What Does December Mean to You?

When I think of December, I think of the colour red.

Do you?

This sweet tiny Christmas angel comes out every year to decorate my home,

so do my crochet pieces that remind of us of winter.

I also think of the trees, here in the park, which have lost almost all their leaves.

The fallen leaves gather in a fenced enclosure, catching the late afternoon sun

illuminating the autumn colours

and the first snowfall reminds us that winter is really here.

The pond has frozen over

Offering us a still-life of fallen leaves and lily pads under the ice.

Pine branches are lain across the flower beds to protect the spring bulbs.

The snow melted in the daytime and then became ice overnight

Look what I found in a store downtown!

Would you wear one of these jumpers? If so which one?

I wouldn't mind one of the scarves or some fancy socks!

I like to add sparkles in my home and like to see  discreet and beautiful

seasonal decorations.

I do not like blinking or flashing lights!

I made a nest for my rose from muslin with gold and silver dots.

A walk in my neighbourhood just before sunset

When a rosy glow illuminated the mountain tops.

I caught a glimpse of the sunset through the trees with the lake and mountains.

One of the things I like to do during the month of December

is creating small gifts for others, like these sparkling snowflakes.

I'll be slipping them into certain envelopes with a Christmas card!

Do you have special things you like to do in December that are meaningful to you?

Winter Walks and Crochet

The beautiful snow came - and I took my little red star for a walk!

The snow-plough pushed the snow to the side of the paths

It was firm and crunchy underfoot.

A few brave leaves still clung onto to the otherwise bare branches

and we got a blue sky that day.

Hurray!

I go for walks every day and was happy to see these baubles and garlands

still decorated a tree in someone's garden.

I finished my Temperature Blanket.

Each two-row square represents the coldest and the warmest temperature of each day.

There are 361 squares and five rows of the border

which make up the 366 days of 2020.

A Leap Year!

A few extra shots to show different aspects.

On the left we can see the colder days of the year,

they corresponded to December 2020.

The way this one is folded, we can see the warmer days.

Here we can see the winter, spring and summer.

I've never crocheted anything over a whole year before.

Sometimes, I didn't feel like doing it, especially during the summer,

but I'm glad I saw it through until the end.

It tells a colour story!

What I love about the month of January is that spring flowers can be found in the florist's shops.

Tulips are a great favourite and these deep pink ones with green stripes

were really beautiful.

Down to the park Mon Repos

to enjoy the tall trees and nature.

The fountain had icicles around it.

They were shining in the sunlight.

Some of them had broken off.

The red berries on the holly are always a welcome sight

Tall trees in the park against a sky of blue.

My little box of Hyacinths will soon be coming into flower

I've taken down the Christmas decorations to create a feeling of spring in my home.

A fresh dark pink cloth and a crocheted Mandala which I made sometime ago.

Tender pink tulips to complete a new look

and my Kindle e-reader which I've decided to use much more

as I already have far too many books and all my bookshelves are overloaded.

Let's keep our spirits up in going for regular walks, good reading

and uplifting films and documentaries.

Flowers in the home bring in some colour and beauty too.

 

It's All About the Leaves

The flames of red Maple adorn the autumn sky.

The first three weeks of October were wonderful.

The temperatures moderate, the sunshine abundant and the leaves, well, out of this world!

The Beech Trees showed us their burnished leaves

and offered their Beech nuts to the earth below.

Golden tones rejoiced all my senses

The late afternoon sunshine illuminated this leaf on a picnic table in the park in my neighbourhood.

American Oak capturing the sunlight.

Blowing in the wind and ready to fall and create carpets of leaves.

This house, so prettily decorated with leaves and green shutters.

Late afternoon golden sunlight creating poetic shadows on walls.

Shady spots glowing with a feel of deep red velvet.

Red berries glisten, tempting the birds.

As we approached November, the much-needed rains came.

The atmosphere changed and some grey skies came to remind us that autumn was getting serious.

Blue skies and sunshine were more rare, but still we could glimpse the light

when we took the time to go on walks.

Catching the luminosity of the moment.

Although the overhanging leaves and seed pods are still green,

I think this is my favourite photo taken very recently.

It makes me think of an opening to a mysterious pathway that I would like to discover.

I shall use it as my header photo for the month of November!

The Snowstorm: a real-life story

She strode up the street in the deepening snow

the laces on her boots swinging out with each step.

She had forgotten her gloves that morning and had pulled the sleeves 

of her sweater over her hands.

I could hear the scrunch of her boots as she walked

and imagined the soft thudding sound that the snow must be making on her umbrella.

The snowstorm had brought everything in the city to a grinding halt.

The cars could hardly get up my street without their tyres squealing and slipping

on the slippery surface,

and those going down the hill slid down sideways when they hit the breaks.

Dogs still had to be taken for walks

and red cars showed off their red paintwork

gleaming against the white of the snow.

Passers-by dashed past

wanting to get home as soon as possible

and thankful they had taken their umbrellas with them that morning.

But I was snug in my apartment

watching the big flakes floating down against the building opposite.

I ventured out onto one end of my balcony,

feeling as excited as when I was a child and I used to rush outside

in the snow with outstretched arms

as if to catch all the flakes in the sky!

I zoomed in on the nearby small park to capture the beauty of it all.

embracing the scene with my eyes

in its tiniest detail

I went outside a little later and captured this bench on which no one would sit that day.

A bush with red berries gave a welcome splash of colour

My pot of purple flowers, which had survived since the summer,

looked a little shocked by their sprinkling of snow.

I pulled them nearer to the kitchen window to protect them as best I could.

I returned inside to the warmth of the kitchen where there was the aroma of soup

simmering in the cast-iron pan.

Carrot and sweet potatoes were cooking with grated ginger.

Perfect for a day like today!

When I looked outside again, the snow was coming sideways ...

or was that the window which had turned when I wasn't looking...?

Well that was the story of Friday

and now it's already Sunday

and an array of coloured crocheted hearts

are sitting on my work table.

Red ones and pink ones with assorted chocolates

Turquoise and orange

made into pouches with handles

Some with frilly edges

... and one just for you with a Lindt chocolate heart

just in time to wish you all a

Happy Valentine's Day!

This pattern is called Granny Heart Superstar

which you can find

here