Yes, we got snow!!!

Yet another Christmas themed "cozy" mystery!   Great Series!  But it should be read, from the beginning.  Each book has a different mystery, but the cast of characters continue.  And you get to love them.  :-)  Here is a link, to a marvelous place, which gives the List of these books, in order.

Yes, we got snow!

Sat. the bird bath fountain looked like this.

This is how it looks, Sunday morning...

"It is the life of the crystal, the architect of the flake, the fire of the frost, the soul of the sunbeam. This crisp winter air is full of it."

~John Burroughs

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The barometer did a nose-dive!

Just sticking his pole in the snow, he thinks it's about 12 inches.

The patio...  This morning...

The pumpkin on the patio, on Saturday...

Same spot, on Sunday morning...

See the wee bump, in the middle of this pic?  Left is bird bath fountain and on the right, is the Adirondack chair.

The bump in the middle, is the pumpkin.  :-)

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Snow?~~~Santa, are you listening?~~~

A perfect bit of snow, is on the pumpkin.  :-)

 

"Mrs. Jeffries And The Merry Gentlemen"

by Emily Brightwell

Isn't that a cute cover?  And this is another cute entry in the "Mrs. Jeffries Mysteries" series...  A very Seasonal "cozy" mystery. 

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Will we be in for a real winter snow storm, in "my neck of the woods", this coming weekend...?   -sigh-  Got to make sure we are stocked up, before it blows in. ~~~~~~~~~    Btw, I'm in the NE, so we "know" snow.  But the older I get, the less I seem to be able to "handle" the cold.  So I don't want to have to go out, in it.  :-)

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"Christmas won't be Christmas 

without any presents."

~Louisa May Alcott 'Little Women'

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With all my reading of British "cozies," I'm using my tea kettle to heat water for my decaf.  Instead of heating it, in a measuring cup, in the microwave.  But all we have is a very plain little tea kettle. 

I hope I will have a cute little red and white polka dot tea kettle, after Christmas.  :-))))

I hope.

I hope.

I hope.

:-)))

"...the French plums blushed in modest tartness..."

Susan Branch knows "WHIMSEY."  :-)  I took photos of pages, from my copy of her "Christmas From The Heart Of The Home."  Susan knows whimsey.  !!!!!!! 

And of course, everyone knows she is a very, very, very talented artist.  Not only with her art-itself, but with personally writing, all the copy in her books.

-happy sigh-

My husband is making me Gluten Free Stuffin'...

...to cook in the chicken, we got at the Healthy Living Store. 

He always stuffs our family dinner holiday turkeys, with his special stuffin'.  But since it uses regular bread crumbs, I can't eat it.  -moan-  Soooo, he is making me G/F Stuffin'!!!!!!!!!

And I will be making him, a Mincemeat Pie with my home made crust.  :-)))  Which he loves.

-chuckle-  Did you notice my "painted nails"???  ,-)  Rarely do I put nail polish on.  Once in a while, I get the urge.  Since I've never had a manicure in my life, when I do it, I am the one who has to do it.  And I am the one who has to remove it, when it gets chipped and messy.  -moan-

But last evening, I got out all my from-over-the-years bottles of nail polish.  Selected one named "Merlot" and added a thick coat of "SpArKleS" on top.  Obviously, my pic is all-messed-up, from cropping.  But...  That's what I did.  -grin-

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In need of warming... :-)))

My sleepy little Mouse, which I've had for a long time.  Awwwww, I think  he is just so cute.  And he reminds me of a favorite Christmas Time book....

"Mr. Willoby's Christmas Tree."

This may well have been a book, which I first learned of, on the old tv program "Captain Kangaroo."

Now there is "an old chestnut."  ,-)  Yes, I'm so "olden," that my kids watched "Capt. Kanagaroo"!

Oh I am so cold.  No, it's not really cold in our house.  My saying is; "I'm too old to be cold."  But still, it seems to be a state of mind, with me.  So I sit here with my afternoon coffee...

...in a pretty white scalloped tea cup....  And open up my "Flower Fairies of The Winter" book.

Who would not be warmed, by The Song of the Holly Fairy?

And look how cozy and sweet, is the Fairy illustration, of The Song of The Old-Man's-Beard Fairy...  Don't you just want to cuddle him, and sing him a lullaby....?  :-)

And look at the precious Christmas Tree Fairy!

"A dolly-fairy stands on top,
Till children sleep;  then she
(A live one now!) from bough to bough
Goes gliding silently.
O magic sight, this joyous night!
O laden, sparkling tree!"

There!  That's better!  Between my warm cup of afternoon coffee, and precious Flower Fairies of the Winter, I'm warmed up now!  :-)

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Reading... For wishing... For courage to do... What we wish for... :-)

Commenting in a friend's blog, I was reminded of the book "Unplug The Christmas Machine."  I've had it for years, and think it's marvelous.  It helps one be *brave* enough to buck-the-trend, of this Holiday Season.

The trend which is constantly being pushed on us, in adds, and tv, and in magazines, and news papers, and in stores, and in the Mall, and even the radio...  Buy, buy, buy!  Do, do, do!  Run, run, run!  Bake, bake, bake!  Plan, plan, plan!

 

Bucking-the-trend is hard to do, this time of year.  -sigh-

A similar book, which I've also had for years is "Simplify Your Christmas," by Elaine St. James.  (Click-able links to these books, are at the end of this post...)  Way back when I first bought and read this little book...  Doing such things, was only a dream. 

 

I'm happy to say, that over the years, I have done more and more, to simplify my Christmas.  !!!!!!!!   What were sort of dream-books, for me...  Have become more real.   Yessss....  :-)

Do you long to simplify your Christmas, or whatever Holiday you celebrate, at this time of the year?  If so,  have you found any reading, which has been helpful, for you?  Would you please share these books, etc. with the rest of us?

As I said earlier in this post, I share click-able links to the books I mentioned...  Below.

LINKS to BOOKS

"Unplug The Christmas Machine"

"Simplify Your Christmas"

 

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A new "Page" here........

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 WOW!  Look at that eye-candy picture above!  Book shelves...  Comfy furniture to curl up in....  And lots of Red....   -happy sigh-

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OK, the real reason for this post is......  I make a new "Page," with a list of the books I am reading, in 2013.  It's for a memory prompt.  And if you are looking for a possible reading suggestion, you could look at it, please. (Myself, I always love to find possible reading suggestions)

 

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 This "Pages" thing is kind of new to me, but..... If you look, right under my Header picture, you will find "Books Read In 2013."  And click on that.

I know.  Most everyone knows how to get around a blog, but I don't always...  So I write info, for those like me, who are techy-info-challenged.  ,-)

Book Lovers' Day!!! And 'Darius'..........

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Today, the first Saturday of November is
Book Lovers' Day.  So I have been told by "DogsMom Visits" blog.   Thank you much to "DogsMom"!

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Anyone remember these?  Old fashioned card catalogs?  Sure enough, I do.  But then, I am "olden".  :-)

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Happily, I am a Book Lover.  And I'm happy to celebrate today. 

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Of course, who wouldn't be thrilled to visit any one of these pictured libraries????

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Who could remain not a book lover, when visiting in these???  Happy sigh...

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In '99 we spent 8 wonderful days in Paris.  My only regret, is not going into...

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"Shakespeare And Company."

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 We walked by, and did not enter.   Because  I was in a hurry to get to...

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"Darius'" church, from "Highlander, The Series"...  Which I did go into, though... 

"From the first season onward, the 13th century Church of St. Julien le Pauvre in Paris was a shooting location for Highlander: the Series, which ran for six seasons.......... Located on the Left Bank of the Seine in the Latin Quarter, St. Julien sits across the river from Notre Dame in a little park called the Square René Viviani.........The church made its television debut in the pivotal Season One episode Band of Brothers, which also introduced Duncan MacLeod's friend and mentor Darius, a 2000-year-old Immortal priest with an unusual past."

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 Does anyone remember watching "Highlander, The Series"?  And the character of 'Darius'???????

Anyone?

Anyone?

Anyone?

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