Merry Thursday sweet friends. It is only four sleeps until Christmas Day. Our grandchildren are very excited about the big day!
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16 ESV
This is Sunshine Cottage’s fourth Christmas! Little has changed with the Christmas decor on the cottage porch. RM cuts pine to make garland each year for our exterior doors. It smells like Christmas when you step up on the porch. The swags for the antique, leaded glass doors were ordered in 2020, the year the cottage was built.
The pair of nutcrackers have returned each year to the porch. We can’t remember the year that we discovered them at Walmart. They stood guard on our kitchen porch for many years, and one year I moved them to our front porch. They then made an appearance in our dining room for a couple of years. Finally, they found their home on the Sunshine Cottage porch!
Like me, they are showing their age. Notice the crack on the jacket!
The rug is the only new purchase this year!
The detail is amazing on each one. We have never seen them anywhere in all these years. Walmart apparently never stocked them again and they were very inexpensive!
Some of you may remember that we returned from a trip to find this nutcracker had blown off the porch and was almost broken in half. My heart sank when I saw him on the ground.
RM did some repair and he made it through the first season on the cottage porch with the idea that the nutcrackers best days were behind them.
But you, our sweet readers, said “No, we should not bid them farewell”! They have kept returning each year. You might notice this one has become a little humped over…that happens with age!
RM has placed large rocks on their stand and tied them to prevent another fall!
I think it is time for new door swags next year!
Two gingerbread girls, a gingerbread boy, and gingerbread cottage came home with RM early in the season. When it comes to the grandchildren, he is constantly bringing something home that reminds him of them, or that he thinks they would like. This is why we need 3 more storage buildings!
My sweet RM works really hard to make everything special for Christmas. I might be prejudice, but I think his hand-made pine garlands are stunning!
As many of you know, RM has put together this Colonial Williamsburg fan using real fruit and magnolia leaves since the 1980’s. It is much harder these days to find the size, color and quality of apples that he would like to use. And finding a great pineapple here in December has always been a challenge. All the natural elements of the fan are bathed in clear floor wax and dried overnight before placement. The best old-fashioned clear floor wax he has used for years is no longer available. That’s just how things seem to be these days, but RM hopes to make the fan for Christmas as long as he is able…it’s about tradition, not perfection!
If you follow our Simple + Southern Sunday posts then you will be aware that we began to discover apples missing from the fan last week. There was critter evidence that we thought might be squirrels or chipmunks. The next day 2 more apples were gone. On night 3, while looking out the kitchen window, the real apple bandit was spotted. I managed to get a few pics before the thief headed for the woods. Mr. ‘possum accounted for 9 missing apples before RM caught the culprit and relocated him about a mile away in a heavily wooded area near the river. We are hoping this will not become part of the tradition!
Maybe the ‘possum (southern for opossum) will be well past the holidays before he finds his way back. I’m not sure if these creatures have a homing sense like many animals do. RM doesn’t mind repairing the fan but it is too close to Christmas to worry over it if the bandit or a family member returns!
We’ve been blessed by carolers at our door in 2023, here to greet us every day and sing many wonderful Christmas songs. Actually, a group of us used to go door to door caroling each Christmas some years back. It was so much fun and a real blessing, more so for us I believe, than to those we shared the carols with. We live a bit far out and I don’t recall carolers ever coming to our door the 45 Christmases we’ve lived here. So, we have our own group and have asked them to grace our everyday living with singing. Have you ever been caroling?
Thank you for your visit and gracious comments. Wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas!
Linking with: Pieced Pastimes, Between Naps on the Porch, Katherines Corner, Follow The Yellow Brick Home,
Life and Linda
Everything is beautiful outside the Sunshine Cottage. I remember we used to go caroling every Christmas when I was a teenager in our youth group (many moons ago).
Caroling was so much fun! Thank you Rachel!
Love seeing The Sunshine Cottage with her swags, pine garland, lanterns and Nutcrackers standing sentry Pam! What a festive rug and the Williamsburg fan is beautiful that Butch so diligently assembles. Those ‘possums are sneaky, but I thought the culprit might have been a raccoon. We had one that was removing a birdfeeder from its hook and emptying it every night until my hubby wired it to the hook with a carabiner. Prayers for Butch’s continued improvement and health.🙏 Wishing you and your family a merry week before Christmas. 🎄❤️
Thank you, Mary. After relocating the ‘possum, a family member visited last night and three more apples disappeared. It is strange, because all of these years no critter has eaten an apple! I guess next year we will have to use faux apples. Thank you for the continued prayers and wishing you the merriest of these few days before Christmas❤️✨🎄
What a wonderful surprise! Thank you so much for sharing your outdoor decor and your precious tea setting earlier in the week. Both were greatly enjoyed!
May God fill your home with His love and peace this Christmas and for many more Christmases to come.
Thank you Pamela, wishing you and yours a most joyous Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior!
Everything looks beautiful outside for Christmas! Butch always does such a wonderful job with his pine garlands and Williamsburg fan. I’m glad you discovered who the apple bandit was. We have an ‘possum that keeps getting into things on our back deck. They are sneaky little critters! My dear friend, I hope you have a most wonderful day! Merry Christmas!
Shannon, thanks so much! Merry Christmas, sweet friend!
I love your little trios of gingerbread and carolers Pam, they are so cute!! RM is so talented with his natural creations, you should get him to make you new door swags! I was afraid your critter would be a return visitor once he got his first bite of apple, I’m surprised that it could be lured to a fruit that is heavily covered in wax, but next year faux apples might be the way to go. Your comments about the aging nutcrackers are funny, I feel like I have a few dents and cracks myself these days 🙂 I wish your family are very blessed and joyful Christmas!
Thanks so much, Jenna. Faux apple are a definite for next year. I wish you a joyful Christmas with your precious family!
It is all gorgeous. I bet the grands are excited for the big day. It is coming quickly. Glad the nutcrackers are going to stand guard for more seasons. They are magical on your porch. Enjoy the last few days before Christmas. Hugs. Kris
Thanks so much, Kris. The girls and I are having a tea party this afternoon in the cottage. Joy and peace for you and your precious family!
Oh my goodness Pam, I couldn’t believe that this is the Sunshine Cottage’s 4th Christmas! It seems just yesterday you were finding a name for the cottge! It’s so festive and nice.
Oh those bandits…arg, but they do provide interesting story fodder 🤣
Continued wishes and prayers for you and your sweet family.
Sue, thank you so much. It does seem like yesterday that the cottage was built. I am having a nutcracker tea party with my granddaughters this afternoon. It will be fun! We are so grateful for your prayers!
I’m so very glad the nutcrackers survived! It is charming to the max! Definitely full of seasonal sunshine. Merriest, my friend!
Thanks so much, Jeanie!
Pam, Your Sunshine Cottage is gorgeous! The pine swags are so lush and thick! They are indeed stunning! I love the lights on them. RM always does a great job! We know you love your sweet grandchildren. All the cute decorations are a testament to that. You and RM are such wonderful grandparents. I’m sorry the possums ravaged the apples. They can be determined when their mind is set on something. Your new rug is so pretty and the shape of the lanterns are unique which I always gravitate towards. The lights in the windows are so nice. Wishing you a memorable Christmas! Clara❤️
Thank you dear one. Butch enjoys cutting the pine and making the garland each year. Wishing you and your husband a most joyous few days before Christmas and the merriest Christmas Day!
I look forward every year to see Butchs’ Williamsburg arrangement and his beautiful swags. The swags are the most beautiful ones i’ve ever seen, so full and shaped perfectly. The first time I joined a group to go caroling the temperature was zero and snow and ice was everywhere. Of course it was here in Colorado and I nearly froze. This southern girl decided if the thermostat showed zero I wouldn’t participate. The nutcrackers are so well loved that a few scratches and cracks shouldn’t keep them from being front and center on the sunshine porch. Age will do that and love will keep them standing. We had critters living in our chimney. Lowell captured them and carried them up in the mountains. I think they made it back down the mountain before he did. Love the lighted candles in your windows. Hope you are fully recovered Butch. Merry Christmas to all .
Alice, zero temperature and snow on the ground would deter me from caroling. Thank you dear one for being faithful to read and comment. You are a blessing to both of us. Wishing you the peace and joy of our Lord and Savior!
Pam, the garland and Williamsburg fan are beautiful. God blessed Butch with so many talents. I think of you every time I see large (very expensive!) nutcrackers. We can identify with them … a bit cracked and worn around the edges, but still valuable! Living in the country is so wonderful, but there is interesting wildlife…I walked out to a coyote this summer, bear tracks in the driveway, skunks, possums; my mother used to call it the wild kingdom! I remember caroling as a little girl (I literally can ot carry a tune in a bucket). Wishing you peace and joy leading up to Christmas, my sweet friend.
Thank you, Roxanne! Your mother was correct. I am quite sure we live in the wild kingdom. When we built our home almost 45 years ago, seeing a deer was a rare occurrence. We have seen every possible wild creature that exists in the South except a bear. We know they are nearby and expect a sighting in the future. I cannot believe that you can’t sing. Wishing you a blessed few days before Christmas, dear one!
The cottage is beautiful. Does it have a kitchen? Where did you get the blueprint to build it? Speaking of caroling in the cold, there is a Colonial church here that was built in 1743 so there is no heat or electricity. Every Christmas Eve they have a living nativity, lessons and carols. They remind everyone to dress accordingly and to bring a flashlight. Have fun at your tea.
Hi Maryann. There is no kitchen. My husband designed the cottage and the builder worked with us without a blueprint. It is a small 12 x 16 interior. The Colonial church sounds fascinating. We enjoyed a wonderful tea!
I just love everything, what wonderful Christmas spirit you share. Prayers for you and your family and a thank you for the prayers you send to me, it means the world to know people care.
Have a very Merry Christmas and a fantastic New Year.
You are so sweet, Nonie. We do care and pray for you. Blessings on these days before Christmas!
All of your decorations are as beautiful as ever! I love the tale of the nutcrackers and I would do everything possible to save them!
Wishing you and your family a Christmas filled with love, joy and peace!
Thank you, Mary. The nutcrackers have served us well and hopefully we can save them. Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Fourth Christmas? Why it only seems like yesterday we were dreaming up names for it…It gives so much pleasure to so many under your talented
curation and that beautiful pine garland door surround and swags could
grace a Christmas card to perfection.This is such a sentimental week and I
love visiting here among you, Butch and kindred spirits, where the spiritual
essence of Christmas is so warmly embraced and deeply felt.Tie it with a bow
and call it a precious gift. Love, peace and glad tidings to all.
You two have created something that is simply beautiful.May your celebration of the Savior be blessed.
Thanks so much, Cindie. Christmas blessings, dear one!
Your home is absolutely adorable. I love the gingerbread kids – how precious for your grandchildren. Mr. ‘possom was having a feast, wasn’t it. I would love to have a Williamsburg-type decoration over our door, but we have a lot of deer and ever since I caught one by my front door nibbling on a Fall pumpkin (LOL), I knew they would have a field day with the apples. Yours is absolutely gorgeous. I hope you all have a happy and blessed Christmas. Little Baby Jesus is coming real soon.
Thank you, Lisa. Those pesky deer are seemingly everywhere now. Sending Christmas blessings to you and yours!
I am so happy the Nutcrackers have returned. The Sunshine Cottage is the perfect place for them as they Welcome all visitors.
I can not believe the ‘possum! What nerve!
The Spirit of Christmas lives at your Homestead! I truly feel it.
Merry Christmas dear friends!
The ‘possum has family members that continue to visit. Christmas Blessings, dear one!
Oh Pam, you and Butch have some wonderful traditions and I am so sorry the bandit was stealing apples. But that is life in the country isn’t it? As far as caroling goes. our church goes to hospice and nursing homes and a hospital to sing carols to those who cannot get out. We went last Sunday afternoon and it is such a rewarding experience. And I have been the recipient at least two different years of close friends coming round to sing to the Captain and I during my illness. So wonderful. One year I could only listen on the Ring doorbell while the Captain served chocolate and donuts. Another year I was able to walk outside and sit while being entertained with the most beautiful voices. So I know how enjoyable the caroling can be. Merry Christmas dear friend to you and Butch and your family.
Thank you, Kari. I remember years ago when I taught Sunday School to middle school girls that I would take them to the nursing homes and take small gifts and sing carols. It truly was a blessing for me and the residents were so happy we came. Merry Christmas my dear friend and blessings for a new year!
Very pretty Christmas! Glad you caught the possum. Yes, I’m glad the nutcracker s are still making their presence. Have a Merry Christmas!
Pam, Sunshine Cottage looks so festive and fun. So glad you kept the nutcrackers. Even with some wear, they are so darling. I adore Butch’s Williamburg fan wreath. Too funny about the missing apples. The gingerbread people are darling and I am sure the littles love them. Merry Christmas to you and your sweet family.
Thanks so much, Linda! We had a wonderful Christmas! Happy New Year!
Love your
Thanks so much, Darlene. You are correct on getting older! Happy New Year!
The garland RM makes each year truly is so stunning. I have always been so impressed with it. I can’t believe the nerve of that critter coming up to your door and stealing those apples! It made me sad to read that the floor wax is no longer available. It just seems like so much of our world is changing, so many of the old things are disappearing, and it just really saddens my heart. Thank God our Jesus is still the same yesterday, today, and forever, and we can always, always count on Him never changing or leaving us. The two of you bring a sense of normalcy and consistency that so many of us crave. I hope you both know what a blessing you are and what a ministry your blog truly is. Sending love and gratitude your way this morning.
Cheryl, we want to be
consistent in all we do. Our world is upside down, but God never changes! Amen!!