Bob and I raked leaves last weekend, which is just as well, it’s much colder today and wouldn’t be as much fun, even though we had a stiff wind.
In these short days to Winter Solstice, I put up the tree and the Christmas decorations a little early, including a beautiful grapevine, cedar and arbor vitae wreath from this year’s Woods Hole Village Renaissance Fair.
The three grands did make it to the house for dinner the other night, and the younger two helped decorate the tree, while I hooked up the DVD player so they could watch a movie. We postponed the visit to the Holiday Village until tonight after supper, but the youngest was so upset about missing the “Cwistmas lights” that we drove by so that he could see them.
Borrowing from the Danish custom of burning candles for atmosphere (in Denmark, they use more candles than any other country), I bought some votives and have been enjoying their steady glow these dark evenings.
Before the flower boxes froze, I was able to “plant” clippings from the dozens of scrub pine trees in the back yard, as well as prunings from a cedar bush next to the porch, and last year’s artificial holly berries.
I finished the window boxes at #11 last weekend, with red and white silk flowers and more greens from the yard. I particularly enjoy doing the Christmas flower boxes; they always seem to turn out nicely, especially now that all of the containers have been repaired and repainted.
Today, I filled the big round weeding basket with yet more greens and real holly, which finishes off the outdoor decorations.
The grandkids want to know why I don’t have Christmas lights, since they love them so much, and I’ve been trying to figure out how I’d plug them in, but don’t have the ambition to do much more than think about it.
Maybe next year.