New Years Resolution 3: Cherish Family and Friends.

Lonnie the Dog on Christmas Day.

Today is the 10th day of Christmas (12th night being the 5th January) and so for my continuing promise or New Year's Resolutions I'll share the fun day of Christmas we had this year.

It was such a boon compared to Christmas 2020 when we were all not 'allowed' to see family. And then Christmas 2021 was a bit of a wash with family in various locations (feeling the freedoms lost in 2020) Thus we were all excited for Christmas 2022, and then early in the year my Mother in Law became deathly ill...

It was the struggle with her health all Summer into Autumn that made This Christmas all the more special...it truly felt Blessed.

New England scene on the way to mum's house for Christmas

I should also add an addendum to "Cherish Family" with "Cherish Environment" as I feel we are lucky here in coastal New England. I love our rustic stone walls, Tree filled fields, idyllic woodlands, old clapboard and cedar shake houses all accompanied by the song of the sea.

**Mum's quaint little cottage"

It was a double Joy to come home for this Christmas, to see the old homestead, but to also know that we got to spend it with mum, now well on the mend, able to walk now without a cane!

The view of the pond from the back deck and terrace at mum's

We're not on the sea here, as we are at Bunny Hall, but the quaint little pond is always a joy in Winter. We can recall past winters when it would freeze over and we'd skate, tho it's been a good 2 decades since that has happened.

View of pond with American flag and the Christmas 'kissing balls' hung up

It was chilly enough Christmas week to skirt the pond with ice and having had our magic Christmas snow that morning it rimmed the icy grey pond a lovely white.

Gifts, houseplants, and pondview on Christmas morn.

We had a skinny tree this year, tho the old tradition has always been a real tree in burlap (rooted) in a galvanized tin. And come Spring time it got planted in the garden. We've some amazing 20 plus foot tall evergreens here from past Christmases...it's a fun way to 'time travel' to Christmas of past.

Stockings hung by the chimney with care; Warm fire Christmas luncheon.

The 'Rumford fireplace' in mum's sitting room really does throw out the heat. It gets SO warm (as you can see it is designed shallow and tall) that we actually had one of the windows open to bring down the room's heat. It was magic with the snow falling, fire roaring, cocktails clinking , and of course dear mum, healthy and smiling with us.

We went overboard with gifts this Christmas.

But, after not having them for 2 years we felt we 'deserved' it.

Pond view with Christmas tree and houseplants

Mum is garden and plant obsessed so we always have much to share in our passions. It was so nice to have her home and the house full of laughter and warmth again.

As today is technically the 10th day of Christmas (just 2 days to 12th night) I am still enjoying these and our own trees at our house.

I'm always excited to put Christmas away on the 5th of January, but surely enjoy it in a different way after the 25th of December.

I Hope all of you had a glorious Christmas season, if you celebrate it, or a wonderful Yule or just the joy of whatever season you are in (Our S. Hemisphere friends are in Summer I believe)

May your New Year be filled with Hope, which is really the Best New Year's resolution we can all make.

Do you keep your holiday trimmings up until 12th night? Or do you take them down the 26th of December? Or are you the type who leaves their outdoor fairy lights on the house year round?