Have you forgotten me?

I have been away from my blog so long, you've probably forgotten me.  Blogging crept to the bottom of my priority list just before Thanksgiving, though I continued to read as many posts of yours as I could.  We put the garden to bed in late November - composting, mulching, dividing, transplanting.  Many of the potted plants made their way indoors.  The lack of daylight in the early morning and evening put a stop to my habit of taking pictures before work or just after returning home.  And so my garden blogging  has been in hibernation.  I wish I could show you with photos that the Professor Sargent Camellia is blooming, the birds are busy at the feeders, and the holly and nandina berries are bright when I look out my windows.  Soon I'll be out taking pictures again.  But first I'll have to say good-bye to the Christmas season - just one more day to enjoy it.

Tomorrow, Epiphany,  will bring the season to an end and I will have to tackle putting it all away - a task that always makes me blue. But rather than think on that, I'm going to re-live a little of the season, beginning with Thanksgiving, and share it with you.

I love Thanksgiving - the joy of family, good food, togetherness, and gratitude.  There were 19 of us gathered at our house this year, including 8 children age 6 and younger.  It was a beautiful day with lots of outdoor activity, including a pre-feast Turkey "Wog" through the neighborhood.   The walk we took AFTER the meal was not nearly so brisk.

Soon after Thanksgiving we dove into preparations for Christmas, including two sessions of cookie-baking with the grandchildren and having their help in decorating my angel tree.

 I have always loved angel ornaments and had collected so many that they deserved a tree of their own.  But the fresh tree we put up is also decorated with ornaments we've collected and been given over the 40 years of our marriage.  Each ornament reminds us of a person, a place, or a time that we love.

The weekend before Christmas each year we travel to one of those places we love (Charleston) to be with people we love (my husband's brothers and sister and their families).  This year the weather was balmy - balmy enough for a nice run - a treat after the long drive.

I use my phone as a GPS to measure and time my route.

And then a beer at the Rooftop Bar with a great view.

Another tradition we love is hosting an open house for friends and neighbors.  

This year we took a few pictures before our guests arrived.

It has been a full and busy season full of precious moments, including the moment I opened this gift from my husband on Christmas morning

He had a little book made for me, telling the story in pictures of our sweet Bear, who loved Christmas.

I hope all of you had a joyous holiday season and are off to a happy start in the new year!