Stepping Into A New Year...

Happy New Year, Everyone!
.~. .~. .~.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." - Gospel of John 8:12

Hippeastrum (Amaryllis)

Tuesday Blue - Water Under the Bridge

Mosaic Monday: Snowy Christmas Collage

On the Road

Christmas is over. For the next three months or so it is going to be a real challenge to find a daily picture... There is so little colour in nature this time of the year! To survive, I think I shall have to look both in the rear mirror, and beyond that bend in the road...

Winter Town

From Christmas-December

Christmas Day

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven,

the shepherds said to one another,

'Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing

that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.'

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph,

and the baby, who was lying in the manger.

Luke 2:15,16

Christmas Eve

God Jul och Gott Nytt År

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

 

Here in Sweden, Father Christmas starts his rounds to deliver presents on Christmas Eve, and he usually knocks on the door in person instead of trying to squeeze in through the chimney.

The little house is a copy of storehouse from Northern Sweden. I wasn't sure of its origin but my aunt recently told me she remembers it from her childhood; her and my mother's father came from up North. The wooden bowl on the right is also from the same parts; that I think was bought on a holiday trip our family made there in the late 60's. The body of the Santa figure is a pine cone; I got that from a friend.

December Twilight

Tuesday Blue: Winter Sky

The Yule Buck

Before Father Christmas, there was the Yule Buck to deliver Christmas presents in Scandinavia. Bucks made of straw are still a common Christmas decoration. This one made of evergreen branches I saw at the Christmas market in town.




And here is another one I found last week in a garden I was passing!

4th Advent Sunday - The Light

The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
Gospel of St John 1:9

Christmas Market

Santaland Window Display

Ice Sculpture

The finished ice sculpture of a polar bear and cub - compare this week's Monday Mosaic.

Salvation Army Singing Carols

Tuesday Blue: December Reflections

Monday Mosaic: Fire and Ice

"Santaland" in the Market Square, and the making of an ice sculpture.

See more Monday Mosaic at Little Red House.

St Lucia Day

On 13 December, we celebrate Lucia*, or St Lucy's Day.
(First link goes to a post at my Island of the Voices blog; the second one to a Wikipedia article.)

Each town has their own official Lucia with maids appointed, and during the weeks before Christmas, they go round singing traditional carols and Lucia songs in different places, outdoors and indoors, according to a schedule; collecting money for charity. This picture was taken at an outdoors concert after dark.

*If you follow this link , you can also listen to one of the traditional Lucia songs.

The Light Within

Passing a graveyard chapel on a dark grey afternoon, I was intrigued by the glow coming from within. The doors were closed and there was nothing else to show there was anything special going on.



I did not investigate. Sometimes it's more fun just to let mysteries remain mysteries...

Thin Ice

One of the first frosty December mornings, my eye was caught by the intricate pattern of the thin ice on a puddle of rainwater from the previous days of heavy rain.

High Water

The water is high in the river after all the autumn rain.

Low Sun and Frosty Bridges

Tuesday Blue: Early Morning Moon

This picture of the full moon was taken on a frosty December morning last week.

Monday Mosaic: Advent Collage

Visit More Monday Mosaics at Little Red House

The Advent Star

... they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. (Matthew 2:9-10)

A Frosty December Morning

Thursday morning this week we had frost, and also a beautiful sunrise.

Christmas Carols

Music is an important part of this time of year, too. These little guys came as a Christmas present from a friend in Germany many years ago. Including the star the whole piece is only 5 cm high. They're standing beneath a lamp on top of my TV!

Heavy

Reminding me a bit of the globe we live on... ;) But it's the top of a gate post leading to an old graveyard.

Window Decorations

My living room window, with the balcony outside.

Outdoors and Indoors Advent Decorations

Christmas Decorated Shopping Street

Tuesday Blue - Mallards

Wrapped in Light

Wrapping bare tree trunks and branches with lights has become more and more common in later years, as an alternative or addition to the traditional evergreen Christmas trees.

1st Advent Sunday

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." Gospel of Matthew 2:1-2

Time for Private and Public Advent/Christmas Decorations

Read more about our Advent traditions at my blog The Island of the Voices (the first Advent-related post was Monday 23 November).

Time to Focus on Colour to Brighten Up the Grey Days

Time to Feed the Birds

Time to Light Lanterns in the Dark

Time to Start the Christmas Cleaning

In my personal opinion, the supermarket is "overdoing" it a bit...

Mosaic Monday: Coffee or Tea?

Interiors from a favourite shop of mine!
This is just the right time of year to just cuddle up indoors with a hot mug of whatever-you-like-best... (My own choice is tea!)

Looking Up

"Let your religion be less of a theory and more of a love affair."
G.K. Chesterton

November Red

Not much colour left in the world in November in our climate, but there is still the occasional find...

Frosty Grass

Defoliated View