Red Christmas bauble

Red and white are typical Christmas colours. And I admit, I always like to add a bit of red in the house around Christmas, a cushion with red touches or some red berries in a wreath or in a bouquet or of course some red Christmas baubles.

 

Wit en rood zijn typische kerstkleuren. En ik geef toe, met kerst voeg ik graag wat rode toetsen  toe in huis, een kussen met rood erin of rode bessen in een krans of boeket of uiteraard rode kerstballen.

 

 

But this year even nature is adding the smallest red touch outside. Last Spring there was one almost unnoticable bloom on the Malus tree we planted the Autumn before, and now, with all the leaves fallen, one small red apple is clearly visible.

One natural red Christmas bauble. 

 

Maar dit jaar heeft de natuur buiten ook een rode toets toegevoegd. In de lente was er één onopvallende bloesem te zien aan ons Malusboompje dat we de herfst ervoor plantten, en nu, met alle bladeren gevallen, valt één klein rood appeltje goed op.

Eén natuurlijke rode kerstbal.

 

 

 

 

 

Laatste week voor Kerst/ Last week before Christmas

Ongelooflijk dat het al de laatste week voor Kerst is. Kerst komt dit jaar precies te vroeg, ben er nog helemaal niet klaar voor. Vorige week was er wel even een sprankel kerstgevoel toen het enkele nachten vroor en de wereld 's morgens een wit randje had. Mooi vind ik dat altijd.

 

Unbelievable Christmas is already around the corner, only one week left!

I don't feel ready for Christmas yet, as if it comes too soon this year.

Last week, there was a bit of a Christmas feeling after we had some nights with

temps blow zero which gave the world a white edging in the mornings.

Always such a pretty view.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deze week ontbreekt dat witte randje en weg kerstgevoel, al steek ik dan de lichtjes in de kerstboom (boompje eigenlijk) buiten aan, en al staat de Amaryllis bijna in bloei. Ik hoop hier binnenkort foto's van een bloeiende Amaryllis te kunnen delen maar voorlopig blijven de stelen groeien en laten de knoppen nog niets van de bloemkleur(die wit zou moeten zijn) zien. De Amaryllis is er ook nog niet klaar voor denk ik, voor Kerst.

 

This week there hasn't been a white edging though and with it all Christmas feeling disappeared as well, even if I do turn on the lights in the Christmas tree outside. And even if the Amaryllis is almost blooming. The stems keep growing but the flowerbuds are tightly closed and don't want to reveal any colour(should be white btw). It seems as if Amaryllis isn't ready for Christmas yet either.

 

 

 

 

Niet zo voor de kerstroos. Die staat wél in bloei, helemaal klaar voor Kerst.

 

Not so for the Christmas Rose, blooming and ready for Christmas.

 

 

 

  Toch al een klein hoekje Kerst in de woonkamer.

 

Just a little Christmassy corner in the living room.

 

 

En deze brownies (recept) hebben ook wel iets kerstigs, met cranberries erin verwerkt én op een mooi wit papieren kantje.

 

These brownies (recipe) have something Christmassy about them as well, with the added cranberries and presented on a white lacey paper.

 

 

Geen idee of ik nog wat zal bloggen voor Kerst dus vandaar nu al mijn allerbeste wensen voor een mooie en vreugdevolle kerstperiode voor iedereen

 

Lieve groet,

Marian

 

No idea if I'll be blogging again before Christmas, so I wish you all

a Merry Christmastime already now.

 

Bye,

Marian

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first week of December 2013

 

Autumn at its end. Last colours of Autumn in the garden.

 

 

 

 

 After the fierce wind from the 'Sinterklaasstorm' that blew over Europe

yesterday afternoon and last night, all of the leaves have fallen by now.

It makes for quite a difference in the garden in just one week.

Winter is clearly on the doorstep.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some frosty pictures from last week.

 

I was home on the particular morning that I took these pictures.

There was fog that morning and it became thicker really fast.

When I went inside after my very short(it was cold!) photosession outside

I heard the news on the radio and that thick fog had caused

a terrible accident on the highway nearby.

I immediately phoned my husband. He was safe at its job, a relief.

We always have to take that highway.

What I heard on the radio sounded very serious

and the extra news at noon with the first images confirmed it.

It's a miracle only one person didn't survive the crash.

There were a lot of people injured of course,

brought to hospitals all over the province.

Somehow this crash dominated my week.

Just couldn't get the images out of my mind.

 

Trying to set my mind to other things and started some knitting

with wool I've had for a whole year now,

a very different kind of wool, coming with an

explanation on how to use it. Maybe you've

seen this kind of wool already and know the trick. I still had to get the

hang of it but once I did I had a new self-knitted scarf in no time,

an ideal Christmas gift even maybe. 

 

 

 

 

Quietly knitting versus a chain reaction crash and the worst storm in years,

that was what crossed my mind when today the title of a book on our bookshelf caught my eye.

'Quiet living' is the title, a book about country interiors.

 

And then last night, I heard that Nelson Mandela died, such an icon.

This first week of December didn't just go by, not quiet at all,

as wasn't the life of this legendary man,

a legend already during his life and even more now.

 

 

Hope you all got through this first week of December safe and well.

 

Maybe this weekend I'll take a look in that book I mentioned.

What are you up to this weekend, quiet and easy living or will it rather be the opposite?

 

 

 

Marian