2022

 

To you all, with all my wishes and prayers for a healthy and safe year ahead.

****

You are never too old to set another goal, or to

dream a new dream.

C.S Lewis

The days between, over the years...

                                              

In these few days between Christmas and  the New Year I've been thinking about the different things we have experienced during this between-time, and remembering.......

....being whisked off to Penang by my son and his wife to stay in a beautiful hotel on the beach for a few days, such luxury!

....a carriage ride in a snowy village in Austria, where the driver offered us a share of his bottle of schnapps as we clip- clopped through the mountains,

....unexpected Christmas lunch with my younger son and his wife while my husband was in hospital,

.....learning to cross country ski in a mountain village in Canada where my daughter was living, (and falling over a lot)

....taking the ferry from France to England to spend the week with family in the snowy North of England, and wondering , as the snow got thicker, if we would ever get safely there.

So many nostalgic memories over the years. The last few have been quieter, more home based, still peaceful and enjoyable. Time to be thankful for what we have enjoyed, and time to gently plan a new Year.

Happy Christmas !

 To all my friends around the world....

Happy Christmas! followed by a healthy New Year!

Signing off for a little while now, taking time to just 'be', and to appreciate the calm and peace of Christ's birth. Everything is done, presents wrapped and distributed, sewing finished, letters and cards sent. Time to stop, listen to Carols, ....breathe. 

This lovely painting of the birth of Jesus is by Federico Barocci, 1526 - 1612.

It's so tender, very moving and poignant, a moment away from the commercialism of today.

Fourth Sunday in Advent...little joys.

 The fourth candle is lit.

Sometimes this is a purple candle, and represents Love, Peace, but is also known as the Angel candle. My little Angels come out every year and guard the candles very beautifully.

This Angel was given to me in Austria, when we stayed for a Christmas holiday in a little mountain village hotel. The snow was falling but the warmth of the welcome was so kind. After dinner on Christmas Eve, the hosts gathered us together and read the Christmas story, in German, then presented gifts.

A really lovely surprise.

Other little joys;

on the back of my door....so many beautiful Christmas cards from all over the world,

....and this little gem, who has suddenly decided to flower.

 Trying to make time for moments of reflection as we approach Christ's birth.

A quilt for a new baby.

    

Nearly finished.

It's one of those things that you think will be done in a day!

Not so. It seems to have taken a lot longer than I expected. I'm just putting the little hearts in place, then I'll stitch around them.

The baby girl was born last week, so I need to get it all finished and sent.

The second Advent candle.

 The second candle represents Peace.

Isn't that what we long for? Both in our warring world, and in our lives.