Holiday Greetings
Felicitations of the Season! It seems that Christmas 2025 will bring a slew of weather events to our country and that we have survived the first year of a Trump Presidency again. It certainly seems a good time to appreciate the small moments of joy in our lives and to do what we can to ease the pain of folks caught in floods, fires and earthquakes. As we roll into 2026, I remain hopeful that our country will find common ground and come together to preserve our Schools, Parks, Healthcare, Humanitarian Aid and Science programs. Things we have taken for granted as being right and good have come under great risk of being destroyed- our Democracy, Rule of Law and policy of working to Protect those that have fled Terrorism, Violence and Political unrest. These are heavy subjects for my normally upbeat and garden centric blog, but these are rough times for us all. My wish is for my readers, is that each one of you will find peaceful moments with your family and friends and that you too will remain hopeful for our future in the U.S.. It is truly a beautiful place full of hard working, diverse, and inspiring people. On my travels across the country, people are so kind to me and very helpful. We probably don’t share the same view of our government or even daily life but, civility and respect allow for enriching conversations and interactions giving each person a commonality with the other.
At the end of November and in the first part of December, I was searching out Reds and Greens in the gardens, my travel photos and in our decorating. So much a part of this time of year, I wanted to find Red and Green represented in the natural world and in places you might not expect. I was in L.A. at that time and I still found these gorgeous red roses blooming at the L.A. Arboretum along with Pyracantha berries and Grevillea ‘coastal gem’ flowers. Unfortunately, Pyracantha berries are not good for decorating since the dry out quickly and droop, but the birds love them on the shrubs and the clumps of berries can be dazzling.
Crossing the U.S. in mid December, I traveled up to Southern New Hampshire to stay with my daughter and son in law for Christmas through New Years Eve. I was greeted by this winter snow scene and iced over pond straight out of my childhood dreams of a white Christmas.
Ones childhood dreams usually don’t include the thought of frigid temperatures and arctic wind! Luckily, we got my extra warm winter gear a few years ago, so I can suit up to walk out the door and be in nature.
We have good company on our walks too- Buck the Coonhound mix, Tank the Bernese Mountain dog and a new addition. The new puppy, who is a mystery mix for now, looks like he will be big too! Can’t wait to see his DNA test results!
A few days ago warmed up to a balmy 50 degrees and it rained a bunch and the whole landscape changed.
The snow melted off but the pond didn’t thaw.
It is so different here in the winter. In the warm season you can’t view through the forest as it is thick with foliage. Views of homes, water areas and distant hills open up and it is fun to be able to get an idea of what is hidden in Summer. Today it started to snow again and within a few hours the lawn areas, driveway and forest floor is coated again with a pristine layer of fresh snow. The flakes are so big too! The dogs love the snow and enjoy playing with each other and their doggy friends in the fresh powder.
For a California Girl it is a hard sell to get me to stay out in the cold for too long so I hunker down inside and we work on puzzles, bake way too many Christmas cookies, catch up on episodes of favorite shows and read by the Christmas Tree. Two giant cats live here too. This orange marmalade cat is my constant companion when I visit. He enjoys a break from the dogs and the other cat in my room. I really miss having a cat of my own, so am very happy to have such a good pal.
I have been keeping up with my Etsy crafts too. The Fanciful Owl Workshop launched on Etsy in September and has done okay. These funny crocheted figures with be transformed into Fairies and Leprechauns for spring sales and I will make some more Kitchen Witches, since they sold out in December. If you want to check out some of the items here is a link:
I am enjoying indulging my artistic pursuits and dreaming up new designs and items. Etsy is far too big and overwhelming, but for now it seems to be a good platform.
In Spring, I will be releasing several books to the Apple Books digital platform. Subject matter is to be expected- Landscape Design and Garden Travel.
I have been enjoying the Substack social network as a reader and will start my own Substack series of articles in 2026. These will be similar to this blog and will help to network my website with the Substack community.
A very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
In tandem with holidays of the diverse religions of our country. May they all be happy celebrations with time to slow down and enjoy each others company. Then we tackle 2026!
