No! Really? It's been a week?

I can't believe how quickly time flies.  I was sure I posted the picture of  Keaghan (whose name I now know how to spell) just the other day.  But apparently it was a week ago.  As a couple of friends made sure to tell me.

Riley, our visiting collie, returned home yesterday.  It is amazing how quiet and empty the house seems without her,  even though she was the quietest, best behaved guest I've ever had.  Her mama brought me some Caribbean treats, and I gotta tell you - Coconut Coffee from the Caribbean is AMAZING!  I may have to arrange to have a case of it sent here.  Addictive.  Very.

Not much photography or creativity going on here, but I haven't posted the photos of our Christmas decorations which we put up about three weeks ago (unless you are a facebook friend, in which case you saw them there).  When you have three or four dogs and a cat in the house, the tree is best kept outside - so we decorate "Oliver's tree" (a potted tree on my patio, named in memory of my sheltie Oliver) and the patio, and enjoy the lights and colour through the patio doors.

Allie: Hey, who put all that stuff on
my patio, and where did those pigs
come from?

Oliver's tree 2013

Birds feed from the seed dishes among the decorations

I do have a few indoor decorations, too - the glass top of the wine rack is a perfect place for a little display, as Allie doesn't like the glass surface.  Each year I do a little Christmas scene with some favourite ornaments that I have collected over the years:

A little Christmas scene

 The two stars you see hanging on the wall are tree ornaments my sister-in-law Bev had made for me, in memory of my sister and my mom. They are treasured momentoes of Christmases past.

Carole and Mom

 And, in case you can't see the sign at the back of the display, the whole scene is a celebration of animals who were once homeless and are now loved:

Santa's North Pole Animal Rescue

If you haven't finished your Christmas shopping yet, a donation to your favourite animal rescue is a wonderful idea, and most can be made online!

If I get organized in the next few days, I know there are a few loose ends to tie up on the blog before the new year begins - a few stories to tell, a few things I said I'd post and haven't done so yet, more photos to share.  I'd do some of them now, but Princess Mitzi says it's Yogurt Time.  Gotta go.

Yeah, get with the program.  It's Yogurt Time!