December

 

Our home is decorated for the winter - the Geek always puts these lights up the weekend after Thanksgiving and they will stay there until daylight saving begins. We call them winter lights - this is a rather dark corner and all the dog walkers and joggers are thankful for some light. The lights are on a timer and switch on half an hour before sunset, switch off at 10pm and then switch on again at 6am for 90 minutes. We don't do any kind of Christmas decoration anymore and we said goodbye to a Christmas tree several years ago. It was a big relief for me.

December here looks a lot like autumn. The Japanese Maple in front of our house usually gets its most brilliant color around Thanksgiving and this year it lasted well into December.

These pictures were taken at sunrise when the leaves are backlit and the most beautiful.

Winter sunrises and sunsets are so much more intense. I enjoy the view from my bedroom window, shortly before sunrise...

... and after sunset.

However, I don't look that brilliant before sunrise. Here I am before breakfast, and more importantly before coffee, and although my hair looks kind of wild I did comb it. My curls simply can't be tamed and do whatever they want. This is for Nicole's Friday Face Off. Good morning!

Our mornings are cold and foggy, but our afternoons are sunny and very pleasant. I work a lot in the garden since there is still so much to do (the weeds are dancing salsa there). But I also take a break, sit in the sun and knit. My little companion is never far away and claims ownership. Another sweet face for FFO.

And lastly, I gave myself an early Christmas present (the only one since we don't so presents), this beautiful enameled cast iron covered casserole that comes with a lid. This has been on my wishlist for a long time and I finally used my tutorial money to buy one. The crisp gnocchi with brussels sprouts and brown butter turned out delicious in it.

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend. It's the third Advent weekend, time for the Christmas market in Tübingen.