Starting afresh. . . . . . . . .

Yesterday it began. The first of the couple of days total to take down the holiday decor.  

I started indoors. Do you do that? Perhaps leave your outdoor decorations a 

little longer, lighting up your home and the darkness of the winter nights. 

I love driving up our street - the cottage is at the end on the cul-de-sac - and

seeing the brightness welcoming me home. 

Also, it's very damp out there now after rain off and on over the past 

several days - not conducive to climbing ladders to disrobe the arbor 

of its lovely fairy lights, or taking down the Christmas tree still looking 

so lovely in the gazebo.

After the holidays everywhere looks bare. Even my sweet santo has lost her 
golden wings, glittery headdress and rosary beads, I think she's needs to be 
lighter for a while.  Her crown remains for now.
My collection domes are in limbo. I replaced a few things but need to completely 
redo them with freshly dried rosebuds - these are getting a bit crumbly - and 
other little treasures.

The red cushions with their holiday greetings, jeweled snowflakes, curly lambs

 and reindeer are boxed up along with the furry red throw. . . .I miss it already!

The hearth is prepared for this evening when I'll be watching the new season

of Downton Abbey, as will many of you I'm sure. I can hardly wait to meet the 

new characters, and of course the older ones will, I'm quite certain, continue to bring

us some wonderful Sunday evenings of entertainment. 

The mantel is another place where I need to come up with something attractive. 

The white iron candlesticks will stay - red candles are gone and the grey ones 

are back. I just put these things up for the time being . . . . . .  

. . . . . . . . .and, don't laugh, the pumpkins I spray painted nickel silver for Christmas are 

still solid as rocks and are hanging about because I love them so and haven't the heart 

to toss them out YET!

Are you busy getting back to some semblance of order around your home? 

Do you have any special interior projects planned during these cooler months?

Any great books waiting to be read while snuggling by the fire?

Will YOU be watching Downton Abbey Series 5?

Sorry, all these questions, you must think me very nosey!!!

Ringing in another year. . . . . . .

"Thank you" - each and every one of you, very dear readers and 

commenters who followed A Breath of Fresh Air for yet another year. 

Come February I will start my eighth year of blogging. Some of you have been 

with me all this time, and I appreciate that so much. 

Others were new this past year and I thank you for joining me on my journey. 

Sharing the ups and downs of daily life, whether on a rough ocean miles from 
home, or here tucked away in the cottage at the kitchen stove, has been a lot of 
fun and allowed me to visit with you in your special corner of the world also.

May your new year be one of peace, joy, good health, happiness, prosperity
 and adventure. Please continue sharing your interests, your photos, your 
creativity, your stories, through blogging. . . . . . .as I plan to do. It brings much 
pleasure to my life, and hopefully to yours also.