Winter Solstice 2020

A quiet nod to the turning of the seasons, 

the anticipated move towards the light and hopefully a kinder 2021.

Walking to connect, to escape. 

Walking to clear heads and steel hearts.

Breathing in the damp air, the decaying leaves and the wet earth.

A sublime and gentle light - giving a feeling of hope. 

2020 has been different - by anyone's standard. 

A year of fear and hope, a year of unity and division. 

One of confusion and sadness and a year of amazing courage and strength. 

Solstice blessings to you all, stay safe, here's to 2021 - may she be kinder than 2020.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Chrimbly count down - Decorations❅✳❄

 4th December :  Decorations 

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If I had to give up all my decorations and was allowed to keep just the one - it would be this .... my Swedish Angel Chimes. 

It is the first chrimbly thing that comes out of the chrimbly deco-box and is set up early in December while everything else (and I do mean everything) waits for another two weeks before being released.

Once it is dark, I'll open the chimes and quietly assemble it, adding the candles and finally lighting them. Whilst the air above the flame begins to warm, I'll switch off all the lights and watch the moving light and shadows on the ceiling, then as the chimes begin to ting ting ting, I listen and know that winter is here and autumn has slipped away.

For those of us in the northern hemisphere, there is only 17 days until the longest night, 17 days left 'til the light starts to return. The wheel is turning and the seasons move on - the light will return xxx

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If you like what you have read - please have a look at the LINK UP POST and see what our Chrimbly count down folk have been getting up to!

Wishes

Thank you to all my friends and family here, there and everywhere -

A blessed yuletide, a quiet and peaceful celebration,

and a fresh and positive start to 2020.

Hopes and wishes from me to you

with love xxx

(source)

Solstice Blessings

We usually celebrate summer solstice - the longest day - by being outside 

for as much of it as possible. Enjoying the light and the air.

The warmth.

Winter Solstice is usually a more inward marking of the turning of the seasons.

Lights, fire, food, candles and chat.

Not this year.

We spent it outside - for the most part,

walking. 

Enjoying the gentle light,

the freshness of the air. 

We still ate warming foods - Yule cake and mince pies,

mugs of tea - sitting alongside our favourite canal.

Not that we could linger long - there was definitely a nip in the air! 

As we walked, we watched the wintery sun slip behind

the dark clouds and leaf-free trees. 

The paths we followed were muddy and wet,

as was the dog .... 

Then, when we returned to the village where we'd parked,

their lights across the bridge were wonderful.

Simple and elegant. 

 A lovely end to a gentle day 

Solstice blessings to you all - here is to the turning of the circle, 

the changing of the seasons 

and the return of the light xxxxxxxxx

Salt dough ho ho ho

Not sure what has happened but suddenly (after a brief hiatus) 

my chrimbly crafting mojo has kicked in. 

I say 'brief' but I suspect it has been at least three or four years 

I have felt as if wading against the incoming tide through every December. 

Today I am making salt dough decorations. The oven is full of stars, fir trees and stockings gently drying. Later today when they have cooled I will paint and varnish them.

 I can not believe the pleasure I got from the making and baking of this (big) kid friendly craft.

But now I am back finishing off my stock for the final Christmas fayre of the year. 

So there are drift wood santas waiting for a final coat of paint on the back half of them, 

little wooden tree decorations waiting to be bagged up. 

Hand printed wrapping paper waiting for a final drift of festive stamps being added - 

it is a bit like Santa's grotto in here today! 

 Don't forget tomorrow will be 'Five on Friday - Gratitude', 

I'll add the link up button at the bottom of my post - 

till then - have a lovely Thursday!

Things we do

There are somethings that never change yet are never the same. 

Our chrimbly card delivery walk is a perfect example.  

Ever since we moved to the village (17 years ago ... where does life go?) we hand deliver as many cards as we can. The week before,  cards are written, wreathes made, then on the Sunday, we wrap up and walk out.

The route is initially dictated by the addresses we need to deliver too and over the years it has altered slightly. The weather also plays a major factor in our choice of path. One winter we galloped round in torrential rain, we left the boys at home and just took a giddy dog. There have been delivery days through deep snow and sledges, dank grey skies days with boys wrapped up warmly, bright blue brittle icy days or gentle, thin blue cold finger days.

Sunday was this year's delivery day. We were only three plus dog this time. Wrapped up against the cutting breeze we set out, past houses with jolly lights and doors decorated with wreathes. A handful of cards dropped off we jumped over puddles (Moss jumped into them) up the stone steps and up up the hill to drop another. We turned off the road down a narrow 'secret' pathway, snaking its way down below the cottage gardens, popping out by the chicken pens. Down another muddy track, through a field, Moss playing playing, never tiring - asking for more.

Across the main road, up into another field, up up that hill, step into another sneaky path behind a row of terraced houses. Drop off a wreath and cards, chat and leave best wishes. Onwards up the hill, up up and on to the playing fields at the top of the village. Dogs and their walkers making the best in the break in the weather, filled the space. We walked diagonally across the huge field entering another farmland track. Slip and slide our way down another muddy field and re-enter the village from the far side. Time to start delivering cards again. 

Daylight is fading, homes are switching on their lights, making the street look cozy. Trees twinkle through windows and fairy lights adorn front gardens. More cards left, nearly home. We've been out for almost two hours and we are so ready for a mug of tea and mince pie by the fire.

Time to switch our tree and lights on. Another festive ritual completed and there is a slightly damp happy dog fast asleep toasting her toes by the fire.

Wishing you all a love filled festive time,

where skies are blue - whether they are icy cold or brilliantly warm,

blessings xx

Festive Advent Calendar Doors 11 - 15

Joining in with Julie of Julie's Journal & Scrapbook's Festive Advent Calendar 2018

Festive Chocolate

Festive Jumper
When you ask your son (who's at uni) to send a photo of his festive jumper,
and he sends 19. It takes all your motherly instincts and restraint to NOT share immediately
but to crop off his face and string them together in a slide show.
For your amusement.
You are welcome!!

Red and Green

Candles/candle light

Wrapped

A Princess in hiding. 

'Wrapped' in a bag that usually holds

decorations.

You can't see her - can you?

Good - just like she likes it :)

The next five are.....

Carols
Bow
Wintery Scene
Tree before and after
Star

Julie of Julie's Journal & Scrapbook

Festive Advent Calendar Doors 6 - 10

Joining in with Julie of Julie's Journal & Scrapbook

 Festive themed shop window

Snowman - real or otherwise

Stocking 

Wreath

Xmas stamps

(or rather the results of using them)

The next five are.....

Festive Chocolate

festive Jumper

Red and Green

Candles/candlelight

Wrapped

Julie of Julie's Journal & Scrapbook

Festive Advent Calendar Doors 1 - 5

Joining in with Julie of Julie's Journal & Scrapbook

Treasured Decoration

Festive recipe

Hand made card

Festive pet

Family tradition - mince pie eating competition

Himself vs the world

(world usually comes second) ....

He has been known to eat over 300 during a December.

So now you know (chortle)

The next five words are ....

 Festive themed shop window

Snowman - real or otherwise

Stocking

Wreath

Xmas stamp

Julie of Julie's Journal & Scrapbook

Scavenger hunt January 2018

Yellow

Our first walk of the year was on a rather dull (but fortunately dry) day. One of the photos I took was the one above.  I'd noticed the far distant view of the sun trying to squeeze through the clouds. It was only once I was home and downloaded the pictures - the first thing I saw was the yellow warning sign.... oh. Wish I'd noticed that sooner - I would have moved to the left and taken a better image. Sigh. 

Starts with an .... O

Oh Moss!

Light

I have a friend who just knows. 

 - thank you xS

Found

A small shell on a sandy beach one summer, found by a small boy and proudly shown off - treasure indeed.

Colourful

We always take down our chrimbly decorations down on New Years Day - it feels right - It is the first day of the new year so sweep everything clean and start anew. 

We, over the years have collected a number themes ranging from the traditional of red and gold, Scandi-style of silver, white and wood, Victoriana style, all green, natural (cones, twigs, cinnamon sticks etc), vintage glass and finally - the above ornaments in the image. 'Bollywood' style. 

Youngest wanted them a few years ago and I must admit being rather taken aback at his choice but as he was so insistent, I buckled and bought them.  He was correct. They looked fantastic on the tree - the colours popped and the tree looked really festive. Strangely now, every year when I throw out the question of .... 'what theme shall we have on the tree this year?.... No one chooses these??  Any hoo - where was I? Oh yes, colourful ... when I was putting the decorations away this year - these jolly ornaments spilled out of their box and reminded me that once again they have been overlooked. May be 2018 will be their year?

my own choice

July 2016 was a holiday of dreams. It was not only a wonderful holiday on a small sandy island in the Outer Hebrides where my heart simultaneously broke at the beauty of it and was healed by the beauty of it...... it was there that I realised that where I was working was breaking me and I should leave. For that - this little island and that particular walk in my photo - will always be precious to me.

Ok, that's me done, off to see what you lovely lot have been up to :) xxx

Thank you Mum and Dad

As a result of an over active imagination and a rather vivid nightmare, I am sitting quietly downstairs with a mug of tea, two sleeping cats and one cold foot. After mindlessly scrolling through the internet until my brain felt distracted from the dream I found I'd actually woken myself up fully and despite it being 3.25am - I thought - I should blog now and why not !

Chrimbly has been and gone and it proved to be a gently food filled, fire warmed and a family orientated one. I made a conscious decision to scale back on decorations, choosing only to have the tree and door wreath this year. I'm glad I did. It was enough.

Gifts, which were thoughtfully chosen, hand made, wisely purchased or (in the case of Himself's gansey), wrapped in an incomplete state nestled beneath Treebeard. This delighted the cats as they carefully stepped over the crinkling wrapping paper while they investigated.  It made a change from their slightly over enthusiastic bauble bashing or tinsel chewing which had occurred over the last few days. 

We, as per family tradition, ate our main festive meal with my folks on Chrimbly eve. They pulled out all the stops. The table was beautifully decorated - well done Dad! and the meal was gorgeous - well done Mum (although I do suspect you were trying to feed the five thousand!)

With our bellies under severe pressure from all the feasting, we all waddled to the lounge to collapse and recover while we played a few games, laughed at silly jokes and chatted. It was a lovely evening.

Chrimbly day dawned beautifully sunny and bright - such a wonderful change from the recent dour and wet stuff we'd been subjected to. My folks were joining us for 'late breakfast' - which was more 'mincepies and coffee' than porridge or toast! But if you can't eat mincepies whilst opening pressies - when can you?

Lunch was, what we affectionately call 'iffits' .... If  it is left over - we'll eat it. So, last night's chrimbly dinner, now as sliced cold meats and ham, plus freshly made Butternut, lentil & red pepper soup and Basil pesto & cheese lunch loaves very quickly filled us up....  A lazy settee afternoon was the perfect finale - with my Dad (and the cats) bravely fighting off the need for a nap!

Later, when it was just us, the used wrapping paper and ribbons sorted out and tidied away, Himself and I sat with a mug of tea, the cats and a sleeping dog. Our boys quietly vanished upstairs - leaving us to chat.  It was a gentle couple of days -  a bit too much to eat admittedly and a fridge full of left overs - thank you everyone - it has been wonderful.