May you be blessed with the spirit of the season,
which is peace,
the gladness of the season,
which is hope,
and the heart of the season,
which is love.
~ An Irish Christmas Blessing ~
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Dearest friends,
Happy Winter Solstice to you! Oh, I am so delighted that winter is finally here...now I can officially begin wishing and dreaming of snow! Last winter, we got the most magical snow and my heart is longing for the world outside my window to be blanketed in white and to be surrounded by the stillness and quietness that only snowfall can bring.
But first...Christmas.
Christmas is nearly here now...the last preparations are underway. Last night my sister and I finished wrapping our parents' gifts and they are now safely tucked under the tree. Oh, the tree! How marvellous it does look!! We didn't add all of our ornaments this year because lots of them are very old and fragile and we didn't want to risk them falling on the hard floor and breaking. But my sister spent days and days and lots of hours making honeycomb paper ornaments, all in a variety of colors, some pastel and some bright, and so our tree is full of beauty now. Complete with a plaid bow on top.
We spent a night out over the weekend driving around town admiring all the lights and decorations. And we've been baking bit by bit over the last week, with just a couple last things to tick off our list. The turkey is in the fridge waiting for Christmas Day dinner. Everything is feeling rather festive and cheery.
And so, I am stepping away from my cozy corner here for a wee bit to enjoy a homey Christmas with my dearest ones.
Before I sign off for this year, I want to make sure you all know how grateful I am for every single one of you who visits my cozy corner...my Inglenook. This year, I stepped away from social media and haven't looked back once. I'm slowly getting back into the rhythm of blogging regularly and it has been such a delight to rediscover. Your comments, messages, emails and just you stopping by for a visit to read my posts means so much to me. So many of you are kindred spirits who share a love and heart for the same things that I do and that gladdens me immensely. So thank you...seriously. I look forward to returning in the new year with new posts and other fun things to share with you all.
So, my dear reader friends...I wish you and your families the most splendid of Christmases, filled with lots of feasting, laughter, music and movies and good books, candlelight dinners and twinkling Christmas trees, lots of cookies and a visit from dear ol' Santa, plenty of rest and relaxation and even more fun, and most of all...being surrounded by those you hold dear. May your holiday be magical and sparkly and full of wonder.
May you never be too grown up to search the skies on Christmas Eve. . . . .
You never know when you may hear sleigh bells and see a red-nosed reindeer in the distant sky...
believe in the magic of Christmas.
Until next year, I send you tidings of comfort and joy,
and wishes for a most wonderful Christmas,
and the happiest new year!
With a grateful heart,
Elizabeth
♥