JUST A TOUCH

When we first bought this place in the Hill Country, sold our last house in the 'burbs, and rented a townhouse to work from in Houston until we were both ready to retire, I got rid of a ton of holiday decorations. I was no longer that person who thought you needed a tree in every room and a wreath on every door, for every season! I ended up quitting my job a couple of years before Hubby, and moved up here full time to start turning this weekend place into a full-time home. In the process, I went through even more of a metamorphosis, and even more detritus got carried away. When we finally merged those two houses into this one -- one of the most difficult tasks we've ever undertaken -- most all of the remaining decorations went by the wayside. Just about the only things left are the tiny bits that can be tucked below in the cabinet where I display them, such as this...

and this...

No more hauling crates full of stuff down from the attic for every season!  Well, except for these guys, which we discovered in the mystery space above the garage when we hauled the cradle down for Little Goober.

I was planning to haul that whole crate of stuff off to the thrift store when it got closer to Halloween, but then Little Goober actually arrived, and I decided I'd better give that crate one more looksee before I dropped it off and, well, these two pieces decided they really needed to stay here with him.

Can you guess what my very favorite piece of fall decor in my whole house is? One I love so much it stays out year-round?

Bakelite! Still making my heart go pitter-patter, every time I walk through that kitchen.

And now we're off for a belated celebration (5 months belated) of our 41st anniversary. Hotel Havana, here we come!