Hope everyone who celebrates had a truly wonderful Christmas. It was very good at our house.

Santa got his bling on!

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A neighbor does a very good job decorating, every single big holiday. It’s great. Merry Christmas to all!

Icicle lights, Christmas animals, candy canes and Frosty. The works!

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This is my favorite holiday of the year. The light returns! A happy Winter Solstice to you. We can all agree that celebrating light is a wonderful thing.

May your own world continue to brighten.

Holiday lights against a pink sky

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This little darling always blooms at Halloween rather than wait for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving cactus plants have the pointy upper points on their leaves or clades. Here it is on a beautiful sunny day we had recently. In Seattle we cherish sunny days so much.

The magenta-pink-and-white flowers on this Thanksgiving cactus are so showy!

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My Thanksgiving cactus likes to bloom for Halloween. I’m OK with that.

Red Thanksgiving cactus blooming in late October

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This is a late bloom of Crimson Glory, a deep cherry-red rose my friend rooted for me many years ago. It smells so intensely sweet!

Autumn rose blooming in a tiny cut glass vase

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My bedroom overlooks our rose bed, which has about fifteen rosebushes and is in front of the house. Lots of people walk by with their dogs, or just stroll by for a walk. So I am reluctant to cut any roses for bouquets, thus reducing the view for myself and passersby. But a big rain was forecast (finally!), so I cut most of them. Once it rains hard on roses, they don’t look so good for anyone, so best to bring them in.

If only you could smell them, so incredibly sweet! Homegrown roses smell the best.

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The tomato yield has been super this year. I got them in our new raised beds in late May, which is early for tomatoes in Seattle. I thought it might be too early, but the soil warms up a bit faster in raised beds and I think that made a big difference. Also we had evenly beautiful weather this summer, the most beautiful summer I ever remember in the 20 years plus I’ve been here. I almost feel guilty since so many other places in the world had difficult weather, to say the least. But I have enjoyed the balmy, sunny days so much.

Early Girls (the bigger red ones) and lots of yellow pears. The darker burgundy-colored ones are very sweet. Plenty more coming up.

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The roses are looking beautiful at my favorite time of day, summertime early evening.

Darling and delicate pink petals on this rose in my garden

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Berries have been gorgeous this year, at home and roadside. These blackberry vines were just loaded! A crisp ensued. Summer happiness.

Big juicy blackberries, ready to pick.

Blackberry crisp

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