I Will Honour Christmas In My Heart

I will honour Christmas in my heart,
and try to keep it all the year.
I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future.
The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me.
I will not shut out the lessons that they teach!

~ Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

DECORATING AT WORK, BAKING AND COLLECTIONS!!

Well, this is most likely my last post before Christmas so.....

I want to wish all of you a MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

And may you spend it with those you love!!


I have a new Ops Manager at work and she wanted to decorate our department so that we could make a decent showing in the annual Christmas Decorating Contest that the Health Care System I work for holds.

Now other years, since they moved my department to a different location other than the main large hospital, we have had very few decorations.
Someone mentioned my name and long story short, I was sort of put in charge of Christmas decorations. Imagine that????

So here is a tour of where I spend most of my time....

Welcome to the Rehab Department in which I work.......

This is what you see when you get off the elevator in Rehab. This hallway leads down to our Break Room on the right and the Day Room for patients at the end of the hallway on the left.

I thought 2 wreaths on each side of the walls would be a nice Welcome.


I made the wreaths....

This is our Nurse's Station.....

I had this spare potted tree in our Storage Shed ( you know me with trees).

I decorated it with some Shatterproof Balls....

We don't really have the space for a large tree in the station....

This is a live poinsettia. When I was tying the bow around the pot, I thought it was silk because of the glitter on the leaves and then I saw the dirt in the pot!!!

I had this candle holder ( also down my storage shed ) so I decorated it a bit and since we can not have candles, I just put some glittered balls where the candles would go....

You can see 2 of my co workers in the background....

One of my co workers from night shift brought in the garland and gold bows....

I also had a spare Alpine trees so I put this in an out of the way spot in our busy Nurse's station and added some red and gold ornaments bought by our Nurse Practitioner.

I placed it on top of a box which I wrapped with a blanket and used a little tree skirt that I brought in from home.

Our Unit Secretary covered most of the art work on the walls with red and gold foil wrapping paper making them look like presents!


Down the hallway , is the Day Room. It is a large room with tables and the patients some times eat lunch in there. In the evening when they are done with Physical Therapy, some of them spend time in there with their families. There is a 60 inch big screen TV and sometimes, a volunteer with come in and play Bingo and other games with the patients.

So that is where we decided to place the big tree.
'Here are the windows , looking into the Day Room from the hallway. I sprayed Snow on them....

I love how you see the lights of the tree looking in the windows....

And here is the tree.....

I decorated it with just plain ball ornaments and we had a bunch of snow flake ornaments from the Dollar Store from previous years.

We had wrapped boxes as presents last year and I brought in a lighted house that I was not using for under the tree....

I know this is blurry but I thought it still looked pretty.....


Simple but I think it looks pretty. The Day Room will surely be used on Christmas Day by whatever patients that we are not able to send home and have to stay in the hospital. They can enjoy it with their families.....

Well, that was my Tour of where I spend probably most of my life!!!! And this is where I will be Christmas Day Night.....

I did find time to bake cookies....

Chocolate chip cookies , fresh out of the oven....

And Potato Chip Cookies....

I also made fudge, Ricotta Cheese cookies with Butterscotch drops and Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip cookies.

I will be sending some home with the boys on Christmas Day.....

In a previous post, I showed you books that I had saved. These were the Christmas books that I used to read to both of my sons.

Some I bought new and some are vintage Golden Books from Estate Sales....

Frosty, Santa's Toy Shop and Santa's Surprise Book are ones that I remember from my childhood.....

And these were newer ones....


And I loved this book that I bought at a Catholic Guild Store..


I have collected Praying Santa's since then....

And Joey, my oldest son, always loved " A Christmas Carol" because there was a ghost in the story!!

LOL!!

And I want to share with you my Christmas Mug collection!!!

These are the first things I unpack when getting out the Christmas decorations!!

I have had these 3 for many years.....

I love the handles....

I collected these Coke Santa Mugs from Long John Silver's also many years ago....

Each one has the description of the picture on the front....

And I love my vintage cup that I bought at a yard sale.....

It is a Lefton....

and these are 2 new mugs that I bought for 25 cents each at a church Flea Market....

I just LOVE the pictures on these 2....

Love the horse and buggy inside this mug....

And the bottom of it.....


Well, that pretty much is the end of all the pics I took with my now broken camera.

It will take weeks to have it repaired so I am thinking of buying another one and having 2 , using one as a spare.

Any suggestions on what type of camera I should now get??? Something in the $150 $175 price range????

I am off Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights so I will be home Christmas Eve. We will be having our traditional Polish Holy Supper with pierogies, scallops, whole potatoes with butter, shrimp and chicken fingers for Joey since he does not like fish.
Joe and I will be going to Christmas Day Mass and I will be serving Christmas Day Dinner with turkey, stuffing, ham and kielbasi.
Jim, Danielle and Joey will be here both days .

That will be my Christmas present....spending it with the people I love the most.

I am working Christmas Day Night but that is okay. Hospitals don't shut down for the Holidays and someone has to do it.
I do look forward to the time when some day I can stay home for an entire Holiday and not have to go to work. In the last 34 years, I only ever had 2 entire Christmas holidays off and that was with the birth of each one of my sons.

I hope I live long enough to actually get a Christmas Eve and a Christmas Day off!!

SOOOOOOO.......

I will close by wishing all of you a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

I am linking up to these parties:

Open House Party Thursday

Vintage Thingie Thursday

Show and Tell Friday

Home Sweet Home Friday

Potpourri Friday

Vintage Inspiration Friday

Pink Saturday

Seasonal Sunday

http://www.aholidayhaven.com/

Metamorphosis Monday

Masterpiece Monday

Table top Tuesday

Rednesday

Wow Us Wednesday

Please stop by and visit these wonderful hosts and those who joined these great parties.

Thanks so much for visiting me!!

Hugs,
Debbie

23 comments:

  1. Wow...you make your workplace just as beautiful as your home ;) :) Everything looks so pretty. I think you just got "nominated" for life to be the Christmas decorator at work :) :) Happy CHRISTmas to you and your family :) :) Love and hugs from the ocean shores of California, Heather :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. This will be the first Christmas eve day that I do not have to work.
    your work place looks great
    merry Christmas
    Cathy

    ReplyDelete
  3. Merry Christmas. You've made it look lovely in the hospital.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Debbie what can I say. Everything at the hospital looks just so pretty. And I love the tall tree. As you said it is simple but so beautiful. Any patient and their family will enjoy being able to celebrate Christmas around it.

    I love the book collection. All my books went to my girls and grandchildren when I watched them as youngsters. I then gave them all to my sister for her day care. Oh how I wish at times I had some of them back " just for old times sake".

    And I so enjoyed your mug collection. I too have a variety of mugs. Love them all. In fact when I was working and they cleaned out the enployees cupboard that had just shelves of mugs they gave many to me as they were just goinjg to throw them out. I got several I really loved and brought home and shared with the grandkids for their hot chocolate ( and now coffee with the older ones" .

    I wish you are very Merry Christmas. Enjoy the time with your family.

    My granddaughter will be getting in tomorrow afternoon and my Marine grandson late on Christmas Eve. So I am really going to enjoy all my family here this year for the holiday. WE will be celebrating Christmas Eve with all 5 of the daughters and their families my dad who is 83 and my mother-in-law who is 96 so my house will be full.

    Again Merry Christmas to you and your family.

    Karan

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Debbie, They sure picked the right person to decorate the rehab and you sure made it a beautiful place for those not able to go home for Christmas. I will never forget Dec 24th 2000. My son came in that morning from deployment in the Middle East. Best Christmas gift! We went shopping for his sisters. He left me to pick up his girlfriend at work and we had a call that my FIL had had a stroke, while in the hospital for another issue. We spent Christmas Eve at the hospital and I thought all the nurses were angels that night. The decorations made it bittersweet, spending Christmas with Frank (we had known he would not be home for Christmas, but the stroke stunned us) yet without those decorations it would have been such a "cold" clinical place on the night we celebrate as beautiful in our Faith. I am so happy for all in rehab that they will see you beautiful talent and be cheered and encouraged. Of course, my dear friend I have no idea how you add a few more responsibilities to your days. Love the Golden Books, boy do they bring back memories. You traditional meals sound yummy. Merry Christmas Debbie to you and your family. Will think of you on Christmas Eve. Our family does Christmas Eve day as our family day when we are all together, then the kids don't have to leave their new toys to go eat dinner, hehe, somewhere else on Christmas. So I made our traditional Christmas brunch and we have a fire in the fireplace (even if we turn the a/c down, hehe and it is lovely. Then we stop by friends/family to see what "Santa" left. Big hugs and lots of love to a special lady who gives so much love and beauty to others. May your day be so blessed.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hello Debbie...

    Thanks for your visit and comment to my blog.

    You have done a splendid job of decorating your home and workplace, too.

    There have been wonderful posts in blogland, filled with splendor and beauty this holiday season.

    But I have to tell you, you are NUMBER ONE! When it comes to decorating, your blog has been the most incredible.

    Merry Christmas and may the Little Lord Jesus fill your heart with abundance. Susan

    ReplyDelete
  7. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Debbie, when I see your name I know I am in for a fabuloue treat and I wasn't wrong. Smile. Your work place sure picked the right person to oversee the decorations this Christmas. Your enthusiasm for decorating is awesome and I love everything you shared. You are also a good thrifter. Great treasures for little money. Kudos to you dear Debbie.

    My daughter is a nurse and works most holidays. It is a dedicated profession. I can see your dedication to your job and that is so special like you.
    Christmas blessings and love to you and yours this Christmas and always,
    Jeanne

    ReplyDelete
  9. They definitely picked the right person for the decorating. You are the best and I am sure your efforts made a lot of patients very happy. Blessings dear lady and keep us entertained another year with all your brilliant ideas.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Swoon...you make your workplace just as beautiful as your home.

    Christmas hugs!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Christmas just seems to float around you. It amazes me how you do all this. (You do sleep, right?) Thanks for sharing your world - it's very Christmasy right now and so beautiful. Merry Christmas.

    ReplyDelete
  12. They picked the right person for the job. Now it feels like Christmas at your workplace! I bet it looks more beautiful in person! It seemed like a labor of love :) Everything looks beautiful!
    I thought it is really cool you have a blog just for Christmas! It is also my favorite time of the year :)

    Thanks for visiting me!

    Have a merry Christmas :)

    xoxo
    Myric

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi Debbie,
    Ok don't shoot me but when I was able to work and had either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day off I would work it for a co worker with a small child or children at home. My family were not happy with me, but as a Mom I could not stand the thoughts of a little one having to get up extra early to have an open up presents before Mommy went to work so I would volunteer. I did this for 2004,2005,2007,and 2008. I have been home on medical leave all the other Christmases. I think the co workers I volunteered for really appreciated it. Except the last Christmas Day I worked the girl was suppose to work the day after Christmas for me but she didn't. That made me feel bad but I lived up to my part of the bargin. She eventually got let go because of her attendance issues. She had a wee one who was sick and her FMLA had run out. I still think that is not fair ykwim.
    Anyways, I admire the healthcare workers! No one knows what we give up to do our jobs or the emotional and pyshcial hardships it places on us.
    I love your home. I have an late present to send to you. I found it at a garage sale and it is perfect for your style of decorating! I'll get it in the mail soon.
    Your home is amazing! You did an awesome job decorating your floor at the hospital!
    Merry Christmas!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Nice to have such cheer in your work place, sounds like a wonderful collaboration. Poinsettias are so amazing, they often look so unreal, I have had to check them in stores before too! Love the Christmas books,such a nice thing to share. And the mugs are so fun! Thanks for sharing. Pinning and tweeting :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hi sweet friend!
    Merry Christmas to you and your family!
    What lovely post...im am sure those who are in the hospital enjoy seeing your labor of love in the decor youve created for them.

    I have Cannon Powershot that my hubby got me last year and i loooooooove it!
    Be blessed!
    Lorena

    ReplyDelete
  16. How lovely, i love those mugs.


    My Entry, happy pink Christmas from my family to yours!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Debbie, you are just amazing! I don't know how you do all you do! Your workplace is so pretty!
    Thank you for mentioning me. I would love to copy cat so much of what you do! ;)
    Merry Christmas, Dear One,
    shelia ;)

    ReplyDelete
  18. I was just over at your other blog checking out your home decorating and everything looks spectacular!! What a job it must have been to put out all of those decorations!

    I want to wish you, your hubby and family a blessed and Merry Christmas!

    HUGS,
    Dorothy

    ReplyDelete
  19. Merry Christmas and Happy Pink Saturday!!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Well if that does not put a smile on your face when you walk into work,not sure what would. Merry Christmas Debbie and family!

    ReplyDelete
  21. How lucky your co-workers are to have you!

    Merry Christmas.

    - The Tablescaper

    ReplyDelete
  22. The workforce definately need more people like you Debbie. You did one amazing job at your hospital, the patients who couldn't go home sure got to enjoy beautiful trees and the Christmas Spirit. I'm sure your mass was spectacular.
    Have a wonderful last week of 2011.
    Ann

    ReplyDelete

I always love to hear your thoughts!
However if you are a vendor and insist upon leaving a comment with a link back to a website, You have forced me to now moderate ALL comments so do NOT even try it!

Related Posts with Thumbnails