I’ll light the fire, while you place the flowers in the vase that you bought today.

                                                                        Graham Nash

I do enjoy decorating for the holidays.  I probably won’t be winning any Christmas decorator of the year awards but unpacking the decorations that we have collected over the years always gives me pleasure. Hanging our ornaments on the tree is filled with wonderful memories and many “remember when” conversations.

But Christmas and New Years are behind us and the holiday trimmings are again packed away. We are proceeding boldly into 2019!

Mr. Smith and I tried something last January that we are repeating this year.  There are advantages and drawbacks to living in a townhouse.  While we do have all the space needed for the two of us, it is not always the layout that I would like.  Our living room/dining room is one large open space.  We make that work most of the year, but I truly HATE having our main room dominated by a TV and the extra bedroom that I would use as a den to put the TV in, is presently full of Mr. Smith’s gaggle of photography equipment and printers.  So, in January, we rearrange the furniture and put our favorite comfy reading chairs in front of the fireplace and turn the focus of the room from TV to fireplace.

The arrangement isn’t something we would use year-round as we certainly don’t want to hang out in front of the fireplace in July.  But it makes for a lovely January and February, warmly enfolding us in a cozy space. We share a glass of wine and talk more in the evenings.  We have coffee and read The New York Times on Sunday morning. We read more and watch TV less. A total win/win.

This success has inspired me to remember my job of making my life the best I can make it.  Such a simple adjustment has made such a welcome difference in the quality of our everyday life.  And I didn’t spend a penny…

Please check out Camp Grandma Musings on Wednesday when I tell you one of the many reasons I am a very lucky woman.

C’est la vie…