For Wordless Wednesday.
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Squares of the Times
Advent wreaths count down to Christmas, in reality they probably predate the concept of Christmas and are part of “pagan” celebrations of the solstice. I like the idea of advent, gradually preparing for our celebration of the change from darkening to lightening (Christmas is fundamentally that: a celebration of the return of light to a dark and weary world) and have “celebrated” it in my own ways for many years now.
This year I decided that I will try to add to that celebration participation in the “TimeSquares” Photo Challenge by each week during Advent.
From our visit to London last June:
Pocket watches at the British Museum.
An antique clock and its inner workings at the British Museum.
A complex timepiece at the British Museum.
Rolling balls are part of the mechanism, British Museum.
Pick up times are clearly marked on this mail box in London.
From this past week, time passes so quickly:
Cold Sunshine
For Wordless Wednesday and Cee’s Flower of the Day
First Frost
It’s time to wear gloves. I took these walking the dogs a couple of weeks ago, on the first frosty morning.
For Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Cold
Winter Storm
For Wordless Wednesday.
You learn something new every day
Both the Thanksgiving and the Christmas Cactus fall under the genus Schlumbergera which I learned as Schlumbergia years ago. The Thanksgiving Cactus has little spine-like notches coming off it’s leaves (just like a crab claw hence that common name) whereas the leaves of the Christmas Cactus are smoother. The Thanksgiving Cactus is timed to flower in November/December whereas it’s December/January for the Christmas Cactus. —From How to Grow Christmas Cactus
Today was day for learning: in addition to learning that my “Christmas Cactus” was actually a “Thanksgiving” or “crab” cactus, I learned how to ftp into my currently under construction wordpress.org account, and how to fix the mysterious problem of the disappearing posts within it. I am so-o ready for a good night’s sleep.
Times they are a changin’
Winter is here. I don’t really care what the calendar says. It happened yesterday. In the morning the sun was shining and it wasn’t very cold, so I took the pups for a long-ish walk. It was still fall then.
By evening it was winter. Not cold snowy winters like the mid-west or east coast. The dark, wet enough to work the chilliness into your bones of a Puget Sound region winter. No doubt we’ll get a few more flashes of sunshine, but this time of year the sun arrives with a cold north wind.
I love it when Thanksgiving and Christmas are over a month apart. Things are less frantic. I’ve taken down the fall decorations and not put up the Christmas ones. I wait until December.
One benefit to the longer time between holidays is that most holiday special attractions are open this week, but not yet crowded. So today (while my spouse wrestled with the clogged drain in the kitchen… they really should saint that man!)I took myself off to visit the “Gingerbread Village”. I put “Gingerbread Village” in quotes because it’s more than gingerbread and more than a village. It is really sculptures. This year the theme is The Grinch Who Stole Christmas and the entries were imaginative and filled with fun details (to see any image larger click on it).
I called this one “Mount Crumpet”
Amazing details.
The grinch’s lair.
Mount Crumpet
A penguin…who knew?
I called this one “the grinch’s lair”:
This one was Whoville plus Mount Crumpit:
This one was Whoville:
Last, but not least, was “The Feast”:
They have official names somewhere but I was so entranced looking at the details that I didn’t catch them. For more information about the annual Gingerbread Village here is the website: GingerbreadVillage.org.
I wouldn’t say that I am ready for the holiday season to commence, but, after today’s outing I am feeling a good deal less hostile to it.
It’s foggy today
The light is different. In the winter when it’s clear the sun is either intense or it’s dark. Feast or famine, warm or cold. The fog diffuses the light mellowing the extremes.
I think foggy might be how I’m feeling as well. Not bad, not great, generally on the bright side, but it’s diffused light, not intense.
Thanksgiving is Thursday. For the first time in a long time it will be at my house. My husband and Dad built a ramp so grandma can be brought in.
The turkey is thawing in the garage, which is the same temperature as a refrigerator, and the house is getting a good scrub up. I try to keep up, but time goes by so quickly that “I just did that” means I did that six months (or longer) ago.
I don’t like doing housework. I like the place clean, but it doesn’t last, and when it’s done (rarely) things are just the way they are supposed to be. It doesn’t have the sense of accomplishment of making something new.
I suppose that may be why people do projects just before the holidays. I don’t. The newspaper on Saturday made me laugh: it contained an article in the “Home” section about revamping your dining room for Thanksgiving by adding elaborate molding. Five days before Thanksgiving?
The sun is burning through and the light is getting too bright.
My Furry Family
In our family the animals rule. I’ve mentioned a time or two in the past that family gatherings often have as many dogs as people.
Muddy Paws United. 
“You wouldn’t go anywhere without us, would you? 
You’re on a short leash today, lady. 
Energy personified. 
Recharging station. 
That puppy wore me out. 
Puppy love. 
Asta 
Ginger with directive ears. 
I’m not bossy, see my cute spaniel ears? 
Life is for running on the beach. 
Post puppy visit nap. 
Grandma with the furbabies.
And no post about the furry family would be complete without the family matriarch, we call her “the Empress”.
Wits End Travel and Photo Yoga Photo Challenge: Four-legged Friends
No need for words
Wordless Wednesday
