A FAVORITE THING "I'll be home for Christmas......

......you can count on me".

That's how the words go in one of those old, familiar, and much-loved Christmas songs.

Another waxes lyrical with "There's no place like home 

for the Holidays"...............so this year 

that's where I'm heading.

Perhaps like me, you feel your one true 'home' is the 

place where you were born and raised. 

I've now lived away from home for 50 years, a very long time, but it's still my real home. The old-fashioned scenery, the smell of the sea, the familiar buildings, are etched in my mind forever. I've visited almost annually during that long time, but usually in Spring or Autumn. 

I can't quite remember when I last spent a Christmas in England but I'm sure it was over 20 years ago! 

I'm longing for a little time to renew some of my childhood memories at the source, being close to family and dear friends, enjoying the tastes and smells of traditional foods, and the old fashioned customs, so decided this would be the right time to go home before another year passed by.

Since I no longer have the family home to stay in, the above beautiful historic crescent building - now a hotel and apartments - has become the place we hang our hats when in Torquay. We rent a special apartment called The Balcony with views from the windows such as this below.                  

                                                                                                                                                                     

Thatcher Rock - looking across Tor Bay to Paignton and Brixham

Will there be blue skies over the bay? Never can tell 

what the weather might bring, islands and wind directions 

can always surprise. There has been an awful lot of 
bad weather with severe flooding recently, and now 
it's quite cold.

What will be will be - a raincoat, boots, 

warm cashmere sweaters, and of course 

the ubiquitous umbrella, are packed to go.

So off soon on a little jaunt across the pond to spend a real English Christmas.

Have a wonderful and blessed Christmas and holiday 
season wherever you may be headed.........
and of course staying at home is wonderful too.

Linking to Claudia at Mockingbird Hill Cottage for A FAVORITE THING Saturday.  Be sure to check out Claudia's always great blog, and meet the people who join in each Saturday.