In the still, in the cold…
Although I love spring and summer and the lengthening of the days, I also cherish this time of year, this time of giving, this time of rest, when I have tea on the couch at 4:00, and out the big window I watch the sky go from blue to black and the bright shine of Venus, which glitters just above the horizon.
I will be taking a blogging break from now until the New Year. Because of Covid, it will definitely be a staycation, but it will be a luxury to read in the mornings, play board games in the afternoon, and watch Oscar nominees at night. And, of course, nibble on treats.
I know many of you are wondering about Little Green, our trusty electric snow thrower. Clif did indeed find the problem—a rascally rodent, probably a mouse, who not only made a nest inside Little Green but chewed the belt in half as well. A new belt is on the way.
Because I am Franco-American, I wish those who celebrate Christmas a joyeux Noël.
And to everyone a Bonne Année.
Whatever you celebrate, have a joyous and safe time. I hope your holidays are filled with warmth, merriment, and good food.
See you all in 2022.
Laurie, enjoy your luxurious staycation. Wishing you and Clif all the joy and peace of the season.
Thanks so much, June!
Gorgeous picture Laurie! Love how you’ve captured the stillness. Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year. 😊🙏
Many thanks! The same to you and yours.
Joyeuse fête à toi aussi, Laurie. Enjoy your down time, hopefully with more snow and less freezing rain!
Merci, merci! The freezing rain seems to have come to an end. No power outages yet.
Happy holidays.
Yeah – Little Green lives to work another winter! Happy Holidays to you and yours. Enjoy your short break and your wonderful family who are all close at hand. Blessings for the new year.
Thanks so much, Judy!
Hope you have a wonderful festive season and see you in 2022!
Yes, yes! Same to you and yours.
Dear lovely friend I am so happy to hear you are taking a break and will be home safe and enjoying the quiet winter season. I shared with Tom the good news about Little Green so hooray for clever Clif! My favorite Christmas song is Jeannette Isabella. Not many people know it because it is French. Sending love always! ❤
How sweet of you to be concerned about Little Green. You will not be surprised to learn that Jeanette Isabella is one of my favorite songs. Happy holidays to you and yours.
Enjoy your well deserved break, Laurie, and I look forward to catching up with you after the festive period.
Thanks, Anne!
Glad Little Green is reparable. Hopefully, the belt will be in place before the next storm hits. 🙂
Enjoy your staycation, and Christmas blessings to you, Clif and Dee. Enjoy!
Thanks, Eliza! And to you and yours.
We had the same thing happen to our car. The mice made a nest in the engine compartment and chewed some wired. Made quite a mess of things, the rascals! Enjoy your Christmas season and be blessed in the New Year with all the good that life holds!
Thanks, Gayle! Not uncommon for rodents to do that kind of thing. Joyeux Noel to you and yours!
Have a great time yourself and may 2022 be an improvement on 2021.
Thanks, Susan, and from your lips to God’s ear.
I am glad that Little Green will live to fight another day. Enjoy your blogging rest.
Yes, so glad that Little Green can be fixed. Looking forward to the rest.
Lovely to hear Little Green can be repaired Laurie and we wish you, Clif and all the family a blessed Christmas and New Year! 🤗💖🎄
Yes, we were pleased. Joyeux, joyeux to you and yours!
Merci beaucoup! 💖
I’ve been watching Venus, too — that at least is something of the natural world we share in this winter season. Enjoy your time away; what you have planned sounds delightful. Merry Christmas — and may all your snow be snow, rather than sleet or slush or freezing rain!
Thanks so much! And enjoy your warm Christmas.
Best wishes! That opening picture is wonderful.
Thanks so much! Joyeux, joyeux to you and yours.
And to your family also.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New year to you, too, Laurie and Cliff. Enjoy your quiet hunker down time.
I certainly will. I have a small stack of books just waiting to be read. Joyeux, joyeux to you and your family.
❤
Wishing you and Clif and your family a lovely rest, good treats and everything you wish for in 2022! Your blog has been such an inspiration to me, and I hope to do a better job on mine in the new year!
Oh, thanks so much! Joyeux, joyeux to you and yours.
Wishing you and Clif a wonderful holiday.
See you in the New Year!
Many thanks!
The same to you and Clif, Laurie. I’m pleased Clif found the rat problem. Your first paragraph is poetically delightful. Enjoy the break
Thanks so much. Joyeux, joyeux!
Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda from Wales!
So please that little green lives to fight another day.
Oh, thanks so much!
You remind us how beautiful snow can be.
Thanks so much!
Have a wonderful time, resting, playing and nibbling – a bit like that pesky rodent really! They seem to like little green! Take care, and I hope 2022 is a very good year indeed for you and your family.
Many thanks! Yes, those rascally rodents seem to have a thing for Little Green. 😉
Avoir un joyeux Noël, Laurie, et aussi…Bonne année et bonne santé! (I had to ask Professor Google to help with this as it’s half a century since I studied French. But I’m sure you get the point…have a good one, my friend)
I certainly do. Merci, merci! And the same to you and yours.
Happy Christmas, Happy 2022, Happy Blog Break, Laurie!
Joyeuses fêtes et mes meilleurs voeux pour la nouvelle année.
Or, have a great Christmas and a Happy, Healthy, Peaceful New Year.
I’m glad that Little Greene can be fixed – you certainly don’t want to be without it now. Merry Christmas to you all and best wishes for 2022.
What a lovely winter rest to have! I am such a lover of summer that for years I would start to feel low in the fall, knowing what was coming, but after I began to garden seriously, I came to appreciate the rest the earth and we need and now I look forward to winter as a rest time as well. Enjoy your down time. Joyeaux Noel et bonne annee (without the diacriticals; not sure how to access them). I look forward to more blogging in the new year–as well as as action from Little Green.
Your staycation sounds divine. And I love the quiet simplicity of sitting on the couch with a cup of tea at 4 pm and watching the sky go from blue to black. Beautifully expressed. Merry Christmas to you too!
Christmas blessings to you all!
Enjoy cosy reading & steaming cups of cocoa for me!
Happy Christmas to you and Clif! I’m sure it must be wonderful to know that your family are now much closer to you, despite not being there for Christmas.
I always enjoy reading your blog and especially during our long Lockdowns last year. Looking forward to reading more interesting posts from you in the 2022.
Best wishes for 2022.
What sweet things to do with time! Merry Merry Christmas! love Michele
Enjoy the wonderful staycation and make sure to share a few movie recommendations in the new year!🙂 Merry Christmas!🎄🙂
Enjoy your break … and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Wishing you a joyeux Noël.and Bonne Année, Laurie, Clif and Miss Watson! May 2022 be kinder to all.
Yes, indeed! Many thanks.
Merry Christmas, Laurie, to you and your family. Enjoy your winter rest. Wishing you a very happy New Year. ❤
And the same to you and yours!
Glad that mystery was solved! Une bonne annee to you both.
Enjoy your break and I will look forward to hearing from you in 2022
Thanks, Kelly!
Since I am always running behind, I’ll say Happy New Year in advance!
Happy New Year to you and Allan.
Thank you, Laurie.
Also…from previous posts, so sorry you hurt your knee. There is a deadly curb where there should not be one in Long Beach, too, and I have seen tourists trip on it. Once when I worked (gardened) at a resort, I was advised that if a guest fell over anything, never apologize or admit the resort was in the wrong!! I have fallen off a curb before flat on my face. And that one was where there was supposed to be a curb.
One more thing, I have read all of Rumer Godden’s books. 🙂
Same! Wonderful writer.
Oh, gosh! Those curbs. The knee is much better now, but what a month I had.