Beehive

Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia

Ball

Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia

House of Music

Main Street, Charlottesville

Painting

Frelinghuysen Arboretum

Morristown, New Jersey

Stepped briefly into the arboretum's air-conditioned (!) visitor center and spotted this lovely painting. Didn't have the presence of mind to jot down the artist's name. Sorry! Next time. :-)

Northampton Women

Northampton, Massachusetts, near Smith College

Cat

 

Richmond, Virginia

Mantu

 

Belle Isle in Richmond, Virginia

821 Café

 

The 821 Café is a popular eatery just across the street from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. It has a very small dining area, hence the people outside waiting for tables to open up. But what it lacks in space, it tries to compensate with good food at more or less reasonable prices. I had their Grummus Wrap loaded with hummus, field greens, feta, kalamata olives, banana peppers, cucumbers, red onions, tomatoes and balsamic vinaigrette in a flour tortilla and a side cup of fruit for $12. 

Reminders

 

It's a special time of year, to be sure. Everywhere, there are small and sometimes not so small reminders.

Ring Out, Wild Bells

 

Merry Christmas everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas Eve and are not too tired out this morning. :-) I finally got in a half hour after midnight this morning after singing one service yesterday morning and three last night. Whew! Lots of fun. 

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,

   The flying cloud, the frosty light:

   The year is dying in the night;

Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,

   Ring, happy bells, across the snow:

   The year is going, let him go;

Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind

   For those that here we see no more;

   Ring out the feud of rich and poor,

Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,

   And ancient forms of party strife;

   Ring in the nobler modes of life,

With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,

   The faithless coldness of the times;

   Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes

But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,

   The civic slander and the spite;

   Ring in the love of truth and right,

Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease;

   Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;

   Ring out the thousand wars of old,

Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,

   The larger heart, the kindlier hand;

   Ring out the darkness of the land,

Ring in the Christ that is to be.

-- Alfred Tennyson

Oranges

Odd, isn't it, how certain images provoke thought. This wreath had me thinking of those suffering from hunger all around the world this season.

As promise wakens in the sleeping land:

They carol, feast, give thanks,

And dearly love their friends,

And hope for peace.

-- Susan Cooper 

Owl

 

Third Sunday of Advent

 

Hanging of the Greens

 

Wool

Blue Ribbon

 

I noticed just yesterday that this wreath had won first-place in the amateur division. Colonial Williamsburg's wreaths are like that. Some are produced every year by professionals, while others are created by amateurs. I see here a rather fun combination of both whimsy and design.

Nurtured Notion

A very fun shop to visit any time of year, but especially here during and in between the holidays.

Barn

It's Started!

It's started! Colonial Williamburg is decorating for the coming holidays and I'm very much looking forward to what are local wreath-makers will come up with this year.

Kiln Kingdom

 

There's a new shop in town. I actually posted the photo above several weeks ago when the shop opened. The sign shown below, however, was just installed. The proprietor told me that the glass and ceramics in his shop are made by members of his family back home in Turkey and shipped here. In addition to these, he offers a variety of Turkish treats and coffee.