Strong southern winds blew into rural Tennessee, bringing unseasonable warmth and a surrealistic aura which expunges the traditional essence of Christmas Eve.
The day was balmy, hazy, overcast, with feeble glimpses of dusty amber light that could have been sunshine. The wind was intense and persistent, and is still whining and moaning late at night as I'm writing this. My only concern is that more nearby trees might topple, like they did during the tornado warning two weeks ago.
In mid-afternoon the forest looked ghostly, with dark shadows of gnarled naked trees and haphazard piles of trees that were broken and toppled in recent storms. Bleak. Desolate.
My day was completely uneventful. The ceaseless wind was an appropriate accompaniment to the mournful elegy of my weary soul.
I had roasted lemon pepper chicken with wild rice for dinner. Pecan pie for dessert. Tomorrow I'll have leftovers.
Tonight I lighted candles to evoke the spirits of past memories. ...to resurrect distant echoes of what was once my life....
Sentimentality runs rampant in the custody of potent wine and the delicious danger of rural isolation.
These photos were taken at mid-afternoon on Christmas Eve. Believe it or not, they're in color but look black and white.
My recent forest photos all look alike because I've been taking the pictures from the back porch. Too lazy to venture away from the house.
The winter sun looks so remote and far away - even at noon. It seems to linger tauntingly near the horizon.
I bought some new candles the other day (how exciting!). This one has the rare and heavenly scent of amaretto and blood orange. I love it.
Blood oranges were always abundant in Texas around the holiday season. I haven't seen any here in TN.
A warm and aromatic array of candles on Christmas Eve......accompanied by potent homemade cranberry wine and the phantom sound of howling winds in the forest.
May poetic dreams always sustain you and may all good and positive things continually infiltrate your journey through life.
With love, Jon
Was that a strange sentiment? Heck, I thought it was better than "Happy Holidays".
I made this video last year and didn't like it. So, I revised it yesterday with some new visuals. I'm still not satisfied, but what the heck - it's not too bad.
P.S. I'm STILL having lots of trouble trying to leave comments on your blogs.
A pox on Blogger!
Love the candles. It really sets he mood. Merry Christmas! And yes, unseasonably warm temps here in Iowa. Hurray for Global warming! Who says it is all bad, after all???
ReplyDeleteI'm really enjoying the unseasonably warm weather. I hope it stays this way through the winter (but it won't...).
DeleteHope you and Cheryl are having a wonderful holiday!
As usual, your weather sounds much like what we've experienced. Now I LOVE Amaretto, but can't reconcile the thought with orange. (Maybe because I don't eat oranges?) The cinnamon and cloves sounds delightful -- as does your lemon pepper chicken and rice!
ReplyDeleteColor me, STILL dreaming of a white Christmas!
I would have really liked a white Christmas, but somehow I'm enjoying this mild weather. I'm delighted not to be freezing my tootsies off.
DeleteI agree that amaretto and oranges don't mix - but blood oranges have a different scent and taste. It's more like a raspberry/tangerine scent
I'm an enthusiastic lemon pepper fan - the chicken was delicious.
What a wonderful Christmas display of candles, Jon. We always have several lit in the winter evenings when we’re at home. It is amazing how sometimes color photos can have a monochromatic look. We had a 2-inch snowfall on Christmas eve morning in RI where we visited family. Thankfully, it remained on the ground for Christmas day and made the holiday magical. Sorry to read you are having blog commenting issues, and thank you for the comments on my recent posts. Thanks for your blog posts as well and I hope you will continue posting into the coming new year.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful to have a white Christmas! The past few days have been unseasonably warm here in TN. It was in the 60s on Xmas Day and I felt like I was in California. I miss having a fireplace (which I had in Texas), but candles are a nice alternative.
DeleteSo far I haven't had any trouble leaving comments on your blog - but some other blogs have been plagued with annoying glitches that make commenting impossible. I don't know what's wrong with Blogger.
Your candle pics are so pretty. I love taking pics in with no flash and burning candles with lights.
ReplyDeleteThe pics from your porch are hauntingly black and white - there is sometihng past-like about them.
I always take candle photos with no flash. It has a soft and warm look to it. The woods around my house do have a haunting aura - especially in the winter. It's intriguing and inspiring.
DeleteKim, unfortunately, I've been having trouble leaving comments on your blog. I tried to leave a comment recently - I tried at least half a dozen times - but it just wouldn't go through.
Sometimes my comments are successfully published and other times they magically disappear. It's SO FRUSTRATING!
I am sorry you are having such trouble leaving comments on my blog - and thank you for letting me know! I will see if maybe it is my settings and perhaps try to fix the issue - will try my best!
DeletePlease do not worry - I am just so grateful to have you as a blogger friend and follower! :-)
Kim, I don't think the problem is with your settings - I suspect it's a "glitch" with Blogger. Sometimes I can leave comments with no problem at all - - but other times things go annoyingly awry. And this happens to me on several other blogs, too.
DeleteJon,
ReplyDeleteA very nice Christmas post! I always love seeing photos of your surrounding woods. I also love scented candles. I wish you a very happy New Year!
Ron
Ron, I've recently been having trouble leaving comments on your blog. These Blogger "glitches" are really infuriating.
DeleteI hope you and Bill are having a pleasant and peaceful holiday season.
Big hugs, Jon
I love the candles. Had a wonderful time with McFamily on Christmas Day this year. Today--I am contentedly recovering--LOL! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad that you had a pleasant time with your family - but it does take awhile to recover from the festivities. Take it easy and get plenty of rest. You seem to be doing much better now than before - which is encouraging. Hugs to you and Annie!
DeleteHi dear blog buddy. Your post is lovely, uplifting. The candles so beautiful. i'm sorry not to have commented sooner. (i've been flat on my back in bed having thrown out my back. My PMR has relapsed. And my geriatic osteoporosis is doing me no favors. the pain has been horrific.) i hope you had a serene christmas. and hoping 2022 will be a better year for us all. i know your health has been suffering too. Please take care.
ReplyDeleteYour kind words mean a lot. Sometimes our blogger friends seem to care about us more than some of the people we know. I'm so sorry to hear about your ongoing health issues - but I can fully sympathize. My own problems are so intense that when I go to bed I often pray that I'll never wake up (sorry for sounding so dismal)
DeleteDespite your problems, I hope you're having a peaceful and pleasant holiday - and my very best wishes for the new year. Big hugs, Jon
Thinking of you... hope you are o.k. Missing your posts.
ReplyDeleteSeems more storms are headed my way (southwest Tennessee) then cold weather. Wintertime is supposed to mean cold, right?? But I live in Tennessee, so what the heck do I know!!Hope to see posts soon-- your Tennessee neighbor!
Louise,yesterday it was 65 degrees and extremely windy. I kept praying that there wouldn't be any more toppled trees. Today it's pouring rain.
DeleteWeird weather for December....
I'll write more before the end of the year Take care - and many thanks for thinking of me!