The Countdown Is On
My week in photographs, December 20–26, 2021
It’s a weeny bit ironic that I’m at the end of my photo-a-day challenge and finally got around to asking my daughter to email the pub allowing me to use her and Steven’s photos. I took this lead photo of her on Christmas Day, and that smile just melted my heart.
Hannah loves Christmas. She carefully wraps every hand-picked and thoughtfully chosen parcel, and both she and Steven always dress for any occasion sporting their Fecal Matter look.
To some, it’s weird. Sure the clothes and makeup are not something I would wear, but it’s their style and brand. What matters most is their caring and kind souls, which oozes from both every day.
We had a lovely day on Saturday and thanks to her suggestion, the present opening was an extended and enjoyable occasion.
In preparation for Christmas, I had a baking day. Usually, Hannah would join me, but with the uptick in Omicron cases here and since my son had been sick last week, we decided that the longer we stayed separated, the more likely our Christmas gathering could happen.
My son’s girlfriend was here, so I enlisted her help to roll and flatten the cookies before baking. They both had the job of icing the cookies; why do boys always have to have their minds elsewhere?!
I bought the fruit mince but made the sweet pastry. I loved mince pies as a child, and the first bite was a reminder of why.
I haven’t hung any fragile decorations on the Christmas tree for years now because of naughty, nosy kitty cats. Instead, I place the balls inside a glass jar at the entrance table. You can even spot the photographer in the reflection.
A girlfriend gave me a grow-your-own Christmas Tree as a gift. It came with seeds and this box and required just 30mls of water and a plastic covering to get it started. I took the first pic when the sprouts arrived about ten days later. The second picture was taken just five days after that.
I can’t believe the growth. The intricacy of each stem before it opens out is truly breathtaking. Gosh, I love Nature.
The idea is to plant it — box and all — once it has become well established. The friend that gave it to me has a cottage, and so the deal is for it to be planted there eventually since I don’t have a garden.
I’ll keep you posted!
Bubba was just too cute not to photograph this week. He has an established routine of lying full stretch on my son’s knees every morning for a good couple of hours. My son loves it as he is an avid reader.
Bubba is more than relaxed, sometimes with paws in the air if he wants a belly rub. If he prefers a neck scritch or a pat, he does the cutest little squeak to ask my son. Aw!
My last photo is the first one I took for the week. Monday morning, the moon was huge, the clouds were odd — similar to a flock of birds in flying formation — and the sun was catching a building in the distance.
What a wonderful sight to wake up to.
I was a bit premature saying this would be my last week for a photo-a-day story when the year only ends this Friday. So, one more week to go. I’m counting down!
Thanks to Dennett for starting this challenge way back. There are several other contributors whose stories I enjoy reading each week; Ellie Jacobson ✍🏻, Shruthi Sundaram, Kim Zuch, Anne Bonfert, Susan Alison, Barbara Radisavljevic, Diana Lotti, Erika Burkhalter, Olive Wilson and Jane Frost (Jane Grows Garden Rooms).
A new year approaches; maybe you will join in on the action? See the submission details below and get ready to snap!
All photos were taken with an iPhone 11