Winter twigs

Froggatt Edge, Peak District

The first time as a family that we've revisited where DD had her 'near-death' experience...

Near Chatsworth, Peak District

A morning's walk with the family.

Happy Birthday to me!

Cactus

A novel use for a football...

Spotted near the Country Park on our Boxing Day walk.

The Christmas dinner table

Christmas cards

Charity Santa

Off this evening on our annual pilgrimage to look at Christmas lights, in particular the fine display a man in the next village constructs each year to raise money for charity.

Solstice candles

The longest night and the shortest day have been and gone, and so the year turns once again.

Cranberries

Tree

Christmas wreaths

Took a walk around the village this afternoon to deliver Christmas cards, and was very impressed by the various festive wreaths decorating the front doors.

Santa's helper

Christmas tree

The kids and I decorated the Christmas tree this afternoon after school.

Gnome

One knitted gnome to add to our household decorations. For some reason both children are deeply impressed that I have managed to create something so good...

Pattern is the Alan Dart gnome pattern from Simply Knitting.

Christmas cake

Iced the Christmas cake this afternoon.

Snowman

Snuffle and Sparky

Snuffle the Christmas Puffle, and Sparky wearing the gnome's hat.

Don't ask me, ask DD...

Carols on the village green

Every year the local churches get together and hold a short carol service on the village green - a real village occasion, which almost everybody seems to go along to, and blessed tonight with seasonably clear and frosty weather.

Caius College, Cambridge

Spotted on my way home from Christmas shopping this afternoon. Someone's been doing a bit of illicit climbing...

Santa Claus is coming to town

DD wanted to dress up as Santa this evening. I think she made a good job of it :-)

Christmas tree, Notre Dame, Paris

Baubles on the Christmas tree in front of Notre Dame cathedral.

Galeries Lafayette, Paris

The Christmas lights on the Galeries Lafayette department store are just amazing this year.

The reindeer slippers

DD's favourites.

Christmas Cactus

Reindeer cloth

Found the most wonderful Christmas tablecloth for the kitchen table today. Multiple Rudolphs. Most excellent :-)

Penguin

DD's Christmas present for her teacher :-)

The holly bears a berry, as red as any blood

Christmas tree

As we're spending Christmas at home this year, the children have decided they want to decorate their bedrooms. So yesterday we found two small artificial trees to sit on their chests-of-drawers, and today bought some small LED light sets to go on the trees. The rest of the decorations will be homemade ones that they're planning to gradually construct between now and Christmas itself. I think their trees will look fantastic once they're done.

Poinsettia

The first little bit of Christmas in the house.