December on My Back Porch

What better way to welcome the month of December?

Snow!

Squirrel was quite happy to see me set out peanuts!

Just as I turned to go into the house, squirrel leapt off the tree branch and bounded toward the pile of peanuts on the back porch.

The birdbath, filled with leaves and water, froze over night.

A piece of art!

Our forsythia bush was blooming!

What a cheery sign.

A sign of of hope, renewal, and anticipation for this holiday season.

“Forsythia is pure joy. There is not an ounce, not a glimmer of sadness or even knowledge in forsythia. Pure, undiluted, untouched joy.”

~Anne Morrow Lindbergh 

Have you felt the shift yet? Where gratitude begins to fade, and overwhelm slips in almost overnight? Thanksgiving has barely passed, yet Christmas looms ahead with its lists, expectations, emotions, gatherings, and the weight of “making it meaningful.” You may still be carrying the emotional aftermath of family moments—sweet or strained—while staring down an endless list of tasks.

Check out Marlee Dee’s post: How to Be Intentional About Soul-Care During the Holidays