A Lovely Christmas Day

The rain stopped, the sun came through and, even without snow, it was a wonderful holiday.

The Bambinos were like two little tornados until after supper. Then the eyelids started going south and with one last smile....,

Little bean finally took a nap. It was a very good day but sometimes you just need to take a breather from a long day of Santa and brother's ..., and being two.

Frosted Leaves

"Nature has undoubtedly mastered the art of winter gardening and even the most experienced gardener can learn from the unrestrained beauty around them."- Vincent A. Simeone

Blessings to All

Silent Night, Holy Night

Do I have a treat for you....

This is the beautiful home of my friend "J" and her husband. I asked her if it was all right to take some photos of their house and do a post on my blog of her home at Christmas. She said "Sure". So here it is...., as a Merry Christmas treat.
"J" has lived in this old victorian house for at least 20 years. Well, they were doing the B&B on the weekends up here before they moved here; so I'm not sure exactly how many years they have actually been here full time.
About 15 yr's ago the prospector and I were looking for a place to sleep on one of our gold hunting treks to the foothills. It was late in the afternoon, the motels were full and we were very tired from a day of digging and panning. When we saw this beautiful house with a Bed and Breakfast sign out in front, we decided to stop and ask if they had a room. The two people that greeted us were outside cleaning the lovely grounds and when they saw us they must have thought we were crazy...., dirty clothes and all, but they were very nice and offered us an upstairs room with a bath on the same floor. This was one of the most gorgeous old homes I had ever seen. Lots of antiques and a garden that just made you want to find a place and sit a while.
We talked, relaxed( oh!, and cleaned up) and slept well. "J" made us a delicious breakfast in the morning that rivaled the most famous B&B's we had ever visited (I still have all the recipes). Thirteen years ago we finally moved up here and the friendship has continued since the first day we dragged our dirty bodies up their steps.

After all these years I still love walking into this home, especially at Christmas. It's a holiday "gift" all by itself. "J" has a knack for decorating and at Christmas she pulls out all the stops. She could be on the christmas home tour in our county. The whole house is a treat for the eyes.
Remember the Wordless Wednesday post I did last week? Those kittens, Kansas and Twister, live in "J"s house too. They are her kittens and I just had to show you more photos of them trying to be "good little kittys" when the whole house is a cat's delight of things to play with.
Thanks "J". You've always been a good friend. I love you. Merry Christmas.

Please click on photos to see them "close up".

A brief visit; Sister Sanctuary

This is the Mokelumne River in Winter. It's one of California's wild and scenic rivers. It is so beautiful it can be overwhelming, especially in the early evening as the sun sets. The foothills become quiet and the spirit of the river shows itself in the ripples and reflections of the clear water.

My sister came up for a short weekend visit, to gather some energy and take a breather from the Christmas madness that tends to swallow folks this time of the year.
One evening I took Sis down to the River, just before sunset. She was mesmerized by the quiet and beauty of this river.We just walked around gathering the spirit of this beautiful place.

This was the view to the West. We watched, letting the stillness wrap it's peacefulness around us, until it became too dark and cold. Together, in the rush of the holiday season, on a bridge over the river, we stood together.., looking at the quiet beauty of the natural world..., gathering strength for the rest of our lives.