posted 12-21-2012 10:53 PM            

Our decorations for the holiday season are almost the same as last year. The camellias are still pretty - as we have not yet had a frost – and they were a welcome addition. These are the debutant variety, but all the varieties are doing well this year.

Both the star above the mirror in the dining room and the proclamation for the year 2013 above our front door have been used since 2000. The star and the numbers for the year are made of silvered glass shards that have gradually tarnished through the years. We initially brought them for the millennium celebration and decided then to buy enough extra numbers so we could continue to use them to bring in the New Year. It is interesting to see the numbers that have not yet been used and to see how shiny they are. As I recall the silvered shards came from Germany.

I will add one more photo of an old friend that I found up in the attic. He has been up there, nearly forgotten, tucked away for quite a few years and seemed glad to join the party this year.

I would love to see your decorations.

posted 12-22-2012 12:49 AM            

We would love to share photos but we really don’t fix up the place in a big holiday way. All we do is stack the holiday card/letters/photos all around the fireplace. To the side of the fireplace there is a music stand where we store all the letters/cards/etc we get throughout the rest of the year. On New Years Eve we make a fire and a special meal with a great bottle of wine. After a late dinner, a little before midnight, we sit in front of the fireplace, re-read each and every card/etc --- wish the sender(s) a good year --- and then for luck we commit the card/etc. to the remaining flames.