Christmas blessings - from my home to yours

Thank you to each & everyone who supports my blog by stopping by, reading & at times leaving a comment.

I send you Christmas blessings - from my home to yours; may your day be peaceful, reflective & blessed. Keep it real, keep it kind,  but most of all, keep it authentic to you & yours.

May you find beauty & light in your day ...

May your Christmas be a reflection of what you hold dear ...

Remember the Christmas message  to share love & your hospitality

May your table have abundance for you & your guests, set an extra place for those who need it  ...

May your home be welcoming & warm ...

Above all, may you pause to remember those who need your prayers & blessings

Be blessed this Christmas, stay real, keep it special & above all, be kind to one another ... 

Dee ~💕~

Tell your stories this Christmas & be blessed ...

Christmas Eve is upon us once again & it is always a time to think of those not with us, it is a time to tell their stories so those stories stay part of our immediate family.  Those we love live on while someone still tells their story. It is hard to pass your own story on to the next generation because sometimes it is complicated & because times have moved on & the things that troubled you will have no meaning for them; your dreams & angsts can seem trivial to others as your parents story was not understood by you until much later. Sometimes  the young just don’t attach importance to stories   ...

Sue Shellenbarger address this issue too in her contribution the-secret-benefits-of-retelling-family-stories

We al have this idealised version of family life; the one promoted by Instagram & Hollywood & it is far from reality.  Everyone’s family is different, everyone has the outspoken relative, the crazy uncle who is much derided, the one who drinks too much & the one who drinks too little; the one who embellishes each story, the one whose stories don’t need any help; some who remain humble by enriching the lives of others & others who fly because they are destined for greater things - they are all there, they all have their place, they are all part of our greater story; the story is big enough to encompass them all ...

The stories of growing up in a simpler time on another continent are told for understanding, not sympathy. These experiences enrich life, experiences make us grow & adapt, we cannot separate & curate only the good times but we don’t have to dwell on the less than perfect moments, all stories have them.

We tell our stories because it helps us to make sense of who we are too, it helps us to cope with change, emotions & obstacles.  Our stories most importantly keeps our past alive for us too;
They Softly Walk ...

They are not gone who pass

Beyond the clasp of hands ... 

They are not dead who live 

In hearts they leave behind. 

In those whom they have blessed 

They live a life again, 

And shall live through the years 

Eternal life, and grow

Each day more beautiful

As time declares their good, 

Forgets the rest, and proves

Their immortality. 

This Christmas, tell your family stories around the table & the tree - that is what it is all about, it is about sharing & about honouring & respecting each generation; young & old.

Thank you for stopping by & being part of my online community, be blessed

Dee ~💕~

The four Advent candles are lit ...

Hi all,

My pledge this past year has been to embrace life & travel more & that I have done, just returning from Christmas markets in Salzburg, Munich & Innsbruck.

While travelling pre Christmas, I saw the traditions & observances they hold dear - many of my ancestors came from that part of Europe & in many ways, I have observed similar ones so they feel familiar to me - familiar as I know them in various forms.

My Austrian hairdresser advised me on where to visit in Salzburg, one of her favourite places outside of Vienna where her Mother still lives. She always has an Advent candle in her salon & this is hers ...

Germany & Austria had some beautiful Advent candle holder on their traditional Christmas markets. There were Advent holders with space for the candles all over & it is something every home will have.

The Cathedral in Salzburg had a hanging wreath above its entrance, with the traditional market just opposite ...

 In the Salzburg Cathedral, on a rope so it can be lowered to be lit ...

The ceiling of the Cathedral in Munchen / Munich

The traditional Advent wreath in Munich Cathedral ...

The stunning green topped copper domes of the Munich Cathedral ...

The Heilige Geist Kirche in Munich

The Advent wreath, a Christmastime, elegantly lit & the traditional Christmas scenes ...

While visiting these amazing churches, I took the time to light a prayer / remembrance candle for my Mother who was born of Christmas day.  Her ancestry was very much of this region so it seemed appropriate to remember her in Cathedrals there ...

 This one next to the Frauen chapel in the Munich Cathedral

For the Mother’s who won’t be with us at Christmas ...

 In Salzburg, at the Cathedral ...

Another prayer for our Mum’s ...

As we approach Christmas, give thanks for all the blessings you do have & I think this is how we should all approach the festive season  .... 

Be blessed as we approach Christmas, stay real, keep Christmas special & above all, be kind to one another ... 

Dee ~💕~

Enjoying our lovely Autumn ...

I unashamedly love Autumn - the feeling that earth is winding down after a busy summer, that it is acceptable to catch ones breath & enjoy a slower pace of life, hibernation & hygge / hyggae are inviting, it is the season of contentment ...

‘Notice that Autumn is more the season of the soul than of nature’ Friedrich Nietzsche

I love the contrasts between the white frost, blue skies & the carpet of russets, crimsons, gold, scarlet, saffron orange, and luminous yellow leaves lift the spirit.

I love how fallen leaves accentuate individual leaf shapes - the edges curl up elegantly as they gather in beautiful heaps that crunch as you walk through them.

I love the filtered light through the canopy of leaves & how a breeze, however light, brings them tumbling down - gently.

I have got out early on my day off to wander in the local woods & to just breath in the beauty of Autumn.

Autumn is a time beloved by many of our favourite artists - Van Gogh's Landscape with four trees  is a favourite, the colours & trees represent Autumn well.

My students have used David Hockney’s stunning ‘Woldgate woods’ as an Autumn art inspiration before, I think we need to revisit this beautiful art

'Everyone must take time to sit & watch the leaves turn’ - Elizabeth Lawrence

‘Falling leaves hide the path so quietly’ John Bailey

‘Leaves are falling, Autumn is calling’

‘My favourite colour is Autumn’

‘ I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as Autumnal sunshine by staying in the house. So I have spent almost all the daylight hours in the open air’ Nathaniel Hawthorne

‘Wild is the music of the Autumnal winds amongst the faded woods’ William Wordsworth

‘Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall’ F. Scott Fitzgerald

I hope you are enjoying Autumn wherever you are, get out & jump in those leaves. Do you have a favourite Autumn quote?

Thank you for your company,
Dee ~💕~

Jardin Majorelle YSL Gardens in Marrakech

I have to share a very special garden I visited in Marrakech, Morocco.

I knew little of the Jardin Majorelle  in Marrakech other than the briefest of notions that it paid homage to Yves Saint Laurent & Pierre Berge

The gardens were created by the French painter Jacques Majorelle (1886-1952) in the heart of Marrakech & as an amateur botanist, he created a haven of calm & coolness in the heart of this bustling city. The blue he used was named after him - Majorelle Bleu

The gardens cover two and a half acres & it is an absolutely joy to visit with its cobalt blue features, the lush planting & the calm amidst the busy city. 

In 1980, Yves Saint Laurent & Pierre Berge bought the gardens & they are an absolute joy to visit with vibrant colours, water, towering bamboo, cacti, tiles, memorials etc

Perfect views with colour & structural plants punctuating the scene ...

Beautiful reflections & details of the varied foliage ...

The intricate details are very evident in Morocco & in Spain, how lovely are these colours?

The gardens serve as a green space in the sprawling urban setting, almost at odds with the noise & bustle just beyond the walls ... 

The vibrant blues, tiles, fretwork & pot plants just set a perfect scene ... 

The cacti are so structural against the intense cobalt blue walls ...

The on site bookshop echoes this attention to detail ... 

The stunning shop with beautiful wares ...

The vibrant colours work well under the hot, blue Moroccan sky; the whole space is so calming, a haven in the business of Marrakech.

I hope you have enjoyed this inspirational garden as much as I did. Thank you for stopping by,

Dee ~💕~