Your explanation of J O Y for your grandson is amazing and something we can all remember.
This is the reason I enjoy Sunday mornings with Pam.
My children have often brought me presents to wrap and I have tons of wrapping. This year may see more gift bags, but I am like you and prefer to actually wrap the boxes. So glad you enjoy Sundays here!
And I enjoy Sundays with all of you too!
And I am so excited about getting my hair done! Yay!
I love your poem and see another under 11-year-old, always tempted to do something small that Santa might frown at. Me!
I love your Sunday blogs- its like a visit from a good friend.
Enjoy the spirit of this wonderful Season. Just listened to an older Christmas song- “Its The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” Love it!
I am sadden to hear that people are abusing each other. Yes it does take a brave person to blog online. When people are mean, I just assume that THEY have a sad situation and are hurting and attack others. I have to say I am surprised it is us oldy moldy ones doing it. We should be mature enough to know better. But we all go through tough times and the anonymity of being online makes it easier for people to be rude. As Thumper said…”if you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothing at all!”
I think Sundays at home and Tuesday news are my favourite posts….but hearing about your life and grands is my favourite!
I love it as well, Paulette! So much happy music!
Thanks, Barb! I was shocked to learn this group was getting trolled by our age group. That is what motivated me to write the IG post. If that post makes one person stop before they write something ugly, then it is worth it.
Sundays at Home is probably my favorite. Perhaps it is a glimpse into our shared desire to find our Joy. There is also that element of transparency.
Oh and I love the little girl who wrote that poem. Even then you were honest and transparent.
I love your Sunday posts! It helps me to know you better.
It’s disheartening to think of older women as being mean. The best I can do is to let kindness and respect begin with me. My 41 year teaching career helps me. I like to think of people as one of my many students that I loved.
Thank you, Suzi. I love writing it.
lol…she was! And she loved to create and still does.
Teachers are so special! Thank you Linlee!
Dear Pam, you bring me JOY in each post. DeborahLM mentioned the word ‘anonymity’ contributing to uncivil reader responses. I totally agree that we are often too quick to give a knee-jerk response, and sometimes believe everyone needs to hear our opinion. I often read something online (mostly on Facebook), feel an urge to respond, but take a breath, move on, and let it go. Life is just too short for pettiness and self-inflicted unhappiness. On a flip side, your writing makes me feel like you are a friend and definitely not anonymous, and I enjoy so much the sharing from your readers as well. God bless us everyone!
If I was closer, I’d come wrap gifts with you! I wrapped the last of mine last night. That’s one part of Christmas that I’ve always loved. When you were a little girl writing that poem, I was probably wrapping gifts for my mom. I remember the year that I finally told her that I’d only wrap gifts that were in plain packaging so that I didn’t already know what everyone was getting on Christmas morning! I even wrapped gifts for a department store one Christmas during my university years.
You made me smile, Elaine. I love to wrap gifts and have always taken it so seriously as far as how they look under the tree. When my six grandchildren walk in I always desire for the house to be magical. But, alas, this year I must have help. I can stand or bend for that long yet. Back to it next year!
Where I live some people have “be kind” signs in their yard. I agree with the sentiment but find it a little dismaying that they feel the need to say this. But it is true that once bloggers put themselves out there, other women feel it’s okay to take a whack at them. The “be kind” message can get lost online. On the flip side, not all bloggers are nice themselves. They can carry a chip on their shoulders and misinterpret benign comments into something else. I’ve seen some snippy responses out there. But I think you are right: my mom, and I’m sure yours, said, ‘if you can’t say something nice about someone, then don’t say anything at all.” Love your poem, BTW!
I said above that I can keep kindness in my heart if I view people as my former students.
Here’s a fun fact: I first began teaching in a high school and was only 3 years older than my students. Those “kids” are now 72 years old. A lot of you commenting here could have been my students and I think you are lovely and wonderful “girls”.
Count me in on team Sunday Morning! I always look forward to these posts. I’m weighing in a little late because we are visiting my grandson. One thing when I was teaching we always told the kids was “character is what you do when no one is watching.” These nasty women need to remember there is a real person trying on those clothes.
Thanks Linlee…you make me smile!
Yes they do, Linda…I agree…have fun with your grandson.
It is so sad that kindness must me encouraged over and over again. Nobody puts themselves out there to be personally attacked. After watching my high school students bully other students the last year I taught, it breaks my heart to watch it done by some adults.
Pam,
Your words on impeccable style are so right on. Why some women are so hurtful is so puzzling. They have forgotten to “treat others how you want to be treated” and may have never learned that.
What a wonderful explanation for the meaning of Joy! I will be borrowing it.
I enjoy your blog so much. Your encouragement and joy are so welcome since I’ve retired.
Besides your encouragement, I’ve enjoyed your Texas posts especially since my son and his family moved to Texas and live north of you.
He is now a police officer in Texas too. Please be praying for law enforcement and others associated with them. It’s a difficult time for them.
Have a wonderful Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!
I will pray for him, Lorraine and thank him for me for his service to our state and his community. I understand completely. You have raised a special man.
Your Sunday posts are always nice to read. This one was no exception. The explanation of JOY is a good one to remember!
Thank you, Kim. What is so wonderful about children is they challenge us to use illustrations they can connect with…many times it helps adults as well. Thanks for being here.
Yes, indeed, thank you for the difference between joy, happiness and sadness articulated so well. One person I admire, once heard someone close to him be critical of another. His response was, “you could have gone all day without saying that.” That has always “stuck with me.” Who needs the criticism. Most people are trying pretty hard.
As a sewist I started a tradition long before gift bags were a thing of creating a beautiful gift bag each Christmas. I would “audition” the Christmas fabric the day after Thanksgiving at the fabric store and then sew a simple bag. Mind you, young children want wrapping paper, but I began this when our children were teens. By then it was the gift, not the paper, they were after. Also, these were gifts within the family for the most part. I did not make these bags to be given away, though I guess I have given some away. Then Amazon learned what I was doing, and well you know the rest. Wrapping paper is mighty fun, but I love my stash of bags.
Love your blog and post. Wishing all the ability to turn towards the Light of lights!
What a wonderful tradition with the bags, Mary. If you ever wanted to sell them, look at Etsy. That is where projects like it thrive. Thank you for sharing.
I do so enjoy your Sunday posts because they are honest & real. Sunday is a day for me to recharge for my week ahead & whatever it may bring, so these posts fit right in with that. I love your explanation of joy. It is something that stays with you not a fleeting emotion. I hope all goes well with the stitches & that you enjoy your hair appointment.
Thank you, Becky. Have a wonderful week!
Pam, just for the record I am one of your readers who loves to read “Sunday mornings at Home.” Even though I don’t usually get to it until Sunday evening ha ha.
As far as your comments on Instagram, I have just two words – Well said!
Thank you, Yvette. So glad you enjoy it.
What a fabulous creative poem. So impressed that you wrote it when you were just 11 years old. Lovely lesson on JOY for your grandson. I wish I could help you wrap your presents. Both my mother and grandmother hired me to wrap for them when I was growing up. I especially loved going to my grandmother’s house to wrap as she bought her paper & ribbon at Hallmark. We’d share cookies and cocoa and I’d listen to her lovely classical Christmas album. There we 6 of us in my family–4 boys– so mother’s wrapping paper was from the dime store. No need to make presents fancy for the boys as they ripped through them so fast. You always trigger these great memories for me. I love your Sunday at Home blog. Please don’t change it. So happy your stitches are coming out this week!
I will not change it, Kathie! I promise and oh how I wish you were here to help me wrap!
Merry Christmas Pam.
I agree with others and you, let’s be kind and share joy.
This past week I have been singing “Joy to the World” and other carols, it makes my heart rejoice.
Me too, Audrey!! I am singing a long with you.