D2 did not come. She did me a favor though and popped in on Friday to check on Charlie. I was worried. He was ok I had to buy one of those cat fountains. He will NOT drink out of a bowl unless we don’t close the lid the toilet 🤪

It came on Wednesday and he wouldn’t use it. I figured out it was too low. As soon as I put it up on this rack he started lapping it up

That’s a hilarious cat photograph. He can’t be comfortable there! OMG.😑😑🤣 those photographs of the moon behind the trees are exquisite. I’ve often tried to shoot photographs of that sort of thing here, and it only captures about 25% of the atmosphere. So you did a great job. There are some beautiful moments on the planet, that just can never be adequately, photographed… Mountains, the ocean, rainbows, the sky… Anything majestic pretty well. eludes capture.

Gls I am pretty sure that’s a pumpkin pie coma…🤣

“Santa…what strange eyes you have…”

“Fir B! What are you doing in that Santa costume?”

Note from author… when I saw this Santa rig in my local little variety store, I couldn’t resist it. What is it you may ask? It’s supposed to be a covering for a wine bottle! But I immediately saw its three dollar possibilities. Stay tuned…😉

Jay, I have heard of this exhibit but have not seen this video. Thanks for the heads up! I’m looking forward to watching it.

Meanwhile, I’m still popping the Advil and working on Advent. Fortunately, family is coming out to visit tomorrow! That means I will get some help with putting a few lights up and doing containers. Losing my balance; the experience has shaken me up from the standpoint that it freaks me out a little bit that I can just suddenly keel over. I didn’t trip; it was like being on a boat, and there’s a sudden gust of wind and the deck moves out from under you. 🤨Not very reassuring.

Anyway, McMasters university has an online program on ageing where you can sign up for webinars. They are free and international; I think I’ve mentioned them before. The one on this Wednesday is on balance and avoiding falling. Needless to say I’m going to be glued to the screen.

https://alumlc.org/mcmaster/41552/858708

lia, falls can happen just so fast that there isn't always time to react. I remember I once suggested to you to take your cell phone when you go out in the snow and cold to get wood. Please consider that this winter.

Sometimes cell phones can break but if they're in protective kind of packaging that you can buy an outer box for they are pretty protective but you could get that thing to wear on your neck that you push a button I forget what it's called and you call for help that you fell and can't get up

Happy, it called Life Alert.

KC I do have my emergency Whistle which I always take with me when I go out in the winter. And the neighbours know that I have it but I might send around a notice reminding people. However the cell phone is a step up from that. I will consider it.

Lia, I’m glad you’re getting better. Falls can be scary. I practice balance all the time. Stand on one foot brushing teeth, waiting for the tea kettle to boil, in line at the grocery store ….Weekly yoga helps too. That seminar should be helpful.

Happy Advent, peeps…🥰 I have posted this poem before, but it’s well worth reading again. As we head into the longest night and the shortest day…may there be delight. (Hmmm… not going to take responsibility for that one🤦🏼‍♀️🤣 totally accidental.)

The grandkids are coming out today because my daughter-in-law has a luncheon with her fellow nurse practitioners so it’s an opportunity to visit. Which means I might possibly get the vacuum out… we will do that very UK thing of going off to the neighbor’s estate and gathering greenery. and I do mean estate. They live on the island across the causeway across the road from my house. Every year they let me collect greenery (holly, and japonica) from their massive shrubbery plantings and I give them arrangements in exchange. Other than putting up Mary and Joseph beginning their journey, the house is about as decorated as it’s going to get until I do the tree next week. Smaller, this year.

Balance is a challenge for me. I practice yoga daily, but I struggle with the balancing part. I better start practicing it the way you do Ladma…. here and there throughout the day.

Please, please be careful Lia 🙏🏽

I am feeling so uneasy these days…. having four birthdays this month is overwhelming. I don’t know how I managed when I was younger….kids in school, working both outside and keeping up with housework….

Even after trying to simplify, it’s a lot.

Thank you for that poem.

I just glanced out the window when I was about to have my tea and realize that we had one of those exquisite heavy frost last night so I went out into the garden… Advent blessings on you all, peeps. May you find some thing today that fills you with delight.

Ah Lia, the frost outlined everything so beautifully! Thank you for sharing and love the poem! Very nice indeed.

Thank you for those stunning photos, Lia!

Your place looks very cozy for Christmas and maybe even the winter even if you want to leave the stocking up I hope you didn't climb up there to do those gorgeous looking lights there that's a nice cozy spot for that

No greenery gathering at the local estate… We just did gathering in my backyard which was absolutely fine with me. Happy… no climbing was done for those lights and my Christmas lights went up outside and no climbing for those either. My back is slowly getting better or my rib cage I’m not exactly sure about the physiology here fortunately I’m seeing my osteopath on Wednesday. He’ll sort it all out.

We did get the Christmas lights put up and this is the first year I’ve tried solar as I haven’t been able to put anything at the front of my driveway due to the inconvenient length of cords. The solar lights are a big success. They won’t run all night but I just went out and took some pictures and they look about twice as nice as this. The ones on the house are electrical but the ones in the foreground are the solar. Amazingly bright and beautiful colors.

Good morning, peeps! I am greatly enjoying my advent calendar, which is from the Bodleian Library. Books pictured are from their collection, including the reveals. purchased from the rainforest site. Amaze On.

Lia your lights really light up the path and those are solar? I imagine they are brighter walking up. We should try some of those, I see them on sale quite often. We were just talking about Christmas lights outside on the banister of the front porch. They look good! We don’t have an outlet in front, looks pretty. Of course the Mooze making an entrance 💗 and your advent book is gorgeous! Love your burgundy pillows there on the sofa. It’s become one of my favorite colors.

Alice yes they are solar, and that is just one strand. I paid $30 for the two strands on the rainforest site. I don’t know if all solar lights are the same but I was super impressed with the quality on these and I can get you the brand if you want. The only trick with solar is you have to be able to put the panel in a place that gets sun for most of the day. At my place that’s a bit of a trick. I have some solar lights along my walkway to the kitchen and they’re great but they don’t stay on for very long because the panel doesn’t charge enough in the location that it’s in. So your lights will work but the length of time that they are on will be determined by how much sun the panel gets as it charges up the battery.

Maybe peeps on here could share some favourite decorations… ornaments, favourite China, something sentimental that belonged to your family? 😘To me that’s part of Christmas… is the memories and the traditions. My tree is going to be smaller this year… At least that’s what I always say. We shall see how that pans out… Ha ha ha.

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Here is mine… I share this crèche every year, I made these cloth figures when my children were young, as part of the Waldorf group that I belonged to back then. Yesterday it was so nice to have the grandkids here on the first Sunday of advent, to set out the figures and we lit the first candle.

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Does anyone else do a crèche?

Love that book display and the m o o Z sure can be a great model on the couch!

This was Luna back in 2022. She’s D2’s cat. Thankfully the pieces don’t break She enjoyed knocking them over.

I haven’t set anything up yet. This weekend maybe.

I love yours.

D2 moved out in April ’23. It feels like way longer than that.

I love the lights and that photo of Moozie

She's cute playing there but Maui doesn't do that she's went on top of the entertainment section only nonchalant like like I'm up here and you two are talking and taking my daddy away from me and then I said get her down Maui will play with macaroni if I drop a piece on the floor but just play with it she likes the sound I guess or the game of it

Funny how cats like different things; Moozie scared the daylights out of me the other night…by batting a plastic Easter eggs down the hall, and the way it moved in the light, it looked exactly like a mouse. Very fat mouse. I was on my way to bed, and the lights were off in the living room just on in the hallway…and this “thing” came wiggling around the corner. 🤪

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Speaking of small critters…I think I have a place to hang this, that I can view it from my living room and I’m hoping it’s going to deter squirrels. And here’s another extremely cute picture… Not a squirrel thank goodness I’m not quite sure what it is though… Maybe somebody knows? A marmot?

lia, I had a problem with squirrels gnawing at the eaves of my house which is made of abraded cedar. I found these disks on the rainforest site (inexpensive) and attached 3 together to dangle. We plugged up the hole(s) and hung 4 sets near that area and I haven't had a problem since. The disks sparkle in the sunlight and they sway in the breeze. Fingers crossed I haven't jinxed it by telling you what has worked for me. 🤞

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LYEI23V?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

Sorry…. I couldn’t help myself 😂

My oldest daughter (the Mom of two) is really afraid of them.

Well Jay…that’s an interesting tip that I never heard of! A squirrel repellent reflector. 🤞There is really expensive spiced birdseed that you can buy but the birds don’t like it much either… L O L

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Haha Michele… I have a squirrel meme that I also like I’ll have to see if I can find it. I posted this cat meme on some thread but I don’t think I posted it here. If it’s a repeat forgive me.

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I bought my Christmas tree today! Did I say something about it being smaller this year…🤦‍♀️🤪😂

A funny story about Maui she misses the tree in the yard and the squirrel with the DQ cup that kept dropping the cup and she would Point down to the ground like you drop something and it would go back up the tree with the DQ cup and kept dropping it and she kept telling it from the window bench I missed the tree but glad it's gone the neighbors have been cutting some of their trees around here too lately

Well that’s an interesting tip that I never heard of. A squirrel repellent reflector. There is really expensive spiced birdseed that you can buy but the birds don’t like it much either… L O L

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Haha Michele… I have a squirrel meme that I also like I’ll have to see if I can find it.

Houzz…🤪

… what is in Santa’s sack?
… chocolate coins!
… Snake eyes takes it!
… did I hear dice?

Evidently this is traditionally the time for Saint Nicholas to show up… Contrast this European St. Nick with our North American Santa Claus! I prefer the old world look! I think we’ve gotten soft…😉😂

Hmmm… maybe that’s the Norwegian/Denmark Icelandic version?

The last one is what I am used to see. Tomorrow is St Nick. We usually place candies,chocolate in the little one's shoes. They have to clean them the night before so St Nick brings them something:)

My European friend posted this… Happening right now in Munich…Saint Nicolas roaming the streets…with the Krampus. 😵‍💫

that looks disturbing...kids would be running scared seeing that

On a totally different note, I ordered this nice little set of trays as a birthday present to myself… My older son gave me a bit of pocket money for my birthday and the sole the purpose of that is to treat myself so I did. Aren’t they lovely? I’m hoping they will be as nice as the photograph. they’re small, the largest one is just under a foot and the smaller one just around 8 inches.

Printesa, I remember in some of the international story books that I grew up with as a child, the story in Holland of them putting out their wooden shoes to be filled with treats. I remember being struck by the idea of a wooden shoe with straw in it, filled with treats. I suppose the idea of filling stockings kind of carries over from that… I never thought about it until now!

Those trays are beautiful!

It is very probable that the stocking tradition started from the shoes being filled with treats. We did not have the stocking tradition for Christmas. Also, only kids received presents for Christmas.

My friend Sabine who grew up in Europe said that the Krampus absolutely terrified her as a child. No wonder! There’s some old world traditions that can just nicely evaporate…

St Nicholas is today.

Big holiday for my OH’s family

My parents wore sabots As a matter of fact when I visited my aunt and uncle’s farm as a child, I wore them sometimes. They were more practical around the barns Easily slipped off and left at the door when entering the house

The idea of Santa Claus scared me a bit as a child Weird

Wearing sabots, Michele…read about them in French class!

Sabots… wooden shoes? Do people in the village carve them? We had a lovely pair when I was a child growing up and I was fascinated by them but I couldn’t imagine walking in them.

Mom got me sabots when I was a little girl. Painted so beautifully! I clunked around in them for a long while. I remember wearing socks bc the inside being rough on my toenails, but socks made them slip right off. But yea, I wore them, probably not to school, I cannot remember. They were so pretty. Wish I had kept them, not sure what happened to them.