Deck the Halls

A bit of our house at Christmas this year.

Our decorated tree. 

Even Consuelo was in the Christmas Spirit.

Our Nativity. It was a wedding gift (and it's from Italy). Simply gorgeous.

Sunrise

Sunrise on December 12, 2011 was 7:59 a.m.
I was taking Tanka for a walk in the forest, and this is what we saw:

Happy pup.

Welcome to Sherwood Forest

Welcome to Robyn Hode's Sherwode, or if you prefer, Robin Hood's Sherwood Forest.

The Forest is commercialised (there is a Robin Hood exhibit and an amusement park nearby). In that vein, see the Merry Men.

The trees in the forest are amazing; there are so many old oaks, or remnants of old (read: tired) oak trees.

Before we entered this hut, we had to be sure there weren't any Merry Men lurking inside.

The Major Oak, or thought to have been called the Major's Oak at one time. The size of the trunk is astounding, earning its place as a frequented attraction throughout history.

There are many places to hide in the forest, including inside the trees.

Doesn't this look like the trees from The Wizard of Oz?

The boys.

This brings new meaning to the phrase "Where the red fern grows..."

The buddy

Don't these look like mushrooms from Alice and Wonderland?

Tanka was having a great time; so many of the trees were used as jungle gyms.

Hard to tell, but we're standing inside the tree. It was easy to see why the Merry Men used this particular forest (which is not that large) as a hide out (assuming they did exist and all).

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

We had a magical Christmas Experience (OK, this may be a bit over the top, but it was rather delightful) at Elveden Estate Cafe and Farm Shop, picking a Christmas Tree and enjoying the general splendour.

Along with picking a Christmas Tree (pictures to explain that experience in greater detail to come), the famous Carousel from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was available for rides, and a food tent was set up serving hot drinks and food. (The Farm Shop & Restaurant and other the Lifestyle Shops-- ladies, they are great-- were also open for business).

The Carousel from the movie "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"

OK, onto choosing a Christmas Tree.
First, we walked along to see the Christmas Tree stock.

The Christmas Trees

 We picked up a few, trying them on for size.

A Potential Tree

 But, because we live in England, we decided it was best to do a Christmas Tree (like everything else)  a little bit smaller....

Potential Tree #2

 So we chose our Perfect Tree

It looks a bit taller next to me...

 Then we had it wrapped,

A perfect system

 So it would be in ready to be delivered to our car by the working Newfoundlands.

At the risk of looking a bit creepy, I couldn't resist taking a picture of this adorable little girl next to the Newfoundland

Working Dog

Aren't they perfect?

After purchasing a Christmas Tree Star from one of the Lifestyle Shops, we headed home, getting a view of the Elveden Church,

Elveden Church

 and getting beautiful views along the country road home.

The Road Home. We actually take this road all the time, carefully watching for Skip Jacks, or very small deer the size of large dogs, and - insane- bikers.

Note: Elveden is just four miles from our house and is all owned and managed by Lord and Lady Iveagh. They just opened a new Inn as well. We tried it for drinks and dessert this weekend, and it was fantastic. I have a feeling we'll be frequenting it often.

Cure for a Cold

When you have a cold, drink a Hot Tottie of course!
I'm not sure it worked (Truth: it didn't work at all), but it was worth the try.

Birthday Flowers

Too beautiful not to share. Thank you, hubby.

Eat Thrice- Bury St. Edmunds, England

This very lucky year, we gave thanks three times (and ate delectable Thanksgiving meals) in three cities and two countries.

DINNER #3- BURY ST. EDMUNDS
I unfortunately don't have any pictures of this beautiful dinner either, but we had another delicious meal at a friend's house from our home church. Her husband was back in the States on business, so it was a perfect excuse for her to cook up a turkey and a great chance for us to holiday hop without having to worry about hosting. It was perfect.

The Hostess: As mentioned,a woman from our church and her two beautiful children (who were all dressed up with Indian feathers on their heads) opened their home to new and old friends. They live in a very small town (their address is: The Red House) outside of Bury St. Edmunds making it a perfect get away in the real countryside. The table was beautiful!

The Guests: We were joined by a British couple who had the pleasure of enjoying a Thanksgiving dinner at one time in the past, and who were seriously lovely. I hope we get a chance to see them again in the future. In addition, two of our favourite couples from base joined us to make a really varied group of wonderful people.

Why is Thanksgiving the best holiday? Not only do we get a chance to eat delicious food, but it is an excuse to gather around a table with new and old friends, taking time out of our busy schedules to really sit and have a dinner, just to recall our blessings. Lovely, darling. Just lovely.