There could only be one choice for the final door of the advent calendar — Jesus! This is Jesus’s tenth Christmas, but he is still as sprightly and daft as when he first moved in with us. For the first few years of his life, we lived in several different places, and he accepted each… Read More
twenty two
Cake time! Well, not quite yet: time, rather to apply the marzipan . . . then icing. The smell when we unwrapped the greaseproof paper was utterly delicious.
twenty
You will note that this advent calendar is turning out to have a determinedly snowy theme. Behind today’s door are some images from our lovely weekend away in the woods and hills. I do enjoy the snow — both for walking, and for photographing. I love its eerie quietness; its crazy, sculptural qualities; the incredible… Read More
nineteen
Now, I looked for an ass, but there were none to be found — no doubt they were all sensibly hunkering in a stable somewhere. I knew where I could reliably find an ox, though. This is Hamish, and at all times of the year he can be seen outside Kilmahog woollen mill. Hamish is… Read More
sixteen
help . . .
fifteen
My own neighbourhood is my favourite place to walk, at all times of the year. The We Love Leith movement is currently encouraging more people to walk, bicycle, and enjoy their local patch. I am very fond of these banners, which currently festoon Leith Walk, and which celebrate Leith’s exuberance, variety, and history. This one… Read More
thirteen
Christmas before the Victorians got their hands on it.
eleven
I’ve always liked the Dalahäst, and was really pleased when my horse-themed stamps turned up here yesterday. This one is designed by the Mayberry Sparrow and I love it. The Dalahäst reminds me of a wintertime trip that Tom and I took to Stockholm a few years ago, one of the highlights of which was… Read More
ten
I was fascinated by the shadowy look and tinkling sound of the water under the ice on our Highland walk last weekend — however, the higher we got, the more ice there was, and I became less interested in its aesthetic properties and more concerned by not throwing bambi-like shapes upon it . . .… Read More
seven
To continue the snowy theme, behind the seventh door is a snowman, back (I think) in 1984. The coat I am wearing was handmade by my Ma, and the hood by my Grandma. It was the era of the knitted snood, and Grandma had clearly given this one a Tyrolean theme. We built this snowman… Read More
six
Behind today’s advent calendar “door” we have a couple of studies in green and gold. First up, the not-so-secret ingredient in Tom’s Christmas ale. We are already looking forward to this festive brew! I’ve always been intrigued by Lyle’s Lion and Bees trademark, and only today discovered that “out of the strong came forth sweetness”… Read More
five
The first snowy walk of the season. As I had a vague idea of attempting a solo mountain walk in a few weeks time, Tom suggested I should test my navigational skills on a familiar route. The tops of the hills were swathed in cloud as we approached, giving us little sense of how wintry… Read More
