Ring Out The Old....Ring In The New...

( Thank you Google)
January
January, the month of new beginnings and cherished memories, beckons...

Come, let winter weave her wondrous spell: cold, crisp, woollen-muffler
days, long dark evenings of savoury suppers, lively conversations,
or solitary joys.
Outside the temperatures drops as snow falls softly: All of  nature
is a peace.We should be, too.
Draw fireside. this is the month to dream, to look forward to the year ahead 
and the journey within....
( Taken with kindness from my bible)
"Simple Abundance".

As we say goodbye to the old year, I would like to give  gratitude.
for a Christmas that was peaceful...
With lots of laughter and merriment!

And a year that was ever so busy

~  but kind to us...

Olivia singing and playing a tune or two, for us

 after our Christmas lunch!

~ 

Tomorrows a brand spanking new year 

as well as a brand new start!

A new chapter waiting to be written....

New questions to be asked....

I wonder what your hopes and dreams 

are for 2014 .....

The year of the 'horse' in the Chinese calender!

My one resolution is this...

To open my arms out as wide as I can to receive

all the miracles with my name on them!

~ I jolly well hope you do too!

Ooh, Babycham  bubbles
 shared with some old friends
 and some new ones...

Each new years eve from the very beginning...
I have taken out with me in my purse a piece of jet black coal, for luck!
~ Tonight will be no exception...
It's my own reassurance of a little magic for the new year!

~

And as I have said once before, 
this very time last year...
"As you put the old year well and truly to bed give thanks"!...
~ Honour it with some thing, sparkly and special ....
.“Tomorrow, is the first blank page of a 365 page book. 
Write a good one, won't you"...
I will be sure to take all of your very dear friendships with me
into the new year!
Happy 2014 !
Bless you all!
Much love, Maria x

A Joyful Noel...

If, as Herald we fill our lives with things and again with things, if we consider ourselves

so unimportant that we must fill every moment of our lives with action, when will we have 

time to make the long, slow journey across the desert as did the Magi

Or sit and watch the stars as did the shepherds?

Or brood over the coming of the child as did Mary....

~ For each of us, there is a desert to travel..

A star to find and a being within our selves to bring to life...

( Taken with kindness from Simple Abundance)

Ooh...

only

Three more sleeps to go...

~ We have been taking time out to just be this weekend...

~ Amongst all of the business of planning, schedule, ritual and

customs....

We took a little retreat!

We have been here...

The Lake side Hotel......

Newby Bridge

On Lake Windermere...

The most amazing view from our room window...

~ We found escape in the scenery and walks here....

Just beautiful!

Mr Rosey Tinted Spectacles took his training shoes of course...

~ and ran those surrounding hills....

He finds his peace and calm by this

 and asks for nothing else but to run and run some more...

( a little like Forrest Gump)

He will even run on Christmas day, you know!

Contemplating a run?

I found my calm by nature...

I always do...

We both certainly recharged our batteries...

The biggest blessing was really this though...

~

~ When we returned back home Dean was there, safe and sound...

The best Christmas present...

Home

All together for the Christmas break...

In just 'Two' nights time it is my most favourite night of the year...

Christmas Eve..

Then all the magic begins...

~

I would like to Wish you all the blessings and indeed trimmings 

of the season as you prepare for your own special time to

celebrate with your dear loved ones....

Have a Joyful Noel, dear blog friends...

~ And Thank You, dear Willie for Christmas gifts for all my 

kitties...

They loved them, they really did!
Most especially Willow!

We both know Christmas is for kitties too!
It just is...

You are indeed the kindest of kind!

Twinkles and Christmas blessings

******

Maria x

A Winters Tale....

The Little Match Girl

BY KNIGHT OF THE WHITE ELEPHANT OF BURMah WILLIAM MCGONAGALL

It was biting cold, and the falling snow,

Which filled a poor little match girl’s heart with woe,

Who was bareheaded and barefooted, as she went along the street,

Crying, “Who’ll buy my matches? for I want pennies to buy some meat!”

~ 
"Pull up chair and pop on some cocoa....
~ for I have a tale to tell"......
Not a tale by Hans Christian Anderson.
But a true story never the less...

A Winters Tale.

A true story..

Last week I was lucky enough to be squeezed in

 for a late appointment for

my' flu jab'..... 
Relief!

Like sooo many ~

I had been hit hard over the Christmas period with the dreaded 'lurgy'
flu last year and I must confess Christmas and New year passed me pretty 
much by....

~ Leaving the surgery I was told there was nothing to pay...
I was after all a carer for my Mama?
I protested to say I wasn't a carer now...
~ I had lost my dear, Mum some years before......
~ I was told "it was fine I was still on the system as one"
and for this the flu jab was free to me..
~ Thinking in my minds eye, this was an lovely act of kindness.....
I thought to my little self!
"Busker or Christmas bucket, you will have my Ten pound note!!

~ Rushing I am always  seen to be rushing...
I carried on to work...
~ But stopped in my track as  there on the corner of  the busy shopping 
street was a young, so very young girl....
Not selling little matches, but the 'Big Issue'!
~ Now any one who may know me well, would know that I think, not having a home
 is one of the cruellest and saddest things not to have...
In fact I would go as far as to say
" That this charity is soo very close to my heart"!
I watched a program a while ago now, where celebrities, such as Coronation street's
Les Battersby and others battled it out on the streets of our cities for
 a few nights in the cold, cold winters nights....
Boy, they struggled!
~ and some quit before the program was finished airing!
cold, achy, hungry and lonely!

Oops please revert your eyes and head to see this picture!
Thank you x
( I need Miss Olivia to help me with
 photograph 'swiffle' rounds and alas she is not here, just now)
Hehe!

~Now where were we?
Ooh yes....
The little girl selling the 'Big issue' no word of a lie
looked around twelve years of age...
~She proceeded to tell me that she was in fact..
" sixteen and married and having a child"!
~ Her Father had just passed away and her husband was leaving her...
She had the saddest brown eyes I have ever seen...
she looked too young to be broken, by life and circumstances of  her culture!
~ I gave her my ten pounds and a little more from a' whip' around in my purse!
I was more than happy to do so...

I would love to think she told her story to others that day in town...
~ 
~ as she sold the magazine...
( I am sure she did)
In fact  I would go as far as to say" I hope she jolly well did"!
and for those who could 'spare' a little kindness....
Well as the saying goes...
" This goes a long, long way"

I hope you didn't mind me telling you my
 Winters Tale,
The video by David Essex
I included this because my Mama just loved this song...
she said it 
"Reminded her of our own sadnesses"
many Christmas's ago...
and that we were not alone with grief at Christmas time...
It could happen and did happen at any time...
There would be others who would draw their curtains to
the world like us...
~ while their hearts healed from sadness....
God bless them all.....

~ 

( Post card, above
 " Be still and listen the earth is sleeping, 
by Karen from
beautiful' Moon light and hares 'blog)

~ Talking of more kindness!
Last week I received a lovely, lovely parcel ...

~ From my lovely blog friend, Yvonne.
From 'Winter Moon' blog.....
Yvonne's writes such wonderful, interesting posts!
  Full to the brim of  black and white Nostalgia!
~ captured mostly in movies of past times...
 It's always a delight to read!
http://www.wintermoon.co.uk/

Thank you sooo much Yvonne!
~ A girl can never have to many kitties, or kitty ornaments...
~And I LOVE the language of Flowers and of course my little black cat
necklace!
And the post cards, sooo pretty!

I am going to close for now
  ~ wishing you all a week full of all the trimmings 
of the season...
"Only 8 more sleeps till Christmas"!
Take time to dream, lovely blog friends...
Twinkly hugs 
"I am dedicating this post to those who have lost at Christmas time.
And  to those who find them selves lost, helpless, sick and indeed with out shelter"...
While most of the world celebrates....
You "draw your curtains in"
God bless you all...
Maria x