Deck the Halls...

Suddenly the world seems to be geared up towards Christmas. Snow here in London has brought out the eccentric qualities the English display when dealing with any extremes of weather. Grown men are wearing pink hats with ear-flaps, middle-aged women in wooly hats with bear ears, pom-poms, mittens, balaclavas, giant boots - it's all dragged out of the back of the cupboard and worn today. I love it. Everyone is walking very slowly since there's ice underneath all the snow and there are hardly any cars on the roads. Sad that the pristine white snow only lasts for a few hours and then turns to muddy grey slush.  The winter wonderland is only temporary.

Our local council have decided to economise this year so there are few Christmas lights. The restaurants and shops make a half-hearted tinsel effort, but where is the extravagance of Christmas?  I don't even celebrate this festival and I miss the lights and trees and holly and ivy.  The decoration of Christmas is what I remember. In New York the shops, the trees, the windows are all festooned with garlands and lights. It is a really nice thing for this time of year. Diwali and Chanukah are also festivals of light that take place in the early winter and we all need as much light as possible during these short days.

Yesterday was the winter solstice and it seems that time has gone so quickly. From here on in the days get longer. Hooray!  I also get to think about whether I want to make any resolutions for the coming year. I have a whole 8 days to ponder this. There are things I know I 'should' do, but I think this year I might resolve to give myself permission to do the things I want to do. I know I want to use my creativity in many different ways and maybe what's coming for me is a year of experimentation. Sounds exciting,I might not wait 8 days.

Meanwhile my mince pies are hot out of the oven and calling me.