Christmas Eve

It's dark out, the rain has stopped and the moon is shining onto our now quiet village. Christmas lights twinkle from trees in windows. People are tucked into their homes wrapping last minute gifts or sitting by the fire with a glass of something. I just came back from delivering the remainder of my Christmas cards and looking at all the cosy insides of homes reminded me of how lucky I am to have somewhere  warm and dry and snug to sleep, not just tonight but on all nights and how grateful I am for it. I've finished making the mince pies  and in a while I am going to sit and watch 'The Snowman And The Snow Dog' so I wish you all a very Merry Christmas! x

                                                                           ~X~                                                                                                                        

Winter King

These past few days I've enjoyed adding the final decorations to our home. Holly, ivy and my favourite, mistletoe. There is just something which attracts me about mistletoe. For those of you who have read this blog over the last few years, you will know that each year I try to get it to grow on my apple and hawthorn tree. As yet I have still not been successful and this years bunch again comes from our local farm shop. So it's not really growing in my tree, I just placed it there to photograph. :)

I  finished a painting the other day. I have named him 'Winter King' seen here in a wintry collage. 

I'm sure Winter will inspire some more icy work yet, so watch this space.  'Winter King' is available to buy as a print in my Etsy shop here. Last posting date is tommorow, so there is still a teeny bit of time to buy if you are still looking for gifts. 

It's raining today but I'm wishing for more frosty weather, as in the picture above, taken last week.
I suppose being mild is easier on the heating bills though, that's one good thing...

All Is Covered In Ice

It's bitter cold today and everything is covered in ice. The jackdaws and rooks look even blacker against the winter white of misted sky. A perfect day for hot chocolate and hot chestnuts. I have the hot chocolate but not the chestnuts... yet.

The earth frozen now. All the water that fell only a couple of weeks ago has gone, though there are glimpses of it remaining in solid puddles.

So much beauty visible in skeletal forms and delicate lace of ice crystals.

Even the barbed wire was transformed into an object of fairy tale wonder.

The pictures above were taken yesterday. Today the frost is even more spectacular. I went for a morning walk to soak up the magic.

I've been having a little breather over the last week or so. November was the busiest I've ever been so I'm recharging, getting the Christmas decorations up and doing some of my own Christmas shopping.
The house is beginning to look pretty and most of the cobwebs have been removed, much to the spiders disgust. But I'm sure they will make more soon.
Birds have taken up residence in the garland above the fireplace and there are reindeer on the branch in the dining room.

Just the tree to be put up this evening now.
I hope your festive preparations are going well?