Poinsettias

So when did poinsettias become a "thing" at Christmas? I looked it up on National Geographic's website. Here's what I found:

"Franciscan missionaries arrived in Mexico in the 16th century and eventually began setting up elaborate manger scenes at Christmastime. Holly, Europe’s holiday flora of choice, was nowhere to be found for the dioramas, but when the missionaries saw the red and green colors of this local plant—that happened to burst into color every December—they knew they had the perfect stand-in."

In-Between

 

Yep, it's been that kind of weather here. Kind of in-between sunny and pleasant and everything else. So it probably was a wise idea to carry an extra wrap with you just in case.

Linking again today with Skywatch Friday.

Fourth Day

 

No calling birds, at least I couldn't find any. So how about a Christmas fox and some holly? :-)

Reminders

 

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