On this day many years ago - we were at the coast !

I know I've become a stranger here...but I've not forgotten you at all! 

My life revolves around my dear husband Bob as he continues treatment for his cancer which has metastasized. We spend so much time in the cancer center for chemo and also a rough course of radiation treatments this past month. There have been more hospital stays via the emergency room, doctor's offices, labs for blood tests, CT scans etc. So there's little time for much else. I would like to say we see the light at the end of the tunnel and that brighter days are ahead, however that doesn't seem to be happening yet. We are not giving up though and, as this is the beautiful Christmas season, I will not put a damper on things...just know we think of you, our old friends from productive blogging days when life was so different.

A few photos from home - as that's where we are mostly. 

I haven't started any Christmas decorating yet...and won't be doing much this year. Keeping things simple. A warm fire on the hearth. Cups of tea, coffee and chocolate always at the ready...along with a bottle of sherry or good red wine! Plan to bake traditional English mince pies and some cookies in the coming weeks.

Taking Bob on little walks around the neighborhood pond and our cul-de-sac - he needs the exercise and fresh air on warmer days. We managed to get a firewood delivery recently. So enjoy the open fire on these cold evenings.  

2026 calendars (a favorite English artist Angela Harding again) and planners are being filled in...our 'road ahead' doesn't involve distant travel yet but we are hoping to cross the pond sometime next year. 

Friends and neighbors have been wonderful about bringing us awesome food gifts, even whole meals delivered to the door. We feel blessed to have neighbors who check on us, blow the leaves (I tried this and almost collapsed under the weight of the blower!), take our trash cans to the street weekly, change the house flag as I couldn't reach the pole, and stop by for visits. A chat and a cuppa means so much!!!

Doubtful you'll see me back here again this year - computer time has become scarce as I'm always on the run, well driving rather than running, and when home cooking and trying hard to be a good caregiver takes a lot of time. Those of you who've done it for loved ones know what this life is like. I'm just grateful to be in good enough shape to manage all this, and Bob is truly appreciative💞

 ~ Love to you all from both of us ~

~ Merry Christmas ~

Happy Holidays🎄

Scribble Picnic. . . . . . . .Gift Wrap

What's in the bag?

I enjoy giving gifts, or presents as we always called them in England back in the day. 

Of course I also like receiving them, but in all honestly giving them is more

special for me. . . . . . . and wrapping them has been a lifelong pleasure.

I've always loved wrapping gifts with beautiful papers, ribbons and tags since

 I was a child when Hallmark suddenly added those items to their card offerings.

They appeared in England when I was in my early teens, and I spent a lot of my

 pocket money purchasing gift wrap paper, curling ribbon and other trimmings. 

I recall my family and friends enjoying my efforts and saying things such as,

 "Oh, this package is just too pretty to open", then their curiosity got the best

 of them and they pulled off the wrapping, usually saving just the ribbon.

However I have to admit that when 'gift bags' arrived and offered another way

to share a present for a special occasion, I jumped on the bandwagon right 

away. When it comes to wrapping an unboxed item of an awkward shape or

size, or several small things which could just be gently swathed in tissue paper

and tucked into the bag together, the gift bag is a godsend in more ways 

than one. It also survives destruction on opening which allows it to be

 recycled with fresh tissue paper and a new tag if necessary.

A Christmas gift bag - I wonder what it will hold!

Scribble Picnic theme this week is 'gift wrap'.
I turned a photo of a gift bag into a sketch via PicMonkey
 then added back color with my watercolor pencils . . . . . . . .and
 then suddenly realized it's less than six weeks until Christmas!

Do visit Scribble Picnic today - there should be some pretty 
packaged gifts awaiting.

A Different Christmas. . . . . . . . . .

We made it!  
Arrived here at Heathrow Airport, London this morning, right on time, after a smooth

 flight through the night. Signs of Christmas everywhere. This was the bus station
 where we enjoyed a coffee - so much better than what they serve in flight - whilst
 awaiting our bus to Southampton on the Hampshire coast. 

This evening we took a walk to the German Christmas Village in Southampton's
 city center. As darkness fell, the festivities included an early visit from
 Father Christmas flying in his sleigh across the sky. . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . then he came down to earth to meet the children and hand out treats.

Then, as it turned chilly, we headed to a quaint old pub for a fish and
 chip supper by an open fire, taking a few photos of the interesting historic buildings
 along the way. 

We are tired having skipped a night of sleep, but we believe 
that staying up, staying awake and then going to bed at the normal time 
the best cure for jet lag!

Tomorrow we embark on the ship and sail away to the first port of call, Lisbon, Portugal. 
Two days at sea with plenty of time to unpack, get organized, and relax at last.
Note, I've had no time to learn how to get decent night shots with the new camera!
Will try to do better next time.

Pre-Christmas cruising . . . . . . . . .

We sailed on this 'royal lady' in June 2014 and loved everything about Cunard's

 smallest - but still large - ocean liner. She took us to the beautiful Baltic

 countries and on to St. Petersburg, Russia - an amazing journey.

This weekend we fly across the pond to London, then head down to the port city
 of Southampton to board Queen Victoria on Monday afternoon and sail away
 that evening. Looks like our deck chairs are waiting - hopefully it will be warm
 enough to relax out there on sea days - bring on the blankets and hot toddies
 please - and calm water will be hugely appreciated!

This ten day cruise will take us to Portugal (Lisbon), Spain (Cadiz, Malaga, La Coruna), 

and Morocco (Tangiers), and return us to England in time for a quick whiz down to
 Devon and my home town for Christmas week with family and friends.
Am I excited? You bet I am!
As always, I will do my best to share highlights of our trip along the
 way - it's all up to the Internet of course!

More on staying casual, cozy and warm - in a dress!

I have to say the sweater offerings in the shops this year are 

the best ever. I've never seen such attractive knitwear.

From cardigans, casual jackets and wraps, to classic and

contemporary sweaters and tunics. Even knit dresses have

 made a comeback. 

I'm not much of a dress person however this season I'm enjoying this

 cozy black/grey mélange knit from of all places, H&M. Inexpensive, machine 
washable, and very comfortable with the warm funnel neck. 
On Saturday for the Christmas parade, I wore it to town with a light black quilted
 vest and short grey boots. Later, in the much colder evening, to watch the
 tree lighting and mingle with the cheery crowds at the shopping center,
 I tossed on my warm black faux sheepskin knee length coat and my tall boots.

I have to say, dressing in a casual dress can be a nice change from all those
 tops and bottoms our wardrobes seem to hold these days!

Enjoying the Christmas preparations. . . . . . . . .

Phew! I feel a bit like this today after so much weekend baking.

Bob propped me up by staying out of my hair all those hours in the kitchen.

 I like to get on with my baking with Christmas music, no conversation,

 and a nice glass of Harvey's Bristol Cream sherry nearby!

 Memories of childhood Christmas baking days with

 my mother fill my thoughts and make me happy.

The kitchen is now a mess with a layer flour everywhere, bits of pastry

 dough stuck on the floor, a raisin or two rolling under the island,

 and sticky handles on the refrigerator. I hate a grubby kitchen

so you know what I'll be doing today.

BTW, I love my pair of woolly mice - bought in Asheville, NC last year -

they came out of the storage box again for Christmas. I think they'll be 

staying around from now on, not going back into hiding. I can see them

 depicting happenings in our daily life through all the months ahead - so

 keep an eye out for them when I post in the new year.

Their names you may ask? Why Bob and Mary of course!

Yes, today I start some house cleaning now the messy bits of making 

the cottage festive are completed. 

With an open house on Christmas Eve - come and gobble

 up the goodies if you're nearby - I do like the house to sparkle in the candlelight.

 We still have not started burning our wood due to continued warm weather so

 the dust is not bad - but a fire in the hearth will be enjoyed over Christmas

 even if we have to keep the doors open! 

Photo Challenge December. . . . . .

The season surrounding Christmas and a coming new year gives us many 
opportunities to take and share our photos.
Posting on what Christmas means to each of us, and adding our photos taken
around our home, or of family and friends and holiday celebrations,

 allows us freedom to express ourselves in many ways.

Because of Donna, our gracious hostess for the Personal Photo Challenge, 
we have snapped and gathered our photographs to share with one another 
each month throughout the year. . . . and what a lot of fun it has been. I have 
always looked forward to every fun challenge.

December's topic, Christmas Scenes (and perhaps we'll also be treated 

to some Hanukkah scenes which would be nice) is an easy one, hardly a 

challenge, more a modern way to wish one another holiday greetings when we 
may not have a mailing address to send an old-fashioned card.
So, here's to you dear friend - may your Christmas 
be full of special moments and many blessings.

I took several photos this month as I decorated the house and garden for the 

holiday season. I love Christmas, I love tradition. I have however changed

my decorating style indoors over the past several years, not because I no 

longer like bright reds and greens, more because silver and gold, cream and 

white, make it easier to keep many of my year round items in place. I then  
add Christmas decor and natural items such as live greenery, and of course this 
year the wonderful brushed nickel pumpkins I shared in this recent post .

The gazebo at dusk dressed for Christmas 

Outside, the garden in December becomes bare and almost colorless when you 

live in a non-tropical climate, but at Christmas you can light it up easily. Then the cold, 

dark nights take on a special brilliance.

Here in the southeast we still have plenty of leaves falling, but there are tall pines,
winter grass, ivy, and even shrubs which stay green despite the chill in the air.

All pics taken with the Nikon Coolpix S6400. 
PicMonkey is responsible for a little editing 
including  the 'dusk' effect.

Go HERE to visit Donna's Personal Photo Challenge blog and share your 

holiday photos.

As most of you know, sadly this will be the last 'challenge' for a while.

Donna is very busy caring for, and staying close to dear Mr. Jim during his

 illness. We are praying for them both during this difficult time.