Festival of Trees at Tulalip

Last week The Investigator and I attended the open house for the annual Festival of Trees at the Tulalip Resort in Marysville.  Every year local groups decorate wreaths and trees which are then put on display. Every tree has it's own theme.  All the proceeds from the week long event go to help support the Providence Hospital Children's Fund.  I was very excited as this was the first time we had ever been able to go.  Retirement does have its perks.  Everything was so beautifully decorated I just had to share.

Naturally, with red being one of my favorite colors I headed straight for this tree all decorated in Cranberry.

Of course, there were other colors too.

 I'm not into the comic book theme but my boys would have liked this one.

I would have definitely chosen this one for my baby granddaughter.  She loves giraffes.

This one though was my favorite, drawn back to traditional red. I loved the old fashioned feel of it too.

Everything around the resort was beautiful as well. 

 Looking forward to more celebrations ahead.  We will be decorating our own Christmas tree this afternoon and looking forward to the Festival of Lights up at Warm Beach this evening.  I hope each of you are having opportunities to celebrate as this wonderful season of Advent and Christmas continues.

Sacred sounds of Christmas

After spending a lovely Thanksgiving weekend celebrating with family and friends I had the opportunity to take my mother into Seattle to the Benaroya Hall to see The Sacred Sounds of Christmas, performed by the Seattle Pacific University orchestra and choirs on Sunday night.  My mom's 85th  birthday is coming up next week and I wanted to treat her to something special.  I had not ever been to Benaroya before so it was a special treat for me as well.

The 10 year old building is beautiful, with rounded walls filled with multiple stories of glass windows that allowed for a view of the city lights beyond.

On each end of the gallery hung these gorgeous Chihuly glass Chandeliers.  There were a lot of people in the hall so I couldn't get very close but they were amazing.  Sculpted by Dale Chihuly, each chandelier weighs 3 tons and measure 12 feet wide by 15 feet long.  I wish I could have captured with my little phone camera just how beautiful they really were.

Inside the concert hall three walls were lined with rows of viewing boxes.  Behind the stage is a magnificent pipe organ.  The orchestra was just beginning to warm up as we came in.

We were fortunate to have 2nd tier seats right near the stage.  By the time the concert began every seat in the hall was taken.

The performance itself was wonderful.  The University has a symphony orchestra, a wind ensemble, a worship band, chamber singers and four different choirs. In between some of the selections the audience was invited to sing several of the great Christmas Hymns along with the choir. We heard readings from a Christmas poem called Noel written by J.R.R. Tolkien in 1936, a fanfare from a canticle by St. Francis of Assisi as well as a couple of other short symphonies.  I didn't recognize many of the choral selections,  It was such a joy to hear so many new and beautiful pieces of music along with old and treasured favorites.

It was a lot of fun being able to treat my mom to such a joyfully special birthday gift and it was a perfect beginning to the Advent and Christmas Season ahead.  May the Lord bless and keep you as you begin your Advent preparations as well.

Autumn Decorating

Another week has passed and I am looking out the window to  lovely blue skies.  As I gaze out from my deck I can see the Dogwood is now covered in leaves of gold, but the blustery cold winds and rain from earlier days have stripped the maple of all its leafy color.  The Inspector has covered the bench to protect it from the winter rains ahead. No more sitting under the trees until next spring.   The yard is slowly being put to bed.

 Even though the leaves are falling outside, that hasn't stopped me from bringing the joy of autumn color into the house.  My husband rolls his eyes a bit when I start bringing out all the boxes, but I do love to decorate.

 

 
But then I have been blessed to have such  lovely rooms in which to do it.  Who would have thought that this old rambler, filled with spiders and mice when we moved in 31 years ago would eventually become this wonderful gem we call home?  It took us many years to get to this point, but God was and God is good.

Next time I decorate it will be the Advent and Christmas season, but I'm glad I still have another month  and the Thanksgiving Holiday in which to enjoy the colors of fall.  Blessings to you and yours.
 

Thankful Thursday - Fall Changes

Goodness!  September is already long over and October is well on its way.  Fall is in the air everywhere we look. No more orange moons caused by the smoke lingering in the air from the wildfires.  At last the rains have returned to make the sky fresh and clean again.





The Virginia Creeper has turned red and is covered with little berries.

A few tendrils have escaped to begin climbing up the shade tree.  I will have to coax them back to where they belong.

I love looking out over the bench and watching the seasons change.  This is one of my favorite spots in the yard.  Two weeks ago the Flame Maple was just beginning to turn.

Even though the Dogwood tree is still green, soon it will be too wet and cold to sit outside on the bench.

The last of the summer flowers are still hanging on, bravely awaiting the first kiss of frost.

Meanwhile, over the last couple of weeks, the maple has, oh, so quickly, begun the gentle dropping of its leaves, its full glory will be gone much too soon.

Oh! How I love Autumn!  Thankful for eyes that see.

~~~~~~~

"Every Leaf speaks bliss

to me, fluttering from

the autumn tree."

Emily Bronte