A few minutes ago my husband said, "Just think, in 20 days, Christmas Day will be almost done."
Yikes! I don't want to think about that. This is such a special time of year and rushing it along does me no good at all. This week I've finished sewing two nightgowns for my little grandgirlies. I've begun baking - Rugelach and Peppermint Bars are in the freezer. Marshmallows are simple to make and taste better than store-bought.
Decorating is beginning. We will put our tree up next week, but for now the tiny lights draped along the mantels and the piano brighten up the dark days and evenings we've experienced. Oh, the rain! Dark and dreary day after day. Today the drizzle let up and the sky brightened. Glorious!
One Hellebore is blooming already, much earlier than usual. And see the sunlight creating shadows? I was happy to go outdoors with my camera for a short while.
Christmas reading is underway. I've asked myself if I really want to read Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher again this year. The answer was quick to come - of course! Here are a few others I'm enjoying just now:
Christmas Chronicles by Nigel Slater
Let it Snow by Nancy Thayer (a sweet romance)
Rumpole at Christmas by John Mortimer
(just purchased at a used bookstore)
Letters to Father Christmas
by J. R. R. Tolkien
(new-to-me and barely begun)
There's a link to Christmas reading at the top of my home page, a list compiled a few years ago that likely needs some revision. I also have a collection of December issues of Country Living UK, and Victoria magazine that are fun to peruse.
Sadly, one recent book didn't live up to my expectations. A Christmas Witness by Charles Todd was disappointing. Inspector Ian Rutledge is a wonderful character, and I've enjoyed the other books in the series, but this one left me feeling flat. Too much repetition and little action.
I've been painting a little bit each evening on the Advent Calendar created by Harriet de Winton on YouTube. In the morning I open the video to see what picture will be painted and I anticipate it throughout the day until evening when I sit down and paint. I also open the Jacquie Lawson digital Advent Calendar in the mornings. A fun little treat to look forward to.
Tomorrow we will be celebrating two grandchild birthdays, our eldest and our youngest, born 10 years apart. We celebrate midway between the two dates. For dinner I'm making grain bowls with brown rice and a variety of toppings - shredded chicken in barbecue sauce, roasted butternut squash, sauteed brussels sprouts, roasted beets, lightly pickled red cabbage, sliced spinach, and a dressing of some sort. It's a meal that everyone can tailor to their own liking.
As the second Sunday of Advent approaches, I wish you all the peace of God.
