I DID IT!!!

Now I can blog again ! ( I just can't blog without pictures, how boring!)

I finally got all of my pictures off of my laptop onto my new laptop! Why am I so excited, you ask?

Well, I've been struggling with it since before Christmas and I finally figured it out! After much trial and a *boatload* of error, I got them loaded onto the flash drive then onto my new computer. For computer geeks, it's a no brainer, but for self taught, stubborn me, it was a HUGE victory! After trying disks and folders and albums and right click this and left click that and drag this and drag that, I realized I was chasing my tail and finally went with the flash drive that I had given up on after a few unsuccessful attempts. I'll spare you the details!.............

The first picture is of my unfinished nativity set that I started when I was doing ceramics. Ceramics was the start to this whole artistic thing that I tapped into but that's another long story for another blog post. ;-)

The second is an inspiration from one of my BFF's ;- )  When I was privileged to be able to help him with a 3 floor installation at a law office in Seattle, this was one of the things that we did and I was so inspired that I just HAD to try it!!! Love it!!!

Then, I had to do a little decorating in the kitchen so this is my fridge-scape. (I invented a new word)

So here is the deal. Christmas in the secular sense stresses me out. My whole being screams "This is not how it is supposed to be!"

So, once I have time to take a deep breath, I decide to be true to my insides and just prepare.....

I am so glad that my faith and my French roots teach me that we celebrate AFTER the birth! Advent is the time for preparation FOR the birth. The Christmas season ends as we celebrate the baptism of Jesus, which was today the Sunday  after the Epiphany. I will now start taking my decorations down. I feel no sadness, or depression for the end of the Christmas season. My depression and pre-Christmas anxiety was caused by the secularization of one of the church's most beautiful times. I am at peace because this is the way it was meant to be.

***note to self.  LEARN YOUR LESSON!***