Hi there! December is a wonderfully busy month, with writing Christmas cards, decorating the house, gift buying, baking, and socializing. I’m a big fan of sending Christmas cards. I especially like to reach out to friends and family who I don’t get to see very often. When I receive a card from someone, it truly lifts my spirits knowing that they thought of me. 🙂

This past week has been all about meeting up with friends and family in the lead up to Christmas. I’ve shared lots of cookies and pumpkin bread. (Side gardening note: I still have pumpkins left from my harvest. These ‘Baby Bear’ pumpkins are the perfect size: easy to store, cut, bake, and with little waste.) I’ve been taking time to simply enjoy the company of people dear to me.

It’s a time of year that can be filled with love. But it can also be a difficult time. You never know if someone has a personal story that you know nothing about. Not to mention the collective pain of tragic world events. Which is why it is so important to be kind: to yourself, to family, to others. A small gesture can go such a long way. I am so thankful for all of the many kind, small gestures that I have experienced! (Have you seen the traffic in Dundalk recently? Being ‘let out’ into traffic by another driver is truly a gift!)

And as we wait for Christmas day, we now settle in to time with our family: just being together – with delicious food – and no time pressures.

I hope you, too, are able to take some time to breathe as we prepare to celebrate Christmas.

In Peace,
Dana

Collage, clockwise from top left: My husband and I enjoying a night out in Dublin, our Christmas wreath that I made with greens, Rosemary and eucalyptus from the garden, pumpkins from my garden being prepared to be roasted for pumpkin bread (which is really cake), and my favorite Nativity ornament.