Pinecone Wreath for Christmas

I was out to visit my dad on the weekend and he was in a very sweet and gentle frame of mind.  With his Alzheimer's, you can never be sure of how your visit will go.  After a very shaky episode last weekend, this was a happy relief.  

 

Dad's knees are getting weaker and weaker, so now it's all he can manage to navigate the hallways in his residence and he tries to walk from the front door and around the building to the backdoor whenever he goes down for his meals in the dining room.  He's still balking at using a walker ("They're for old people!"), but with a couple of canes, he's at least got a bit of steadiness. 

 

On Saturday he asked me if I'd like to walk along the corridors to see the lovely wreaths that were on the other residents' doors.  How could I refuse!  He took me along his favourite 3rd floor, and we admired all the wreaths.  Really, these were spectacular, and it quite lifted my spirits to see the enthusiasm the residents have put into decorating their "front" doors :)  I find the home a bit depressing most days, but I know it's partially due to my dad being lonely for his family all around him (he's not a great one to mingle with the others either, which doesn't help his plight). 

When we got back to Dad's room I decided to take his own wreath and update it for Christmas (again).  I made him a wreath last year from pinecones, and blogged about it here. 

Dad's Christmas Pinecone Wreath

 

When it came time to take the Christmas decorations down last year, Dad wouldn't let me take the wreath down ... "No!!  I like it!! Leave it there!!"  But I didn't want him to look silly with a Christmas wreath on his door in the springtime, so I brought back some springtime flowers and replaced the berries & bow with the flowers. 

 

The Springtime Wreath

It's stood up fairly well, but after a year, it's starting to look a little shabby.  I brought the whole thing home on Saturday with a promise that I'll return it to him freshened up for Christmas.  I had a little chuckle when he came outside with me when I was leaving and showed me how he had planted some of the extra (silk) flowers in the garden outside his window.  He doesn't understand that they're fake, and he's convinced they're doing incredibly well now that they're outside ... I didn't have the heart to pull them out of the ground because he's most likely going to check on them every day when he goes 'round for his walk ;)

 

This morning I gathered a few more pinecones along my walk and brought them home to fill the empty spaces of the wreath.  I baked them in the oven to kill any bugs (210F for 25 minutes), and it just smells like a deep piney woods in my house right now.  I should collect some pinecones just to throw in the oven whenever it's warming up, because it really does smell wonderful!  I won't be able to put the Christmas greenery etc. on until I slip down to the store this evening for some supplies.  I'll show it all in the next day or two.

 

If you haven't done so already, take a look at my Giveaway Post ... I'd hate for you to miss out on a chance to win ;)   

The Giveaway Table Runner

 

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Wendy