may you pass through the gateway from this year to next

with grace, with ease, with love

happy new year.

furious race to the sea

even as ice begins working its crystal fingers through the frantic weave of water

oh, malyss,

i fear this is a new member in the club of pining pines.

oh, my darlin', oh, my darlin',

oh, my darlin' clementine...

every chef needs a break every once in a while

and a little nibble of something lovely to eat under the cold december sun.

glittering stars

in a man-made sky

for those who observe this holiday (and for those who don't),

may this be a beautiful, peaceful, light-filled day

this is one of the most unusual

in a legion of unusual nativity scenes

a lovely octogenerian, shirley squires

surrounded by about one-fourth of her collection.

a-purr in the manger

shirley squires has collected 1100 different nativity scenes at her home in guilford, vermont.

the other 1099 are equally unique

he's making a list

checking it twice,

welcoming new followers redpat, caren, mario, and beth

(alas, we've learned baby brattcat's flight was cancelled due to conditions at heathrow.

but that doesn't mean santa forgot us...he'll be sending the littlest brattcat home on christmas day...now that's a wonderful gift!)

on the streets of brattleboro

three jovial musicians put passers by in a festive mood

the glass blower

simon pearce,

quechee, vermont

the brittle bones of an apple orchard

creak beneath the meek december sun

a momentary dearth of snow

though we'll be tromping through drifts of it soon enough

are there others out there

who love making things

with bits of yarn?

(fuzzy mitten lamb pattern by barbara prime and rainbow baby pattern by jean greenhowe )

a warm and wooly welcome to new followers southshoreandbeyond, james, snickjack, cindy, and mahon

on the stone fence in our backyard, happy, happy little gnawers have

nibbled their way through their rda of vitamin a

what creature of the woods

was celebrating a birthday?

on a recent walk in the retreat woods

i came upon a small army of lean-to shelters sprouting like mushrooms in every direction

the troll left his post to get a mocha latte

and a moment later the littlest billy goat gruff

went safely clip-clopping over the curved white bridge

(newport, vermont)

to make a mountain:

gently knead the eager earth, stir in drops of minty green color, dust lightly with sugar

(southern quebec, canada)

can you ever truly be lost

if you keep the pinnacle in sight?

(southern quebec, canada)

the grasses of november

sing with a fragile melancholy

this sleigh stopped one night in a snowy wood

and never set off again

(northern vermont)

tote road through a cedar swamp

just to the right of this image beaver have built a magnificent dam

(near lake memphremagog)

welcome to new followers:

kate, winter, ruma, maggie, fideladelphia and giraldyne

(the magnificent dam)

a backyard in stowe,

what a calm place to go

(stowe, vermont)

the retreat clocks in their tower,

four synchronized dancers, slowly sweeping through the fading november afternoon

at dusk, a cat watches

through the back window of the florist shop

(chapin street, brattleboro)

brussel sprouts...gotta love 'em

how do you cook yours?

(the cat is out prowling and no where near a computer for a few days)

"time...

is tapping on my forehead

hanging from my mirror

rattling the teacup

and i wonder..."

-overs, simon and garfunkel, 1968

(sorry, i couldn't resist another dip into the p. simon songbook.

i think i've got it out of my system now.)

"time it was, and what a time it was, it was

a time of innocence,

a time of confidences.

long ago it must be,

i have a photograph,

preserve your memories;

they're all that's left you."

-bookends, p. simon, 1968

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