Day #9 of the advent season....soaking up and creating atmosphere. When we were at Brian and Niki's for Thanksgiving she and I did the unimaginable and went out on Black Friday to pick up a few things. I stood back and watched quite a bit since I wasn't shopping that day. I can't say I was enjoying the atmosphere of people who appeared as if they had everything trying to get one more thing!
After we got what we needed (we were JoAnn's shoppers in need of sewing supplies and then to one department store) we went to Caribou Joe's and got a nice large cup of coffee. When we walked in the door the wonderful aroma of cocoa, coffee, chocolate and bread greeted us. Mmmmmm....Christmas atmosphere! I could feel my jangling nerves calming just by the right scent greeting me at the door!
I often ask myself what I want people to remember me for? I want them to step in my house and smell fresh bread, cookies, a meal cooking, coffee. I want them to see the fruits of my life....a sewing machine surrounded by projects, children sitting at their desks studying, to hear my Christian radio station playing and the clock ticking--good atmosphere!
On Saturday at Brian and Niki's my husband insisted we go to a nearby town and just go through shops. As we looked through local shops and admired their individuality, the beautiful Christmas decorations, the Christmas music and the smell of Christmas candles and potpourri I felt myself getting into the holiday mood.
The grand finale was taking the kids in a quaint local bakery and letting them pick out whatever Christmas cookie or donut they wanted and then taking them next door to a wonderful toy store and letting them just look to their heart's desire! The mood was complete--I went home ready to start Christmas!
My husband is so good during Christmas at just popping into a local candy store or bakery and letting us order a hot drink that we'd never order on our normal budget! It's a Christmas splurge. He usually takes us to a restaurant in Gatlinburg for breakfast or lunch that I love just for it's Old World atmosphere.
Men cooking in the back in white pants, shirts, apron and hats. Waitresses with black aprons wearing dresses, paneled walls, copper and brick, and a menu that looks like it came from my childhood. On top of that they have good food and hot coffee in wonderful shallow coffee cups! It's called the Pancake Pantry and it's one of my Christmas atmospheres that I will always cherish.

   At home it's my job to keep the atmosphere going. The wonderful smell of Christmas candles and potpourri, the Christmas music pouring through the house,
wonderful surprises popping up everywhere, (Like my wearing antlers when I come to kiss them goodnight or announcing we'll be painting ornaments or playing a game when we would normally be working.) It's my job to keep the sweet smell of Christmas baked goods coming and to see that fudge shows up when they least expect it and that every Christmas goodie they can't imagine doing without marches through this house during the Christmas season! Atmosphere--it melts me, I always end up singing with anyone that start singing out in public during this season and love, love, love it when anyone catches the mood with me and makes the most of it!