Winteryness

Well, the snowy white stuff arrived here on Thursday evening, and has been falling on and off for the past four days. It's been snowing, melting a bit, freezing over, snowing some more, melting a bit more, freezing over again and then snowing a whole lot more on top. So you can imagine the state of our roads...we've not been able to get cars up/down our hilly street at all in the last three days.

Winteryness has arrived in our patch for sure.

These photos were taken on Friday morning as we walked to school....

 

....it was a slow, fun walk for me and the Little People.

And an even slower, plodding walk home for me, giving me time to observe the details and enjoy the very winteryness of the snowy canalside.

At times during the past few days the sky has been so laden with snow that my attic view of the hills has been completely obscured. And at other times the sky has cleared and allowed the sun to shine and it has been absolutely glorious.

 

Cold, wintery, bright, and perfectly seasonal. Truly a lovely start to the holidays.

I've been hibernating during the past three days, and have not been out the house.

At.

All.

Yup, kept myself cosy and house-bound during the whole of Saturday-Sunday-Monday, and it has felt wonderfully indulgent, and extremely necessary given the weather conditions and the way I've been feeling. I've slept a lot, and lounged around a lot too.

An early Christmas present arrived on Saturday (of the From-me-to-me variety) :: a gorgeously luxurious knitted dressing gown bought (greatly reduced in price) in the Boden Sale. So I was perfectly set for an extended weekend of Extreme Lounging.

Wrapped up in cotton-cashmere-angora (yes really, I can't tell you how divine my new dressing gown is), with a hot cuppa tea, Country Living magazine on my lap, Christmas carols playing, it's been wonderful. Restorative. Relaxing.

A little bit of quiet hooky on the sofa has been happening too :: oh the joys of snow-falling-outside+hot tea+pyjamas+dressing gown+snuggly socks+ crochet!

My stripy bag is coming on a treat, and I'll be showing you more of it in the next day or two. I'm really happy with how it's working out.

 

We finally finished decking our tree today and I created a little bit of a simple seasonal display around our fireplace too. I've kept our Christmas decorating very simple this year, thinking that the less I get out, the less there is to pack away in a couple weeks time.

Its Winter Solstice today too, I only just realised this as I was setting out candles in old jam jars on the mantel. I briefly contemplated pulling on some boots and going out in the snow to collect some greenery to celebrate (remember last year?), but decided nah, candles in jars'll do just fine this year. We'll still take time to sit around the fire a little later on tonight when we're all in our pyjamas with a mug of hot chocolate, and make a Winters Wish.

Yeah, it's Simplified Celebrating for us this year, and I'm more than happy with that.

Here's wishing you a very warm, simple, cosy and peaceful Winter Solstice.

With love from me to you..

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Comments

[vildkatten]

It's nice to see someone else celebrating the solstice. We had a very calm celebrating this year too, some dark, some lights, family gathering out on the balcony just round the darkest of the dark to feel the dark and the cold. Moderate but nice anyway. It's such a nice time and Lucifer adores all our lights and points to tell us every day to light them and then smiles. <3

Then soon it's new year's when we celebrate our 10 year engagement anniversary and soon after then Lucifer's first birthday. We sure have lots of celebrations around this time nowadays! Also nice to come back and find many new posts from you! Hope you're feeling well and are having nice times with your close ones (including the baby!).

*hugs*

[Sara]

beautiful beautiful stuff. Hard to picture a cold Christmas as I sit here straight from the beach in my damp swimmers! Merry Christmas :)

[bethel of bethania]

Ohh Miss Lucy the snow is breath-taking, especially to a person who has never lived with snow... one day I'd love to have a White Christmas...
All the very best for the Festive Season to you & yours...
OOroo from the Land Down Under

[KK]

So pretty...wish it would snow in Texas! Merry Christmas to you!

[Leone Cabban]

I would love to be in the snow, I have never been in the snow.It looks so clean and refreshing. Here in NSW Australia it will be a hot Christmas, although I did hear it was forecast to rain. Have an enjoyable snuggle in your dressing gown. Leone

[Pamela]

Great pics, Lucy!!!

We don't have snow here in Chile... buuuu...

Enjoy your holidays!!

Hugs

Pam

[Karen]

Snow--there's honestly nothing quite as beautiful. And it makes our homes feel cozy too! Perfect!

[pinry]

beautiful snow! i love how you celebrate the cosy pleasures of winter. hope the school walk is not too hard (cold)on your poor croc-clad feet ... take care and have a joyous christmas season full of heart-skippy pleasures.

[Deirdre]

Thank you for the solstice wish....enjoy your days.

[Nina - Tabiboo]

Evening Lucy,

such wonderful delightful wintry pictures.

I also just wanted to pop along and say 'Happy Christmas' and a 'very' merry (hopefully) New Year.

Warm wishes for 2010 and here's hoping all goes well.

Nina x

[Allison]

How truly lovely. I'm enjoying that relaxation vicariously as I'm in the midst of moving, but took a break to read blogs and found you via Posy Gets Cozy. Bright Blessings for the new solar year!

[Anna-Karin, Sweden]

Hi Lucy!
Today I did your "Festive Florentines", and they are just perfect! And so fast to do.
Here, we have about 30 centimeters of snow, I can't even remember the last white Christmas we had. It's wonderful. I have a good car for this kind of weather, so I'm prepared :-)
Your weekend sounded really good. Mine was more out than indoors, and it was nice too. But now, I have to do some Christmaspreparations, so the kids have to have fun outside without me ;-)

Have a lovely Christmas, You and Your family!!!
Love Anna xxx

[jane]

yummy everything, and so glad you are taking such good care of yourself! what a robe. i would have a hard time getting out of it each morning and i know i would hop back into it asap each evening! happy solstice, happy christmas and boxing day! jkj

[Shorty]

Beautiful pictures! And I'm totally envious of your snowy surroundings. I'm in Texas, so yesterday it was 70 degrees... today it will be in the 60's... with no hint of whiteness. I'm glad at least one of us is seeing beautiful winter!

[Bracha]

Lucy, I just wanted to thank you for all your beautiful photos and your wonderful blog. We never get tht kind of cold weather so thank you for sharing . It is so nice to find someone who can always see what a beautiful world is out there. Merry Xmas and hope you have a great year
Bracha- Israel

[Jen]

I have to laugh when I see all that snow and then read that you walked the children to school in it. If we had that snow, we'd be off of school for a week!

LOVE the robe and the coziness of it all.

[Mary Ann]

A very happy holiday season to you and yours, Lucy!
Thanks for sharing your lovely blog! All the best from Denmark!

[edna garcia]

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year for you and your family.
Kisses
Edna

[PinkCat]

Once again, lovely pictures!

Have a really lovely Christmas! x

[PengPeng]

Lovely, lovely pre-Christmas post.

I miss Winter Solstice at home too. As children, my brother and I used to help Mum make mini colourful glutinous rice balls (green, pink and white) to be cooked in syrup and fragrant leaves, and the next morning, Mum would wake up really early, 'make an offering' to the ancestors at the altar with three bowls of the glutinous rice balls in syrup and when the joss sticks have finished burning, we can then help ourselves to the special treat made especially to celebrate Chinese Winter Solstice.

The glutinous rice balls symbolise family unity, and also eating them means that you've grown yet another year older...

I missed home yesterday...

ps: I crocheted some really pretty snowflakes yesterday, starched them and they look absolutely lovely on the tree, thanks to you. Have a merry, merry X'mas dear Lucy. xxx

[Mihaela]

Thank you for the peace you dripped in my heart, which was quit sad these days...
Thank you for your warm, good, natural words.
From miles away, from your Attic, your day-to-day little stories became a part of my "survival kit"...
Your cheering up posts are helping me go through this difficult period for many of us, the common peoples.
Therefore I'm trying to take this wonderful, needed good spirit of you and give it onwards from my blog-little house, to others...
You are A GOOD HUMAN BEING, dear Lucy!
I wish you, from the deepest bottom of my heart a worm,peaceful,bright Christmas!
I wish you to get all the love you are giving to us,the unknown ones from all over the world!
May God preserve you and your deer family!
Mihaela

[sara]

Don't you just love the Boden sale!! All the stuff I ordered for myself has arrived, but the shirt I got hubby for christmas hasn't - oops! At least I have a gorgeous knitted dress to wear at christmas!

[Penny (Aust)]

Hi, thank you for those wonderful wintery photos. We are having our usual hot and humid weather here in NSW, and a little bit of snow from England is a treat. Thanks for a great, great blog and all the best to you for the new year. xx

[Lauralee]

I'm so glad that I get to hang out with Attic24 on the internet! I'll look forward to more fun times in 2010. Hope you stop by ManorBooks for a visit now and then, you are always welcome. I'm leaving for Canada for the holiday, so will send you a wish from British Columbia.

[Katie]

Beautiful wintery photos - thanks for sharing :-)