Since moving to the US I have taken to reading Dylan Thomas’ A Child’s Christmas In Wales each year. My father’s side of my family is from Wales and I lived in South East Wales for 17 years. My home is in Maui, my heart is in Wales. Reading Thomas’ account of Christmases that he had spent as a child in Wales takes me back to locations that used to be so close, and so common in mentions that I never took much notice of them.
🦉 Thanks to @andycarolan@social.lol I now have quite the collection of Owl Avatars. With the Winter Solstice now past us and Christmas here, I have changed the owl to Winter Owl. He can now take me through the darker and colder months of the year. Thank you Andy. ⚘
🥧 My search for Mince Pies finally turned up trumps today here on Maui. I now have 9 mini mince pies and 6 standard sized pies in the house. Given that I am the only Englishman in the house and the only person in the family who likes mince pies, I stand to have an enjoyable and tasty next few days. ⚘
I have seen a number of film versions Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, but have never read the book. So over the last few days I have had an audio book version, narrated by LeVar Burton, playing in the car. Although I knew the story, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The only thing that I missed were the characters voices not being read in an English accent.
The version of A Christmas Carol that I listened to was a part of the Apple Books Classics series. 📚
It’s day 9 of the 12 days of Winter Wonder Photo Challenge on Micro.blog. The subject for today is Baking.
A chicken pot pie that my wife made 14 years ago (wow, time flies). It was delicious. 😋️
It’s day 8 of the 12 days of Winter Wonder Photo Challenge on Micro.blog. The subject for today is Grinch.
My grandson being attacked by the Grinch last year. …He survived…
It’s day 7 of the 12 days of Winter Wonder Photo Challenge on Micro.blog. The subject for today is Solstice.
If I could have seen the horizon, the sun would have been rising as I took this photograph, rising on the shortest day of the year here in the northern hemisphere.
It’s day 6 of the 12 days of Winter Wonder Photo Challenge on Micro.blog. The subject for today is Sparkle.
This train is the Maui Sugar Cane Train that ran on Maui’s West side, taking locals and visitors on a short 7 mile run. In the lead up to Christmas it use to run to Santa Land in the evening to pick up Santa so he could meet the kids. Sadly it stopped running in 2019.
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It’s day 5 of the 12 days of Winter Wonder Photo Challenge on Micro.blog. The subject for today is Beard.
It’s day 4 of the 12 days of Winter Wonder Photo Challenge on Micro.blog. The subject for today is Evergreen.
It’s day 3 of the 12 days of Winter Wonder Photo Challenge on Micro.blog. The subject for today is Firelight.
🥵 We are having very hot winter weather at the moment. Yes, I would expect warmer weather in Hawaii during winter than some more northerly latitudes, but this just feels very hot. Clear skies, strong sun. ⚘
It’s day 2 of the 12 days of Winter Wonder Photo Challenge on Micro.blog. The subject for today is Cozy.
Today is the first day of the 12 days of the Winter Wonder Photo Challenge on Micro.blog. The subject for today is Frost.
Living here on Maui frost is far from a common occurrence. Maybe you’ll see it at higher elevations and on the summit of Haleakala during the winter months, but definitely not where I live.
So I have chosen a photo that was taken in South Wales in December 2010.
I was driving in the car yesterday listening to some Holiday music, music that I actually didn’t like (they were just on whichever Playlist was playing at that time) and it made me wonder what Christmas songs I do like (I am going to say Christmas here as opposed to Holiday, as Christmas was the word that was used to describe this time of year when I was growing up in Britain.
🤫 We’ve woken up to a still and quiet Sunday morning. This is just what the doctor ordered after a busy second half of the week. The sun is out, the sky is clear, there’s not a breath of wind. I am grateful for this feeling in the air (though pouring rain would have been a good excuse to just sit and watch a movie). ⚘
🎄 I saw this cartoon by Liza Donnelly and it made me ask myself, why do I anthropomorphize our Christmas tree? I notice that I do that each year. I don’t give it a name as Liza does in her cartoon, but I find myself concerned that it has enough water, and that it is looked after well, and about its sacrifice for our enjoyment through the Holiday season. Why do I do that, I wonder? ⚘
🎇 Over the last two nights I’ve enjoyed seeing all the houses lit up with Holiday lights while driving by. Each year there seem to be more and more houses joining in the fun. While definitely not as meditative as The Candle Light Ceremony from a couple of nights ago, I am experiencing the lights in a different way (as opposed to my “bah humbug, crass commercialism” perspective) - a letting in of joy and light as the days get shorter. ⚘
From a corner of my iPhone Home Screen. A little festive fun created with the help of Festivitas created by Simon B. Støvring.
