Purple Aspirations

Art washes away from the soul
the dust of everyday life.
- Pablo Picasso
'Twas a nutty Christmas to say the very least. Kicked it off at a glorious vintage holiday festival in the quaint village of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. 
Where my dear friend lives in this storybook purple cottage. I'm way impressed with creative types who have the good sense to doll up a one hundred year old home. When you get to be this old, it's cool to strut your stuff.

My friend's darling New Hampshire cottage.

This New England town is home to Strawberry Banke. Settled by colonial types in 1623 ~ where I learned how to make pretty wreaths from natural goodies collected in the woods nearby. We saw the Nutcracker Ballet and did all things vintage Christmas. It was pretty special.
And then... I hopped on a plane, squished in like sardines, seated next to a woman who was very ill, should NOT have been flying. 
She gifted me with her illness 2 days before our own celebrations began.

Persimmons in the wreaths

So that slowed me down a bit but it didn't stop any of the festivities. You can't exactly call off Christmas, now can you?
Living in a ski resort we're guaranteed to have our own storybook setting ~ fluffy white snowflakes and a winter wonderland. But, not this year. It was warm as toast. A brown Christmas in a ski resort? Strange days.
We cooked and cooked in anticipation of the big Christmas Eve party. The second everyone arrived, the power went off. And, stayed off for hours. Until most of the partiers gave in, gave up, and went home.
Sounds awful, doesn't it?
Oh, it wasn't so bad. Relying on dim flashlights and plentiful holiday candles, we sat quietly by a cozy fire and welcomed in the big day.
Took this week off to recuperate. I am clearly in the minority on this, but I kind of like December's short days and early sunsets.
Spent my evenings curled up on the couch reading The Deep Middle Blogger's book: Sleep, Creep, Leap. 
Between his great book (3 years of ups and downs in a Nebraska garden) and M's fancy purple cottage, I'm bursting with big ideas to make some colorful changes in my own garden during the new year.
So... how was your holiday? Here's hoping you had a warm and wonderful celebration, complete with working electricity so you could enjoy the tree!

Portsmouth, NH Holiday Stroll

Best wishes for a Very Happy New Year!
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