Boots McBlog

Holidays at the McCottage are a little less formal, more homespun this year.   The hustle and bustle of the season are more intense since I’m now hustling the  8-5 working woman schedule again.  I adore my gig – I really do! –  but it does make it a little more difficult to shop for all the fresh goodies I prefer to properly deck the halls.  With less time, I had to get resourceful.

Decor came from mixed greens I picked up at a big box home store and  whatever was in the 12 boxes of Christmas we’ve acquired over the  years.   ( I have a theory that for every year of marriage,  you acquire a tupperware storage box of Christmas stuff).  In the name of efficiency,  I swapped my Radkos and Olde World Glass ornaments for less fragile ornaments that donned my mantle last year. I saved a full day of decorating because I didn’t have to unwrap all that bubble wrap surrounding my treasured ornaments.   Maybe next year, they’ll reappear.   In the meantime,  I tossed some old burlap over the pedestal table.  Put the tree in a clay pot.   I must say, I think our little tree still turned out quite charming.

 

Beneath our tree,  I have pictures of favorite Christmas memories – our first Christmas, fun celebrations, and the picture of my sweet Finley dog who arrived as a Christmas present in 199.7.

In the mix is one of my favorite Christmas treasures a red clay Nativity we bought on our honeymoon in Sedona.

 

 

 

The dining room is rather simple.  Mercury glass from our first Christmas in the McCottage, burlap,  mixed china, and cardboard snowflakes make for a more casual setting.

It’s a little less fuss than the rock salt table top I did last year. Another time saver.

 

I carried the burlap touches into the Master Bedroom by swagging burlap bows and greenery to our drapes.

 

Back in our great room,  I grabbed a silver tray from the dining room and topped it with glass balls and crystal candlesticks.   I love the light this reflects during the day.

 

The Mantle is a collection of Christmas pasts.  First a glimpse at the details.   You’ll see a few familiar sparkles and twigs from last year.  The silver vases were used years ago  for a Valentine’s party and I found them at the bottom of my craft closet along with a mini tremeau mirror.  The fabulous “M” was a gift from my green-thumbed big brother.  Over the years I’ve used various fresh greens and fuit entwined with ribbon on the form to decorate our front porch railing.  This year I brought it indoors and I adore the result.  The glittery Nativity was a gift from my mom and I think it makes a perfect center to our decor.

 

Be it ever so humble this year,  there is still no place like our little home.  And it’s definitely been a welcome respite after a long work day.  A cup of cocoa, a cozy blanket, the lights on the tree,  surrounded by memories and  old favorite finds used in a a new way, does a heart good.

From our McCottage to yours…

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 

xxoo,

boots

 

 

“You think this is just another day in your life?

It’s not just another day.

It’s the ONE day that is given to you – today.

It’s given to YOU.

It’s a gift.

And the only appropriate response is…

gratefulness.”

 

If it’s a day set aside for Thanksgiving or an average ordinary day,  may we learn to always arrive with cupped hands and grateful heart for what God gives us.

Happy Thanksgiving, Y’all.

boots

xxoo

There is an old riddle.  You may have heard it.

“How do you eat an elephant?”

 

Answer:  One bite at a time.

 

A few weeks ago with all the zeal and anticipation of a pre-party hostess,   I sat down with a 5 bullet outline to start a new blog series on Gracious Leadership.

In my initial posting , I invited you to join me at the table in this conversation about  Leadership.   Leadership.  hmmm.  A massive topic which spans an entire section of a bookstore and here I was wanting to tackle it in a few blog posts.   In particular I wanted -and still plan and desire -  to discuss the unique gifting of women that puts us in prominent and private roles as leaders and how we act / react to leadership.  ( a not so big part of the bookstore)

 

Thank you for your comments and emails. I was inspired…

and intimidated.

Suddenly,

My pre-party hostess excitement turned into angst.  I felt as if this fabulous dinner party I had planned (in my head) was going awry.  Have you ever been here?

“ Cocktails at 7, Dinner at 8”  the invitation reads.

The guests arrive. Cocktails and hor d’oevers go splendidly.  Conversation is off to a nice start.

 

 

Then, at 8 pm, you realize the one flaw in your perfectly planned party.   The main entree of this “perfect menu” is way too big to fit neatly on the oh-so-pretty, goes-with-the color scheme / room decor, center-of-the-table serving platter.  What?  How did this happen?  You’re such a planner.

What do you do?   Being a gracious hostess (leader),  You forego the pretty platter, grab the dishes set on your magazine worthy tablescape  (Darn it,  hope the guests peeked in the dining room before you ransacked the table) and cut the wieldy entree down to individual serving sizes.

 

 

So, that’s my plan here.   Take this elephant sized subject and cut it down to bite size,  “table topic” conversations.

 

With that…. dinner is served:

 

 

Table Topic #1:   Are you a leader?

 

Webster’s says,  a leader  is 1. the person who leads or commands a group, organization, or country.  2. A person followed by others.

Do you command a group?  Do people follow you?

“Follow me!”   seems to be the thought of our ego-centric, me first, more more more,  social media driven world. Complete disclosure here…I’ve been there.

I’ve been caught up in the striving and struggling for more.  I’ve wanted the glory.  I liked having a group. It’s been a humbling journey  that brought me to the realization:  a gracious leader  (the type of person I want to be)  doesn’t lead for glory,  a certain number of followers or to wear a special title. If she has followers or commands a group,  they are a result of authentic living.

In hindsight,  I recognize the leaders I have respected the most all along are considered leaders not because of their titles or groups, but because they are the ones with unselfish, heartfelt actions that drive their quality work with the more-than-necessary attention to detail.   (Attention to detail:  an attribute which comes quite naturally to the berry-picking ancestory of women, by the way).  A leader is one who has the deep passion and integrity to “do right” and go beyond expectation – whether she’s waxing floors or writing speeches.

 

 

Warren Bennis penned my favorite quote on leadership:

“No leader sets out to be a leader. People set out to live their lives, expressing themselves fully. When that expression is of value, they become leaders. So the point is not to become a leader. The point is to become yourself, to use yourself completely – all your skills, gifts and energies – in order to make your vision manifest. You must withhold nothing. You, must, in sum, become the person you started out to be, and to enjoy the process of becoming.” – Warren Bennis, On Becoming a Leader

 

I encourage you as you go about your day to day schedule,  ask yourself a few questions:

Are you striving to be first,  struggling to have the “most”,  doing the dance to get noticed,  performing to get the title,  and compromising your true self in the process?

Is it difficult, drama-filled, exhaustive work to be who you think everyone else wants you to be?

You may be planted somewhere you really don’t want to be.  It is no accident you are where you are.   While you are there, are you living own life -  using your unique skills, gifts, and energies – to express WHO you are WHERE you are?

Are you choosing to enjoy this process of becoming?

Are your actions unselfish and heartfelt?

Do you do quality work?  Do you pay attention to the details?

Are you a leader?

 

I didn’t say eating this elephant would be easy to swallow, but it is definitely something to chew on.

 

 

 

Bon Appetit.

 

(images via Pinterest)

 

Today – the winter solstice – we’ll spend more hours in the dark than in the light.  It will be the deepest darkness of winter. Once the sun sets we will wait and wait and wait hours to see the sun again. I don’t really like the dark.  But like everyone else in the northern hemisphere,  I’ll have to wait there until the dawn at 6:45 am tomorrow.

That’s where I’ve found myself in the last year – waiting.  I’m not a good wait-er.   I fidget.  I’ve taken up photography, blogging, co-leading a bible study,  volunteering and launching a ministry.    For most folks,  that’s not waiting.   But for me,  it is.  I have this deep yearning in my soul to do more.   But God still is telling me to wait.   It is the hardest thing I’ve ever done – to sit here with thoughts and ideas and energy and encouragement and creativity waiting for God to allow me to spill out somewhere.  Until he gives me the green light to make a big splash,  I wait.   I’m so thankful,  in my waiting he is a patient parent who allows fidgeting.  I’m thankful for the opportunities above to let my heart’s desires slosh out and make droplets of impact where they can.

I wonder if that is a smidge of how God felt when he was sending his Son to earth?

All those many years before that stable in Bethlehem, did he look upon this darkness – this fallen world and yearn for his ultimate light to be known.   I’ve honestly been thinking alot about  that lately -  how in Him, God had the fullness of thought, idea, energy, encouragement and creativity waiting to be unleashed in the perfect gift of his son, but even he had  – to wait – until the perfect time.

In his waiting,  did God fidget?   Maybe that’s how we got the rainbow or the parting waters of the Red Sea or Solomon’s temple.   All of these miraculous things of beauty and hope and wonder,  were they merely sloshes from his full cup of living water – a taste of what was to come.    Then – when God finally made his big splash, when he unleashed his ultimate creation of light and love –  it was on a quiet night, in a dirty barn.  The world didn’t even see it.  But Mary did.

If I were to rewind the story -  not all of the centuries God waited, but to the few months before that starry night in the barn – there was girl.   Her name was Mary.   Stories and songs and whole prayers have been dedicated to her.   My favorite one is a simple song written by Sara Grove’s called “it’s true”     It’s not a particularly moving song, however,  I weep every time I hear it.   Every. single. time.

I’ve searched the internet for the words her young son reads at the beginning and end of the song.  I couldn’t find them.  In my fidgeting ways, I took it upon myself to decode them word by word as I pushed play, then pause, then rewind over and over again.    I’ve meant to do this for awhile now.   Today was the day.  I woke from a restless night,  my spirit feeling even more wandering than usual.  The waiting game,  while I’ve made peace with it off/on on this year, is getting to me.

That’s when I deciphered these words:

“so mary trusted God more than what her eyes could see”

wow.  This young girl with amazing faith.  Her whole life changed at that instant Gabriel appeared to her.  Her life wasn’t anything like she had planned for herself, yet she reacted with a yielded spirit and an exclamation of joy.   What did God with do with this yielded spirit?   God made  this young girl  - the one willing to trust more than what her eyes could see …  the first one to see the beautiful infant face of God  – with us  –   Emmanuel .

The past couple of weeks, I’ve written about a Gracious Holiday and the GRACE of this season – Gifts, Recipes, Around the house, and Charities.  We wouldn’t even have a reason to celebrate without the “e”  – Emmanuel.    This holiday, I pray we will all strive to be more like Mary, that we will be able to trust God more than what our eyes can see.  I pray especially for those of us waiting.  I pray we can exclaim joy for this season of life and most of all that  we will see his face – Emmanuel  – God with us.

May you all have a very merry, gracious Christmas.

boots

xxoo