Fourth Sunday of Advent

I have really been trying to stay focused on what Christmas is really all about and was delighted when I found this very vintage Baby Jesus on Ebay. On the listing pictures I could see that it was very old , chipped , broken and been glued back together with sticking plaster...... would it make the journey from Ireland in one piece ?
 We waited and so looked forward for this parcel to arrive and spoke excitedly of Baby Jesus coming and maybe He was on the plane right now !
 ...... I have never been so excited about a parcel coming ...and we were not disappointed .  I cant tell you how delighted we were on opening and carefully peeling away the bubblewrap and newspaper .
 Usually we put up a Christmas Tree with fairy lights in the window which faces out into the lane , but this year I will put Baby Jesus there instead .
 Its been such a beautiful Advent .

The Third Sunday of Advent

And so another busy week of writing lists and cards , sticking on of stamps , checking addresses , trips to the post office . Shopping and stocking up on festive food and drink . Already giving in to the occasional mince pie . Remembering to buy Oasis flower arranging foam bricks , white Madonna Lilies and some pink Carnations for Rita , who did a beautiful Christmas arrangement in the Lady Chapel . Will buy some more  next week to refresh this and also for Mary to finish her lovely Advent wreath around the Pascal Candle .
 Gaudete Sunday - Rejoice  or  Joy Sunday and the pink candle is lit ..and I cant believe how close we are now to Christmas Day . Kind people came and we all helped decorate the church . The Nativity set put out and the Christmas Tree with pretty sparkling fairy lights .
  At home our table is a cluttered chaos , with cards and Christmas wrapping paper , brown paper , sellotape , scissors , labels , sticky bows and tinsel , address book and stamps..never enough stamps .
 Escape to the veg garden with mug of coffee ...check how the new Pumpkin patch is coming along . We,ve had some rain and the cardboard and newspaper , seaweed, spend compost , horse manure, grass clippings , leaves are beginning to break down nicely and on further investigation with my garden fork , I can see the earth worms are now moving and munching their way through it all  . I sharpen up the edges of the bed and pull out the odd dandelion root .
  The weather is mild ... warm even  , misty, occasional drizzle . Full moon shining down silvery on my labyrinth . Owl up in the old pine tree .
 Last dance class before Christmas , tomorrow evening ...feeling tired but happy . Always the energy returns when the music is played .

                                                     What is in the parcel ?

                                     I might show show you in my next post !

The second week of Advent

Yes , we're home again now ...we did enjoy our break away in Charmouth .
There has been another cliff fall / slump .... but really it will take some time for the sea to wash the fossils out of the thick shale mud and it is not a good idea to climb up on top of it ,or you will get stuck or worse sink down into it never to be seen again !
 I recently hurt my back and being in such pain could not walk any further up the beach this time . Also fossil hunting requires that you plod along , over the beach shingle and onwards up towards the Golden Cap , doing  the  Charmouth Fossil Hunting Shuffle  , bent over , as shown in the next picture  ..I was in far too much pain to Fossil Shuffle on this occasion ....so I sat and watched everybody else doing it this time .

 Then off to Groves Nursery for lunch and oh how I just fell in love with the Polar Bear at the entrance !

                                                      Isn't he gorgeous !

I did a bit of Christmas shopping , bought a couple of strange air plants and couldn't resist a cuddle .

Then back to the beach where I found a couple of nice pieces of  driftwood to hang my air plants on ..and we walked a bit further ....

                                                    .....and a bit further still .

Back at Exeter Airport Hotel,  I watched the Truro City Festival of Lights on T.V and my thoughts were with the Seef Saffah Belly Dancers who were performing there that night. I do hope it all went well girls !

          One more session of wallowing in mud..there's nothing quite like it you know !

     Then back home to Cornwall and how we did enjoy Parc Eglos School Nativity Play in the church ! Beautiful ! The Grumpy Sheep !  :)
         Helston has it's Christmas lights up , but I,ve not seen them on yet .
On my way back from Dance class Wednesday evening we did so love seeing Penryn's Christmas lights ..WOW ! I must take my camera next week .
 Yes my back is much better, so I,m back to dancing ( Zed Shed Penryn ) and we're beginning a new style Raqs Sharqi . Loving it !

 So good to be back home in my garden, this is what I look out at from my kitchen window .

 A bit of sadness though as I came across a Badger lying in the hedgerow..the following day it was lying in the middle of the lane ....it had one leg torn off...(snare ? ..very very sad )...I took her and gave her a decent burial in my meadow .

                                        The veg garden is doing  well .

                It still very mild and leaves are still clinging to the trees .

 The Holly is looking very Christmassy now with her red berries . I,ll be cutting some of this to decorate our little church of St Michaels in Mullion on Saturday .

 Yes it was the Second Sunday in Advent last Sunday . The time just seems to fly by now in the run up to Christmas . So much to do !

                                         I,ve still  had no time to open my parcel .

Chilling in Charmouth

I have badly hurt my back after a dance workshop , so we decided a little break away , just a few days in Charmouth would be the thing to cheer me up .
  Not allowed to go picking up any big rocks /fossils /dinosaur bones this time . Although I did find some beautiful driftwood to bring home . We visited Groves Nursery as usual ,where I found a  fantastic selection of Air Plants , perfect for attaching to my driftwood ,when I return home ..never grown these before ...they have no roots ..very odd ..I hope I can keep them alive .
 Anyway the weather was fine once we'd got onto the beach and we were sheltered from the bitterly cold North Easterly wind ..the sun shone and we felt quite warm .
 When we get home we will put up our Christmas decorations , gosh !  It's the first week in Advent already ! Trying to stay focused on what it is all about  . We'll also be decorating our little church here in Mullion .
  I have to dash now ..will post some more tomorrow ! :)

                                                Ooh ! A parcel has come !