Team Up Thursday - Week 15 - Christmas Decorations

First of all - sorry that this is late this week....We had a public holiday in South Africa yesterday and that on top of Mike returning home after almost three weeks away in America on business and visiting family on Wednesday meant that I did not get my act together....So here is this week's post.
Once again, I love Mariette's picture this week...It is a pine cone hanging on her tree - It is plain and simple, but is a clear and bright photo and it is the simplicity of it that makes it stunning. 

We have not even put our tree up this year yet....I must admit, it is difficult this year to get into the spirit of Christmas - but I need to make the effort for Brad and Kayla-Fern's sake especially...I will probably also feel a whole lot better once the tree is up...
Because we have not put up our tree, I did not have much that inspired me for our themem this week ...And then I remembered a gift that Mike's sister in law and brother had sent home with him this time last year (Yes he was in America on business and visiting in November last year as well). 

Isn't it beautiful... There is a whole lot of history attached to the visit last year, but I do not have the emotional energy to go into that at the moment - let it be enough that it was very meaningful at the time and continues to be so....So much so that I want to find a permanent special place for it in my home so that I am reminded of the meaning of Christmas on a daily basis through the year and also that I remember every day that we are blessed with special, wonderful, caring people in our lives and even though they may be many miles away - they are still there and we can find them in our hearts at any moment.
I certainly have not said all that I want to say, but I am struggling to ...My 'tiger*.*/ness###' is missing in action .....
Tiger - *.* - One of the special people who is miles away, but at the same time in my heart, sent me an e-mail just before my mom died and she spoke about the tiger in me ---- that energy that keeps me going and fighting for what I believe in and protecting me and helping me protect the people I love...She said that the tiger would help keep me strong, but that it would need to rest when the time was right...She said that I must understand that the tiger was only resting and that it would be refreshed and revitalised to help me fight another day...Well the tiger is resting...and I am not sure how to help refresh it or how to wake it up from its rest...
Ness - ### - I think "ness" comes from the movie You,Me and DuPreez with Kate Hudson and Owen Wilson - I have never watched the entire movie, but the bits and pieces I have watched have touched me and have made me cry (this is not difficult to do - I can cry in an advert) - but anyway..."Ness" refers to the part of us that makes us who we are...our essence, that makes each person unique....
AND I miss them ..BUT I am keeping myself together with the memory of how they made me feel, and the knowledge that there are so many people who know me well and are sending me love and good wishes..from far and near....
Anyway, I think that is enough from me for this week - until next week, when I hope to have a little more creativity and tiger and ness in me...Lots of love and for those of you (like me) who have not yet done all your Christmas shopping - GOOD LUCK...
Lots of love