Post Thanksgiving ~ Pre-Christmas

The Christmas decorating is underway at my happy home.

Before I get too immersed in that, a brief documentation of the Thanksgiving that was. . .

Thanksgiving was different in many ways.

My son offered to be the host in his new (to him) home.

One drawback to that is he doesn't cook.

He did offer to provide Costco's version of a pre-made turkey dinner.

That idea was shot down quick by his cousins.

I said I would be happy to help in any way.  But, I decided to let the younger generation come up with the plan.

This is new to me and I found it rather fun to wait and see what they came up with.

I did bring over a few fall decorations and my sister-in-law brought her table cloth.

I felt right at home seated around our old dining room table.

Once the plan was in place, we all brought a few dishes to share.

I guess I should say the females brought the food ;)

My son happily provided the "shelter" (as he called it) and the beverages.

I'll say one thing we had no shortage of food.

It's been tradition for my sister-in-law to bake the pumpkin pie and I bake the apple.  New this year, her granddaughter baked a chocolate cream pie.  

Yum! Yum!Yum!

Hats off to the younger generation for a most successful Thanksgiving celebration!!

Now, back to the Christmas decorating.

🎄🎄🎄

Houseplant Love

With the gardening season mostly over for the year, I enjoy a different kind of slower paced gardening in the form of tending the houseplants.  

Although I've been documenting this for years, it is always such a fun surprise to see all of the buds on my Thanksgiving cactus when it comes in from it's summer vacation on the patio.

After watching this Lisa Emeterio video I was inspired to elevate the look of my cactus.  Instead of the normal pot it was in I chose this Wedgewood bowl that has been gathering dust in the cupboard.  Some moss on the top to hide the "mechanics" and I think it looks pretty good.  Now to watch as the beautiful blossoms unfurl.

My Norfolk Pine always responds well to a summer spent outdoors.

Every year I think I should decorate it for Christmas.

Perhaps this year I will actually follow through.

Pothos is such an easy plant to grow.

The bright shade of green on this one caught my eye in the garden center last spring.  I think it's called a neon pothos.

I particularly like when the sun hits it in the morning drawing attention to it's beauty next to my favorite chair.

Wanting a new plant for low light conditions I recently purchased this sansevieria.  Yes, the good old "snake plant" or "mother in law's tongue".  I am still a bit surprised that I made this purchase as I used to think they were not something I would ever want in my house.  Ever since I was a kid, for some reason, I associated them with "old lady" plants.  I know they have recently become popular again.  Perhaps that is why I am seeing them in a new light or perhaps it is because now I qualify for the "little old lady".

:D.

In reading about their care I learned that they are one of the better plants for purifying the air inside one's home.  They are supposed to remove formaldehyde and provide oxygen in it's place.  With the new rugs and furniture that sounds like a good plant to have around.

I may have to apologize to this plant for all of the bad thoughts I've had about it.

My anthurium did well on the patio until an early frost caught me off guard.  After bringing it in, most of the leaves have turned brown and I've been clipping them off one by one.  It is looking kind of pathetic at the moment.

It almost found a new home in the compost heap until I noticed this new leaf and upon closer inspection there are a few more getting ready to unfurl.  So now I will spend the fall and winter months tending to it with hopes that in time it will once again be strong and healthy.  I am going to start by finding a slightly larger pot for it as I think it has outgrown this one.

I can never resist growing an amaryllis or two at this time of year.

Last year's bulb turned out to be a dud.

I have high hopes for this one.

⚘⚘