Winter celebrations

I no longer 'do' the whole Christmas  thing here now; the children are grown and I have little interest in the religious parts of Christmas to be honest. Each to their own,and everyone celebrate or not as to their interests and  wishes is how I look at it. We have instead a feast on the winter Solstice night. Today I got my copy of the December Country Living magazine and it has inspired me to make more of actually decorating the house for the winter season - I usually have the greenery and lots of it, but due to illness and circumstance last year, not much was done. This year will be different, and I there are a lot of things I would like to make, but non-traditional Christmas things that reflect the winter and teh winter solstce, the gifts of Mother Nature at this time of year - that sort of thing. Am fired up with enthusiasm, and longing to get started, but it's a wee bit early I feel!  I think a large-leafed notebook will help here,for putting pictures and inspiring bits an dpieces in - like a storyboard in a book. Watch this space :)

Take ten minutes...........

Earth prayer This is beautiful, stop what you're doing and just take ten or so minutes just being and hearing :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0C-FF4_28jM image from : devozine.upperroom.org

Home

I am back home as of last night.  Need to get unpacked and straightened out a bit, and there's plenty to be getting on with as usual, after a

My daughter has published her book

She has been working on this for such a long time, and now it's out there! Am very proud and looking forward to reading it as soon as it arrives :0 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rose-Prince-Bethany-Dean/dp/146372649X/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1352755751&sr=1-2

A celebratory mulled cider is in order

Just spent nearly an hour trying to change my blog background lol  Not easy when you're computerally challenged like me!  Anyhoo, nice wintry scene now, the cider will warm me up. While I'm here, just like to say a big thnakyou to all who read here, whether you comment or not - it's all appreciated :) Stay warm x

Last day of holiday

Word cloud made with WordItOut

RIP Jesus

My last little call duck died last night  :(   When we lived at our last house I had several Call ducks, and the girl who lived over the road took a fancy to keeping ducks, so plunged headlong into it, as she was wont to do with a lot of things, and got some for her garden. Upshot was that by the time we moved in the August of that year, she's had enough of them, so brought them up to me to have.That was 1997, so Jesus was 15 years old - a HUGE age for a wee duck.He was named before I took him on by the way. He was a wonderful wee character - would never win any Call duck prizes, he was pure white but was very long-legged and looked more like a seagull really :lol:  He got on with every other duck that was ever intorduced up there even the huge Runner drakes I have now, and the big Rouen drake I inherited year back - joined in everything, was part of the general duck group. His great friend was Gracie, my lovely Khaki Campbell duck, but he outlived her. He survived one fox attack (possibly more that we don't know about) and the horrendous badger attack too. He was a survivor  :D Will miss him. I think there is a wee apple tree in a pot somewhere to bury him under  - if any duck deserves an apple tree, he does. What a duck. (the pic isn't of him but quite similar - think longer legs lol)