Winter Solstice

12/21/13

holiday lights around our deck

     The winter solstice arrived today, but you wouldn't know it from the weather.  Two weeks ago, with below freezing temperatures, ice and snow, it was perfect winter solstice weather.  Today is the second day of above average, record-shattering temperatures.  It was 70 degrees today.  Forecasters say tomorrow it will be 73 degrees.

     Today my husband and I cleaned up all the pine limbs and branches that fell during the ice storm.  We felt really strange working in the yard without any coats.  Monday the temperatures will fall dramatically, and by Wednesday, Christmas Day, the high will be 37.

     Not much is happening in the yard or gardens right now.  All the activity has been indoors, preparing for the Christmas holiday.  Below are some holiday photos from around the house.

A poinsettia and tumbling santas grace the kitchen table.

A rocking horse music box

Glittery reindeer ornaments in front of a Christmas card on the mantle

The three wise men figurines that are part of our creche

A glass snowman sitting in shredded paper "snow"

From our house to your house

Merry Christmas

Winter Beauty

12/23/12

     Whew!  I can't believe it has been a month since I last posted.  I do not recommend buying and renovating a house during the holiday season.  I have had to make too many decisions this last month about flooring, lighting, appliances, fencing, doors, etc.  And then to have to make gift decisions not only about Christmas, but also three family birthdays has made me feel like a zombie with a mind of melting jello.

     Now I have only a fireplace redo to decide on and then a move into the house in three weeks.  I am thankful for Christmas eve and Christmas day when all I'll do is spend time with family.

     I have managed to spend a half hour each day walking the dog and these few photos are of winter beauty I observed on our walks.  I don't know what these berries are in the first photo.

     These are seed pods from a Rose of Sharon at the woods edge.

poinsettia

     This is winter beauty on my kitchen table.  I bought this at the local grocery.  I hope I have time to post at least once more before we move to tell you about the bulbs I have already planted at the new house.  Merry Christmas to all.

Waiting for Christmas

12/22/11

Lucy waiting for christmas

     The tree is up, the cards are sent and the gifts are wrapped.  Whew!  Now we have a few days to relax while we are waiting for Christmas.  My Christmas plants help span this time of the year while there is not much going on in the garden.

poinsettia

     Some people I know think poinsettias are so commercial and common.  But I love their bright red leaves.  I feel poinsettias give a feeling of warmth to the surroundings and brighten moods with their vibrant color.  I always have at least one at the holidays, and I keep it for months.  I just give it water every week to ten days.  One year I kept my poinsettia until well into June, but by then I had garden flowers to take its place in the house.

Royal Velvet amaryllis

     Amaryllis in bloom is spectacular.  My brother and his wife sent me an amaryllis bulb in a lovely blue and white porcelain pot.  It is a red Royal Velvet amaryllis.  I have been waiting for it to send up its stem, but it has been very slow to start.  I wanted to put it out into the sun every day to give it a jump start, but it has been cloudy and cold almost daily for the last two weeks.  So the dog is waiting for Christmas by the tree, and I'm waiting for my amaryllis to bloom.



  
                                                 MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL