A very merry Christmas!

Without further ado, I would like to thank all my readers for joining me in my various escapades during the year, the highs and lows!

The parcels/presents are all wrapped and sitting invitingly under the tree... no feeling them to guess what is inside!  The shopping has been completed apart from the few last minute items.  The food is being prepared and readied for cooking on the big day.  Light up the lights, pull a cracker or two and share a 'not so funny' joke with a funny hat on whilst you try to play with plastic toy from the cracker.  Don't you love tradition?

So it just leaves me the important job to wish you all the merriest of Christmases.  May your cup be overflowing, as they say!  Some of you will be experiencing a white Christmas (and how!) whilst the rest of us in parts of UK will be enjoying a cool, damp day.  Where ever you are, may your Christmas be peaceful, share with family and friends bringing you fond memories to relish over the years to come.

Minstrels a Christmas Poem by William Wordsworth

The minstrels played their Christmas tune
To-night beneath my cottage-eaves;
While, smitten by a lofty moon,
The encircling laurels, thick with leaves,
Gave back a rich and dazzling sheen,
That overpowered their natural green.

Through hill and valley every breeze
Had sunk to rest with folded wings:
Keen was the air, but could not freeze,
Nor check, the music of the strings;
So stout and hardy were the band
That scraped the chords with strenuous hand.

And who but listened?--till was paid
Respect to every inmate's claim,
The greeting given, the music played
In honour of each household name,
Duly pronounced with lusty call,
And "Merry Christmas" wished to all.

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Christmas lights

One of the things we love to do just before Christmas is to take a walk in our neighbourhood to 'inspect' all the Christmas lights that folk have put up on their houses, in the garden etc. We did notice that this year, possibly due to families with small children moving on or a change in circumstances, was that there appeared to be less lights around. A shame really as it always evokes some of the magical feeling of Christmas, doesn't it?

We have always been pretty conservative with our decorations, even when the kids were young. Here is a picture I took the other evening from across the street of our abode. The light on the side of the house is actually a street light and not part of the decorations!

The window to the left is my workroom.

We have a couple of small windows at the side of the house and always place a flickering light in them to make it more cosy looking.

I think you can just make out the Christmas tree in our front room which we placed in the bay of the window.

In case I don't have a chance again, I just want to wish you all a wonderful Christmas! Don't forget it will be a time to make that ultimate sacrifice of helping to eating all the food, including the chocolates! You know your assistance will be rewarded, somehow, somewhere!!!!!!

December Quiltie

A group I belong to are having a quiltie swap this month.  Now a quiltie is a mini quilt measuring a square 5".  This could be framed or hung up on its own or simply placed in an album.

The theme for this month was A Winter Wonderland.  I decided it was far too cold to see outside so decided to stay indoors and peek through the kitchen windows with their red gingham curtains.

 

I hope my swap partner likes it!!!