Song for Friday...Start anew...

A new day

A new year

All the best of love, health, happiness and peace to you all...

SIGH.....

One big deep breath......

Aahhhh...there you go...

It's quiet around here today after three days of much cheer and laughter.

The leftovers have been stuffed into the fridge...

feet have been put up...

candles lit and relit...

games played...

...and watched...

much music played...

corny movies abound on the telly...

and enough sweets to sink a ship have been nibbled...

So the sparkly dust will begin to settle, the egg nog will run out and once again we've made it through another festive season.

Every year it's something a bit different to look forward to. 

This year my daughter came home from Toronto for Christmas which was probably all I really could have asked for. With her she brought a lovely new beau.

But not only was I given the gift of her visit but also one of my older brother from the mainland who came to stay for a few days.

My folks came out for Christmas brunch....another delightful present.

The seasonal festivities will continue with us paying visits to others I love, and only see a handful of times a year. Spread it out, is what we say around here.

Winter birthdays will be part of the celebration and it will seem like the holidays go on until Valentines day.

But for today, everyone has gone out and I am left with the fire warming myself, the dog and cat...

Tea, with a new book, rain dripping on the soil here, birds at the feeder...

And always at this time of year...the lights...

Glad Tidings!

So many Christmas songs have been done and redone and re-redone but this is by far my favorite cover..

It goes out to all of you who visit this little space of mine and leave so many lovely and thoughtful comments.

It is a pleasure to know this world can be kind and friendly just for the pure joy of it!

All the best of the season... peace and happiness however and wherever you spend this time.

Thoughts on winter...a sonnet

Winter Nights.

Alexander Smith.

1830-1867

Sheathed is the river as it glideth by,

Frost-pearled are all the boughs in forests old,

The sheep are huddling close upon the wold,

And over them the stars tremble on high.

Pure joys these winter nights around me lie;

'Tis fine to loiter through the lighted street

At Christmas time, and guess from brow and pace

The doom and history of each one we meet,

What kind of heart beats in each dusky case;

Whiles startled by the beauty of a face

In a shop-light a moment.  Or instead,

To dream of silent fields where calm and deep

The sunshine lieth like a golden sleep-

Recalling sweetest looks of Summers dead.

Solstice...

Yesterday my friend Norene came by to wish me a Happy Winter Solstice...

She came bearing a few sweet gifts as well.

In an envelope was this great old vintage postcard...

As well as these lovely tags she had printed up...

A few different ways of Yuletide greetings, which I immediately started putting up to add to my garland...

What a great idea!

The other gift she brought was this....

A 1961 edition of the famous book, made more famous by the movie 'Julie and Julia'.

If you haven't seen it yet and you love food, fashion, blogging and a laugh, you simply must check it out.

I love the beginning of the foreword...

...and the dedication...

As for the recipes...they are truly French!

I've actually made this and it's DELICIOUS!

Now you can't have a French cook book without this...

Or how about dessert for 8?

...as well as some fairly specialized main courses...

As I read the recipes, I can't help but repeat them in Julia Child's sing-songy high pitched voice...

So in the spirit of the great chef...

Out in the woods...

There's a 500 acre wood where we walk Griffin and for the past 4 years the other dog walkers and ourselves have taken to decorating a tree near one of the ponds.

Al and Bev, who own Niki, come in with the truck with all the necessary luxuries...

fire pit to keep warm...

camp stove for the coffee...

cookies for our belly's...

...and Baileys just for fun!

We've all brought a few decorations over the years to contribute...

And have made this our own little surprise for others walking in the woods.

Here's the gang...

Looks like every one's enjoying the treats!

Tom getting into the spirit...

Brenda and myself as well!

Al and Bob...our very own giddy elves!

Griffin spreading his Christmas cheer to Bev...

Benji with Nancy and Stu looking for cookie crumbs...

Niki and Griffin TRYING to be still...

That didn't last long!

So here's to hot coffee and a bit of Christmas spirit...

All we need now is a little bit of snow!