Boxing Day

Did you all have a good day?
We did, with visits from our sons and my Mother.
But boxing day is my favourite day of the year and I never arrange to go anywhere or do anything in particular.
Even the elusive Mummycat is relaxed and sitting still for a picture.





I am relaxing, watching TV and enjoying the calm and tidy atmosphere.
The little tiny tree looks very pretty in the front window.


Its the first Christmas for the newly decorated room and I thought I'd compare it with its former state this time last year. In the third picture in This Post
(It shows my Moose card from Carol Santora last year.
Carol has been a 'pen friend' for over 12 years. Her mother-in-law was in England and I met her one day in a Gallery where I was selling my sketch books. She took one for Carol with my address and we started writing to each other. Now we both have blogs so sadly we don't really write as such.)
No Moose card this year but look what we had instead. All the way from Kennebunk, Maine.


When Willow died in April Carol did this portrait of her in soft pastels.
I admired it on her blog and it brought tears to my eyes.
So can you imagine how I felt when it arrived here on Christmas Eve?
It was a most generous gift from Carol, beautifully framed and ready to hang.
Its from a photograph but it is so much more than the photograph, it has more life and depth.
It captures the personality of Willow.


We hung it immediately in the perfect spot.
Its a welcome addition to the room, a lovely reminder of a much missed pet, and a mark of the generosity of a friend far away.
I hope Carol and I will meet one day.

Other Christmas gifts were far more fleeting.
Oops..almost gone..mmmmm.....marzipan. I've always loved it.

My husband bought me this Guinea pig calendar.....

He knows me so well.