Blooming Friday ~ Christmas

It's time once again to join Katerina at roses and stuff for Blooming Friday.

May your holidays be filled with contentment

lots of warm fuzzies

and sweet treats.

I made about a thousand cookies (literally) to give as gifts this year. Gingersnaps are DH's favorite Christmas cookie and a favorite among the people who work in his office too.

Gingersnap recipe

Mix 1 cup packed light brown sugar, 3/4 cup shortening, 1/4 cup molasses, and 1 egg. Add 2 1/4 cups flour, 2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp cloves, and 1/4 tsp salt. Cover and put in fridge at least 1 hour.

Roll tsp sized portions of dough into balls, dip in powdered sugar. Bake at 325 for 9 minutes on nonstick baking sheets, allow cookies to set before removing from sheets to cool. I like for the cookies to have a crisp outside and chewy inside, so they are still quite soft when I take them from the oven.


Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas!

Blooming Friday ~ Delights in December

Delights in December are all in the details.

The beauty of frost forming a dipped-sugar pattern on rose leaves

and sunlight glinting off the ice so that it sparkles like diamonds.

The creek on our farm's boundary is a scene of light browns, taupes and grays

with some green here and there from mature loblolly pines and American
hollies such as this one, leaning over the creek as if to see its own reflection.

The lacy design of the bark of these young sycamores, which would probably go unnoticed in the lushness of spring and summer, commands admiration in winter when it glows in the late afternoon sun.

Indeed the most delightful thing in December have been the warm golden days we have experienced ~ today was warm enough for a short sleeve shirt. The sunlight transforms what would be rather drab

(as you can see I have been mulching some of the beds
with hay for winter, and I'm not yet done cutting some things back)

into something enchantingly beautiful. What could be more delightful?

The sun lights up the leaves of the rugosas, making them glow bright green, gold and pink

and sets the bright scarlet foliage of Rosa arkansana

and Rosa virginiana on fire.

The Oakleaf Hydrangea east of the house is still covered in burgundy and crimson leaves. The ones north of the house are still mostly green and will change even later unless they freeze first, which they often do.

The Japanese Apricot tree is blooming, the flowers and their perfume drawn out by the sun's warmth.

They are so sweet.

Wishing you a delightful weekend. Join Katerina at roses and stuff for more Blooming Fridays.

Blooming Friday~ Upside Down

Bees find drinking nectar and gathering pollen just as easy upside down as right side up.

The picture below looks like it was turned upside down, but it wasn't. lol

The flowers of the Hybrid Musk 'Felicia' are just as lovely nodding as they would be facing upwards..

Happy Friday, and join Katerina at roses and stuff for more Blooming Fridays!