The paradox of glitter and simplicity

There are two sides to the holiday season. The busy, hectic, shopping, wrapping paper, and rushed to-do list side of our days,

And the hushed, simple, powdered sugar-coated, stripped-down-to-the-essentials side.

There are still signs of autumn in the bright glow of the sparkling snow.

But the arctic blast of frozen white begins to dominate.

We add the sparkly, festive trimmings in preparation.

And we say a wistful “goodbye until spring” to the hardy perennials that, by some miracle, find a way to survive the brutal, long months of winter ahead.

We stock up on supplies for warmth and comfort as we gather with family and friends,

While snow settles on the evergreens and every branch and crook where it can find a resting place.

In our few spare moments of reflection, we marvel at the beauty of the simplest natural formations,

Partly because we know the days are short, so observation time is limited.

And every little miracle is a gift.

This is my Seasonal Celebrations observation. Join Donna at Gardens Eye View for more posts about how gardeners around the world are celebrating.

Coming soon: The Garden Lessons Learned wrap-up. Please share a post or your thoughts about lessons you've learned during the past few months. To join in, click here to leave a comment with a link to your post. Thanks!