Merry Christmas Eve and Day to us all!

My modest Christmas prep complete, I was free to wander about the neighboring historic village, complete with historic markers and gravestones and preRevolutionary spots and all. Beautiful sunny cold day, much better in my book than snow...

So I thought you'd enjoy a Christmas bouquet of pictures. These same places are a riot of lights at night but you know how that is: your pictures come out looking like pinpricks in a card. So daytime worked better.

Note the nutcracker in place ready at this house




and this is a lawyer's office! bah humbug





but their neighbor is very optimistic





and Martha would be proud of this perfectly neat, orderly, restrained festive display




while down the street, Teddy's lunch cafe is invaded by a rowdy gang in the window



Once the walking and the clicking were done, I sloped into the local secondhand bookstore to shop for my own Christmas present to me, and emerged with a couple of Penelope Lively's, perfect for reading over and over.


Enjoy your holiday, and if Christmas isn't your thing,enjoy the weekend and look forward to the New Year. Unless you do Chinese New year which you have a bit more time to plan for. Late January this year.