TREASURES Bring PLEASURES!

"Cherish simple pleasures...time spent together, the gift of friendship and love."
Robin Pickens


"As humans we look at things and think about what we've looked at. We treasure it in a kind of private art gallery."
-Thom Gunn


"The greatest pleasure of life is love."
-Euripides

This is one of my more recent CHRISTMAS TREASURES!
This "TEA-LIGHTFUL" little Santa Tea Set
was a special gift to me from my grand daughter
Mariah in 2009.
She gave one to me and her Grandma Nancy, too.
It is truly the cutest TEA SET ever!!!!! 

In that same Christmas I received the two matching
little serving dishes from my daughter Jana.
Last Christmas I received a tree ball from my friend Gailene,
that is made by the same company called MUD PIE.
I will  "TREASURE" them all for years to come!

Some of my TREASURES from my mom's AVON days...
In her 28 years of selling it,
I received 24 Christmas plates with the year on them .
These are truly TREASURED keepsakes.
I usually pick about 4 to put out ,
as there are too many to put them all out each year.

Here is a table full of
TREASURES from AVON
which is why I really think of mom
when I decorate at Christmas ...
and I am sure there is even more AVON
here there and everywhere to remind me of her!
The red table cloth was mom's too.

The AVON NATIVITY.
My dad made the little shelter to go over it, too. 

A TREASURED PHOTO from the 1950's!
In this photo my brother -in-law, Bruce (left)
and my husband, Brian (right)
are with the EATON'S SANTA!
I love this picture and put it out each year,
along with the cute little old fashioned Santa and Reindeer.

TREASURES...and PLEASURES!
I received two sets of these Christmas mugs, in the 1980's,
 from my in-laws,
 which I enjoy using each year at Christmas time .

Yesterday I found this little book downstairs
while cleaning...
called "JUST FOR TODAY BE HAPPY"
by MARY ENGELBREIT...
 I love her whimsy and up beat spirit.

Another treasure from the past... these big velcro rollers...
I found some humor in those yesterday,
while getting ready for the Christmas party we were going to! 

Here is another TREASURED memory...
Brian and Me last night at the
WHEATON ANNUAL STAFF CHRISTMAS PARTY.


I am reminded every year how much
PLEASURE Christmas time brings to me!
I love all my Christmas TREASURES and the memories attached to them, too.

Usually the setting up of all my TREASURES is a process over a period of time... with bringing up loads more stuff to add to the decor up until the actual date! This year I did downsize my collection somewhat by donating some of it to EGADZ which is a local charity in the city.
(That made me feel good, and brought me a special kind of pleasure!)
However... there is still no shortage of what TREASURES are still left for me to enjoy each year. In 35 years of marriage a person really does accumulate a lot of stuff, therefore I am trying hard not to purchase any more new stuff for the Christmas collection this year!...
That being said, though,
I still love it all... old and new!

With my long career of being a dance teacher, I received many gifts over the years, and lots of those were Christmas related ones, as well.
My mom, being an AVON LADY for 28 years,
... gave me lots of
AVON CHRISTMAS TREASURES too...
so there is really no shortage of decor for the festive season around here!

My thoughts of Christmas have shifted a lot over the past few years. I find the most special thing about it is more the joys and friendships shared at events leading up to and around the actual day. The hustle bustle of the GETTING READY for it is really the most TREASURED time for me now. And even though my parents are no longer living, they are really with me in spirit especially at CHRISTMAS time.

My parents were always very generous with us growing up at Christmas and I think we have continued to share that tradition, with our giving to our children and our grandkids, too.

However, oddly enough... my son, Colin is not really a huge fan of this season. I think he finds it to be kind of over done, and since his childhood has pulled away from the joys this time of year brings. In some ways he has a point... it is often over commercialized with too much emphasis on the wrong things, there fore he has chosen to not celebrate it at all.

That is always hard for me to understand, seeing as I embrace the season with all my heart, but I do try to respect his thoughts on this special time of year.

Last night Brian and I went to the annual WHEATON STAFF CHRISTMAS party.
We enjoy that event each year with the lovely meal and gathering of employees and their wives. It is a nice chance to visit with people I do not see much during the year.
This year we were lucky enough to win a door prize , even! I do not ever win those!!! hehehe
We got a weekend at the ELKRIDGE LODGE  just out side of WASKESIU NATIONAL PARK.
We will enjoy that little get away at some point.
I felt honored our number
got drawn to make us winners.
That was a PLEASURABLE bonus of the night!

I treasure times spent with friends and family always when ever and however it is spent.
Just on this past Friday, I went out for coffee with my gym friend, Ella. Later that day, my cousin Gwen popped by for a visit and coffee, then my sister-in-law, Brenda stopped in too.
I always consider myself so lucky to be able to share time with friends and family and it does add so much PLEASURE to my life.

Yesterday after my gym class in the morning, I spent much of my day sorting through the treasures in my basement... it brought me pleasure, as I kind of got it tidier
and also came across some fun
treasures in the process, too!

Today my brother, Brian will come over for supper. We enjoy him always, and he hasn't been over in a few weeks, now.

Our grandkids are spending this weekend with their other grandparents in Edmonton to do an early Christmas celebration there.
 I kind of miss them when they are away, but they will be back home later tonight.

"In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter and the sharing of pleasures."
-Kahil Gibran

On that quote... here is my rhyme for today.

At Christmas time, I have so many treasures.
When I look at them,
they bring me such pleasures!
I have way too many to put them all out,
But I do have a look at them all without doubt.
I remember the times I got them back when,
And the joys of those memories
come back again.
I think of who gave me the treasures I've got,
Then those people are with me,
alive in my thought.
The joys all the things that I have bring to me,
Can last a whole lifetime each time that I see,
Those pleasure filled treasures
when they come out each year,
To remind me of heartfelt loved ones so dear.
And even though some of
those people are now gone,
The treasures they shared with me
will still live on.
I'll cherish the people and gifts that they shared,
And remember just how much
that they always cared.