Merry Christmas

     Warmest best wishes for a very Merry Christmas to all who read this post. Even if you aren't a Christian I hope you will have a great day. And for Christians, we have the added joy of remembering the birth of the one who came to bring us eternal life by uniting humanity with God in his own person and redeeming us from our sinfulness.

     I've already helped out at my parish's 4:00 Mass, and I plan to be at the Midnight Mass and at the 11:00 a.m. one. My brother who is visiting from Boston and I will exchange presents, and open a few from outside the house, around 7:30 a.m. At 2:00 p.m. we'll join our aunt and three of her friends for dinner. Since I won't have any leftover turkey, I'll cook a rib roast for dinner for my brother and me on the second day of Christmas, aka Boxing Day, aka St. Stephen's Day.

     Here are a few views of the decorations at the Naturgesetz place.

Wreath beside side door.

Wreath on front door.

My Christmas tree on the mantel. Including the base, it's about 21 inches tall. You can see a portrait of my dad reflected in the mirror. It was painted when he was about 45 for my grandfather. We got it when Gramps died. If the place looks a bit cluttered, that's because it is.

Quilt on the side door.

Japanese picture from brother and sister-in-law, hung on wall scroll in entry hall.

This one's in the living room. You can see that it is thirty years old. It's homemade. I like thistles. If I were entitled to a floral badge, I think I'd choose the thistle. You can see the straps at the corners that hold the picture on the scroll.

Creche on top of TV.  Photo is one of my great grandmothers. She's working on a piece of embroidery which is framed on the wall above and to the right of this scene. The photo is in a frame made by my grandfather (her son-in-law). The vase is from Prince Edward Island, and I cut the roses a couple of months ago. (This great grandmother was not one of my PEI ancestors.)

Poinsettia from church.

Painting by fellow blogger Dean Grey , titled "Christmas Apple." Strictly speaking, it's not a Christmas decoration, since I'll have it visible all year. But I decided to include it because of the title and because it arrived in the mail today, December 24. In the picture, it is in a small wall niche. To the right is a bronze piece depicting St. Boniface which I probably got in Fulda in 2005. Since I took this picture, I have put the painting in a frame and moved it to my bedroom.

     Again, Merry Christmas to all.