A Mantel and a Medley

How can it be Wednesday again already?

But I guess there's no arguing with the calendar so it must be true.

That also means that after today, there are only two more Wednesdays before Christmas!

How did that happen??

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So I was able to get my decorations up over the weekend.

This will probably (hopefully) be our last Christmas spent inside these walls.

Wait, didn't I say those same words last year??

I don't mean that in a bad way of course...it's quite bittersweet, actually.

So just in case this is our last year, I thought I might change my mantel one last time.

I really hadn't intended to change that much but after seeing what my friend Sherry

from Farmhouse and Feathers blog had done on her mantel,

well, let's just say that I copied her idea she inspired me!

Sherry's beautiful rustic mantel.

I mean, I already had all of the key elements...

a deer skull mount (doesn't everybody have one?) that some of you may remember

from this post a few years back, the frame that was already hanging around it, 

an extra wreath, and plenty of greenery.

So down came the collection of clocks and books that had lived there for several years.

After the first of the year I plan to minimize the décor anyway to prepare our home for the market.

I also thought this would be the perfect time to practice for life in the country!

So...here is my version.

I was actually kind of surprised that I really liked it!

I do realize that dead animal skulls/antlers are not to everyone's liking...and that's okay!

Maybe one of these Christmases I'll use those two wild boar heads that are still out the garage...

...you just never know!
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So we're here for the Wednesday Medley...

where our friend, Terri from Florida asks us the questions and we answer them.
Just head to her blog, copy and paste the questions to yours and link up...
...it'll be fun!
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1. On December 5, 1901, Walt Disney was born.  Have you been to Disneyland or Disney World?  Can you share a favorite Disney memory?

I have only visited Disney World one time when I was about 19 years old with a friend of mine. We were really in Orlando, Florida to visit her aunt but since we were right down the road, we spent a day there as well. It was in the process of refurbishing and Epcot was under construction if I remember correctly so it was not the best time for a visit. I have never really been in to Disney so it was just okay. I do remember though, as a little girl, looking through our View-Master and there was a disk with 3-D photos of Disneyland. I might even recollect a little oohing and ahhing going on.



2. The first roller coaster attraction at Walt Disney World was Space Mountain.  Do you/did you like roller coasters?

The first roller coaster I ever rode was at the Pavilion at Myrtle Beach, SC when I was about 13. I think I rode it about seven times in a row...after I hit my head in the bottom of the swimming pool when I dove in. Not a smart thing to do. If I ever rode another one, it was against my better judgment but soon realized that I do NOT like them much.

3. The very first fairy tale that Walt Disney made a cartoon about was Little Red Riding Hood.  Did you enjoy fairy tales when you were a youngster or did they scare you?  Did you have a favorite?

Yes, I thoroughly enjoyed fairy tales as a child and I don't remember them scaring me much. My favorite was "Goldilocks and the Three Bears". I wanted to be able to jump into that cute little house in that storybook with all those cozy, soft chairs and beds. I actually wanted to BE Goldilocks!

4. In Lady & the Tramp, Tramp’s real name was Butch!  Do you have nicknames for your fur-babies and/or for your children?

Since I had sons and grandsons until Olivia came along, I had a tendency to call them all "Buddy" a lot. Then we had a dog named Buddy and it got kind of confusing. Now, Adam has a dog named Buddy! When it comes to my Oscar and Tasha, I sometimes refer to Oscar as Bubby... not to be confused with Buddy...and I call Tasha Little Girl or Baby Girl.

5. I can’t let this day go by without respecting George H.W. Bush, as he lays in state in the Rotunda of our Capital today.  He was our 41st President and only the second father to have a son follow him as President of the United States.  President Bush loved his colorful socks.  I bought Joe a pair of George H.W. Bush socks for Christmas one year.  I know Myra has a pair… any other bloggers checking in today who have a pair of the Presidential socks in a drawer at home?  How do you feel about colorful socks? These are the socks (and tie) President Bush will be buried in.

I did not know this about our dearly departed President Bush but it doesn't surprise me one bit. Those are some pretty awesome socks to wear when you meet your Maker! What a sweet reunion he and his dear Barbara must be having about now! When I wear socks, they are usually black trouser socks. I do however, have several pairs of Christmas socks that are brightly colored...and some are fuzzy that I wear around the house as slippers. When I was in high school I had a pair of these...

6. Please tell us something random about your week!

I did enjoy the movie I mentioned in last week's post, "The Man Who Invented Christmas". It was interesting to know the back story of how Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" came to be written. There was only one problem...I kept getting lost in Matthew Crawley's Dan Stevens' baby blues, losing my grip on what was happening in the movie. I about wore out that rewind button! And then there's my aching back, reminding me that this Christmas decorating business is not for sissies! I do so enjoy it once it's all decked out though. So what am I doing tonight? Helping to decorate at the church....such a glutton for punishment! Now where did I put that bottle of ibuprofen?? 

So that's what's going on here.

Enjoy the rest of your week, friends!