27, Friends Old, Friends New, Year End Limbo

This quiet time between chrimbly and year end is a strange one.

An odd mix of restlessness and feeling in limbo. When magick seems to hide, lying dormant amongst the decaying leaves and sleeping trees. We have hunkered down and retreated each to our own corners - Eldest is curled up with a book, Himself has one too, Youngest is the most 'active'  with his model making, even the cats have buried their faces (Pepper into my Mom's jersey and Pan-cat into a cushion) and gone to sleep.

I am the most restless, flitting between things, not completing anything.

Welcome to some new faces Suzy (Rustic Vintage Country), Julie (KS's Court), Joy, Joanne (Ghost Lily Design*) and Nata (Natas Nest) who used to read my wafflings when I blogged over at 11am and has 're-discovered' me - welcome back Nata!R

The end of the year is nearing - today is the 27th December with only 4 days left of 2014. It has made me think about things new.   

Today's pictures are reminders of walks out - the first, a lovely late spring walk in the Dales, we'd been out on the moors and as the day was ending, we'd come down on to a farm track. All along the road were telegraph poles, beautifully numbered - ah perfect.

The next one is kindly supplied by Antony Gormley's Another Place.  This iron man was so encrusted in barnacles that he was more green than metal.  I had to put my scarf and hat on him just for a giggle :)

26 and a Catty broadcast !

Today - 26th December, is also known as Boxing Day here in the UK as well as many Commonwealth countries. For those who are unfamiliar - it developed from the days when servants and tradesfolk would receive gifts or money from their employers and has now become part of the festive break and a bank holiday. 

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Last weekend while when we out for a bit of a potter. The weather had been a little inclement and during a brief respite we took the opportunity for a breath of blustery air.  As usual I took my camera.  

Our walk took us alongside a neighbouring village cemetery. Eldest was a few paces ahead when he stopped and pointed out the date on this stone..... 26th December 1870.

Only 5 more days until the completion of the year.

Just a quick in-fur-message 'sponsored' by Pepper.

Dear Humans,

At this time purr-leese remember that boxes are for life and not just from chrimbly.

A cat's life is made compurr-lete by the addition of a box in their life. We can hide inside it and pounce when compurr-dre cats walk unsuspectingly by.

We can curl up and sleep and dream or scheme naughty cat plans, so dear humans - do not be so tidy, please remember that a box is for life and not just for chrimbly time.

yours in purrs and fur 

Pepper xx

Credits:

Cat-ress - Pepper

Supporting act - cardboard box 

Photographers - Mum and Fav Sis in Law

Photographed on location Chrimblyday 2014

25th December - Merry Christmas to you and to yours!

A quick post - to wish you a wonderful family filled day with laughter and fun. Today's photos are from last night where we celebrated with my parents, Himself, Brother, Fav Sister-in-Law, Boys and Girlfriend. It was a lovely meal with lots of silly stories and games. We toasted and remembered absent family and friends.

Thank you dear family for such a precious evening - we really really enjoyed ourselves - thank you thank you thank you xxxxx

24 - nearly there!

Today is brought to you by the number 24 and Chrimbly eve  ( I think hope I am ready for tomorrow and if I am it is only just by the skin of my teeth - phew).

358th day of 2014 - only 7 days left to go to 2015.  

Not particularly pretty pictures today - the first one is a narrow arch beneath the railway to allow cattle to roam through giving them access to fields on both sides. What amuses me is the sentence that says ' In the event of any road vehicles striking this bridge please phone....'  This arch is rather remote and difficult to get to so the thought of a vehicle accidently bumping into this structure makes the mind boggle!

Man hole cover in the carpark at work - how 'exciting'! Well, that they say is that!

I did have a Solstice dawn celebration story to tell you, but seeing my journey home tonight (normally a 55 minute trip) was a 3 hour nightmare - a story in itself!  I will share both soon x

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Joining up with Julie every day as we celebrate the chrimbly count down :) 

Why don't you take a look and see who else has joined :)

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23, BLTs and memories

Today is sponsored by the number 23, an interesting item of farming memorabilia and a couple of pebbles from a cafe in Hebden Bridge.

Some time ago, when the boys were still quite small, we'd visited the delightful little town of Dent in Dentdale. Having explored the town itself and still having lots of energy, we pointed the boys towards the hills. Off we went. Most of the walk up was using a dry waterfall, the terrain in this area is very porous limestone and water tends to 'travel' below soil level, only gushing above ground after heavy rain. It was fascinating.  However we reached a section that was just too wild and huge to climb so we found the footpath and continued across farmland.  We suddenly came across a solitary little barn with the most impressive view. The boys managed to squint through a hole in the door and when their eyes adjusted could see all sorts of historical type farming equipment. They called us to look but we could not see anything easily, so I lined up my camera to the hole and took several photos. It wasn't till we were home and I put the images on to my laptop we could see what the boys had got so excited about - it was full of interesting equipment. A real treasure trove of farming days from another time - wish we'd been able to have a proper look. 

With a bit of research with the help of professor 'google' I found out it was a milk and cream separator in the days when farmers milked by hand, the cream was separated from the milk. The cream was used to make butter and the milk was either drunk, fed to calves or sold to villagers.

These pebbles were thoughtfully arranged by Youngest on a visit to Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire. I'd taken the teenagers out for the day and we always end up somewhere so they can consume large quantities of BLTs - now, they have two favourite cafes for said desirable lunch time choice and on this particular jolly out, the Watergate Tearooms were the lucky recipients for their appetites.

We sat outside in the teagarden (less garden more riverside back yard) and spoke very quickly between the deafening hammerdrill noises being made across the river. Normally this would not be conducive towards a pleasurable meal, however the boys were so fascinated at the destruction of the hill side between two buildings that we put up with the sound so they could observe..... what I do for my boys......

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Joining up with Julie every day as we celebrate the chrimbly count down :) 

Why don't you take a look and see who else has joined :)

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22 - counting and celebrating solstice

Once upon a time, there was this girl (well - woman although she still likes to think of herself as a girl) had this barmy idea of doing a chrimbly countdown all through the month of December to herald the beginning of the new year.... and each year she stumbles across a number that proves to be rather elusive... this year is the number 22 (and 18... and if she doesn't get herself sorted - the number 25 is also being rather evasive) .  So she has had to resort to cheating again.......

Link - to 22 from December 2010

Link to December 22nd 2011

Link to 22 from December 2012

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Joining up with Julie every day as we celebrate the chrimbly count down :) 

Why don't you take a look and see who else has joined :)

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Winter Solstice

Our plan was to visit an art gallery celebrating Winter Solstice then on to watch starling murmurations - the weather was not on our side..... We managed the gallery - some beautiful artwork. I could have spent a fortune.... A carnic for the teenagers - who go weak at the thought of not having any food for anything longer than a couple of hours. Then home. Beaten by the rain. 

Once back we revelled in the warmth of the fire and the glow from candles and fairy lights. 

We ate spiced Swedish ginger cake and mince pies washed down with tea and hot chocolate. Mmmm.

Then quietly the table was laid, more candles lit, plates warmed, food served. Stories told (rather odd ones courtesy of the teenagers already mentioned above) Riddles and jokes (both good and bad) were bounded around, silhouettes and silly faces- a good evening all round :)

Tomorrow, if the weather is kinder - we will watch the sunrise - celebrating the light x

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Blessings xx

21 Winter Solstice

 The turning of the seasons, the return of the light. These things are important.

It is the start of my year, not the end.

Seeds from the garden that fell in autumn, need vernalisation through winter to create new life.

The cold of winter cleans the earth - ready for new growth in spring.

Late dawn, early sunset, longest night, shortest day.

A low arc of sun across the sky.

I struggle with the darkness, the lack of light but knowing that in a few days that the small time change 

adds up to a very gentle increase of light. 

Although the actual time for the solstice is late today - 23.03pm and it is the following dawn (Monday's) when the celebrations really kick in.  

But tonight we celebrate Yule, celebrating the return of the sun.

Blessings.

20 - just one more day til Winter Solstice - bring out the sun cake!

A happy walk on a sunny day during summer. 

 We must clock some miles over the year. I have worn a pedometer in the past - before I destroyed a ligament in my knee.  When my leg  was better (but not right) I started using it again, but was disappointed with my reduced mileage.... so I relegated the pedometer to a drawer.....

While I have been typing this post, I have thought about my pedometer again.  I think I might make a resolution - I shall wear it again next year and log my every walk to see how much I do over the course of the year. I know there will be people out there who do more than me, but this is my challenge for me..... Hmm, this needs thinking about - will keep you posted.

Now, something a little different.  We celebrate Winter Solstice with some of our favourite foods, we sit around a table laden with candles and tell stories and if gently pushed, Himself will sing. We have our Sun cake on this evening, a rich fruit cake which I usually decorate with a sun face.  

This year I have simply run out of time to do anything too clever, so it is just rabbit tracks and snowflakes. Kinda happy with the wildness of it.... feels right for this time of year.

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Joining up with Julie every day as we celebrate the chrimbly count down :) 

Why don't you take a look and see who else has joined :)

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19 - breezing by (whilst wet)

*I saw three ships come sailing in, 

On Christmas day, on Christmas day

I saw three ships come sailing in

On Christmas day in the morning...

Over summer Himself and Youngest had time to themselves and with a borrowed windsurfer went to the Lakes for the day. After three hours of falling into the water and laughing until their ribs ached, they stopped for lunch and watched slightly large craft elegantly sailing by... it was only afterwards when the boys were showing the photos that I spotted the number 19  was in red....hmmmm me thinks - I know just the place for that! (Thanks guys)

*The carol - I saw three ships sailing has various origins attributed to it, traditional folk song, Victorian and even from the middle ages.

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Joining up with Julie every day as we celebrate the chrimbly count down :) 

Why don't you take a look and see who else has joined :)

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