the light within

what i look forward to putting up MOST when we haul out the xmas boxes are the LIGHTS.  in fact, this year, i have put up little else.  and i am always sad in january to put them away.

maybe i won't this year . . .

at this stage of our lives, ease of use is primary.  we put up the artificial tree & the garland on the mantel is prime-o fake-o.  we are considering spraying some evergreen air deodorizer to get the full effect.  the embedded lights on the garland went dark about three days after i put it up, so i grabbed a leftover strand of lights (since the tree this year is diminutive) & draped it.  & draped it.  & draped it.  the more the merrier!

 so far, the tree has lights ... and candy canes.  it feels like plenty.

i always put the colored lights in the piney den.  i love the honey-colored glow.  then, of course, the ten-thousand villages stockings (embellished over the years with various trinkets) are hung.  & i've kinda called it done.

Joseph's set out to learn the Charlie Brown Christmas song, but he won't let me record him yet.

oh, and in the kitchen, i always plug in my snowman light.  THAT will stay up until the end of January (at least) or until i am sick of winter weather.  whichever comes first.

*sparkle* & *lights*

after totally bailing on Halloween this year (didn't even carve a pumpkin - and it felt great.), i was happy to discover that i had purchased some sparkly things on the post-Christmas sales last year.  our city is known for its lighted balls, and it only seemed fitting that we offer a small contribution in the form of these oversized ornaments on one of the little dogwoods in front of our house.  youngest declared it closely resembles Charlie Brown's tree.  good.  that's exactly what i was going for.  that and lots of sparkles.

~ they seem to be objects of perpetual motion ~

 

 *sparkle*

and, to add some LIGHT to our SPARKLE, we went downtown tonight to the Festival of Lights.  we've been going to this festival since its first sparse years when it was primarily a small sidewalk gig.  in recent years, streets are closed, parking is tight, and throngs of holiday-makers pour into downtown to stroll around with red antlers on their heads advertising the local newspaper.

UNCG art student and her time travel booth ~ sending postcards to your future self

 the Amtrak passenger train on its way up to NYC

 

hibernating Elsewhere

holiday french horns

~ there are lots of great doorways downtown

here's one of my favorites ~

green bean's upstairs neighbor

 a lightbulb moment

outside Scuppernong

my toes were properly numb from the cold

by the end of our trek up & down Elm Street.

'tis the season!

walk in the neon woods

there are so many great trails within fifteen minutes of my house

~ how lucky are we ~

today, i walked with my friend Ivy

to find the Underground Railroad Tree

which is in the woods of Guilford College

neon yellow in a brown world

after a couple of spur trails that were lovely but didn't lead us to the tree, we finally found the right one.  nothing is marked; however, i have heard of recent discussion to formalize an Underground Railroad Trail in these Quaker woods.

one trail led us to a large cement buttress of some sort ~ which makes a great canvas for neon graffiti.

crystal powered

 THERE SHE IS!

 i think you have to see the tree in person.

it absolutely dwarfs all other trees

in these woods.

Ivy & me, with tree rising above her head

 it was impossible to get both two wee humans

and the giant of a tree in the same photo

trying another angle ~ now it's sprouting from Ivy's head

 i, finally, lay down on my back at the base of the tree

and pointed the camera to the heavens.

some delightful moss along the path

curlicue

more pretty neon graffiti up near the pond

a marbled orb weaver in neon orange ~ splendid!

eye of moss . . . ring of fern

the moveable feast

turkey day rotation had us with hubby's family this year, and we decided to make the journey the day after. the occasion of all the cousins (that is, my nieces & nephews) gathering seems to be behind us, as all but three are in college or beyond & their own parents can hardly get them home - let alone add hours of travel to the weekend.  so, we brought thanksgiving dinner with us & greatly enjoyed sharing it with my in-laws. 

Lawrence & Geneva, at home

when in rome, do as the romans ~ so, i pulled out my mother-in-law's recipe cards, & we cooked a modest southern thanksgiving with, likely, some inevitable revisions (can't help myself).  turkey, gravy (my first-ever attempt was a hit!), roasted veggies, sweet potato casserole, corn pudding, jellied cranberry, biscuits, stuffing,....yes, just a modest offering.  oh, & pecan pie, which, this year, turned out just about as perfect as it can ever be.  i say all this with humility and some degree of amazement, as i am often stunned when i produce dishes that actually look and taste the way the recipe intended.

the remains of a feast

happy people

 my sister-in-law & her family stopped by,

including my two sweet nieces!

Rebecca & Elizabeth

 i always make them pose

(you'll thank me later)

Rebecca, Samuel, Isaac (E's bf), Elizabeth, Joseph

 it's a relatively short drive from door-to-door,

but we decided to stroll around downtown Hillsborough

on our way home.

Autumn Trees & Sky I

 found myself looking up a lot.

such a changing sky.

Autumn Trees & Sky II

lights strung across a restaurant courtyard, with cloudy sky

 we stepped off the main street

& wandered through the presbyterian cemetary

little eight-year old Sophronia

 graves dating back to the late 1700's

little Sophronia's dove

embraced by a tree

in memory of Lily & Rosaline

gravestone for William Hooper, who signed the Declaration of Independence

 the boys enjoyed communing with this friendly cat

(& found it's color exceedingly appropriate)

over the cemetery wall

golden gingko petals

the shuttered Colonial Inn & the cemetery cat, who followed us

briar roses

on a side street

patient teenage ramblers

 back to trees & sky on our way home

Autumn Trees & Sky III

 & then the earth turned just enough that the fire disappeared

cool blue-grays just before dark

as we drove out of guilford county earlier in the day, we saw a man putting lights up all over his house.  to me, they always look somewhat forlorn in the daylight ~ but turn into glittering magic once night falls.

from a car window at 50mph

&, just like that, we are into the christmas season.  three weeks of school and work before we pause for the winter solstice & start counting away from the longest night.