Writing Exercise 103

Hey there!
This week I'm a little late. But I have a little Haiku for you, and it is about something related to advent and Christmas. Maybe this will get you in the mood for this time of year?

2017/12/03 – advent calendar (Haiku)

Advent calendar –

Count the days until Christmas.

Presents every day!

Stay focussed!

Hopefully you had a nice fourth Sunday in Advent.

As the days rush by, tension and pressure usually rise during this time of the year.
Have you bought and packed all the presents yet? Is the Christmas tree set up? Have you shopped and prepared everything for the feast? Are you ready to meet the whole family? Is the house decorated properly?
Constantly you are reminded of what needs to be done. Often the spirit of Christmas is lost in the stress of preparation... or in a traffic jam of equally stressed Christmas shoppers, who are forced to listen to the same old Christmas songs every few hours, again and again.

So why don't you grab a cup of your favourite tea or coffee or cocoa, sit down on your sofa or armchair and just revel in the moment. Take that time and take a breather, calm down and think about what's really important. The spirit of Christmas; a message of love and hope, a light in the darkness. Draw strength from that, refocus and find the same love and hope inside you.

The next time you stand in a long line at the register or wait in a traffic jam by the nearest super market you might find more patience in you -- and the forgiveness which comes with the knowledge that the others blocking your path are just as eager to be done preparing and go home to be with their loved ones.

And maybe in between gifts and baubles and fairy lights there will be a flash of inspiration even? :o
So don't miss the next writing exercise. ;)

A Morning in Advent

Today is the third Sunday in Advent. I hope you enjoy this day.

As the candles burned, I looked outside to find the sky was burning, too. Not literally of course. But the sun painted the clouds in the brightest of gold and red lights, and the vista left me stunned for as long as it lasted.

Isn't it beautiful? :o
If you have to get up early you get to see the most spectacular fleeting art which nature can produce as a reward for your discipline and endurance. Revel in the views, enjoy them and begin the day with a smile.

How grim it might look in the beginning...

...it won't stay that way. Only moments later the world might look different and show its true colours. You just have to look on the bright side. ;)
That said, I wish you all a pleasant third Sunday in Advent. See you next week!

Fairy lights

I hope you had a lovely second Sunday in Advent. :)

On Saturday my fiancé, two of our friends and I went to a Christmas market with a medieval theme. There were a lot of booths and people wearing garbs, and we were ones of them. The hot beverages and sweets were very welcome, we watched a fire show and awesome concerts. It was pretty cold, but also pretty amazing. There were campfires and tents all around, so you could warm up whenever.

The market was located around a lake, and on the surface of the frozen water there were hundreds of lights. It was so beautiful and the atmosphere seemed as if enchanted. You could very well imagine fairies dancing in the dark.

This picture is but an insufficienct glimpse at what it was like. But it is enough to give you an impression of this almost magical night...

Advent, Advent...

It's the first Sunday in Advent already.
Do you feel christmas-y yet? Have you bought and packed the presents for your loved ones yet? Have you set up an Advent calendar?
Yesterday my fiancé and I strolled through a Christmas market. There were lots of booths with sweets, glühwein, handmade toys, candles and spices. Christmas trees with fairy lights everywhere. It was beautiful and the atmosphere was nice.
But today is going to be a cosy day. The first candle of my Advent wreath is lit, and it remains for me to wish you a happy first Sunday in Advent. :)

The things to do in November

Aside from NaNoWriMo there are still a lot of things to do. I've just looked at my calendar and I noticed next week is the first Sunday in Advent already!
Time sure runs by fast when you're absorbed by writing. :o

So have you prepared for Advent yet? Are your places decorated with fairy lights and baubles and candles and fir twigs yet? Have you tasted the first gingerbread and speculoos yet?

I'm just getting started. And while I cudgel my brains about Christmas presents for my loved ones I realize it's already this time of the year again...

Certainly you'll feel cozier and more comfortable when the room is dipped in the warmth of candle light, when the baubles gleam and the fir twigs spread their soothing fragrance. You may snuggle on your sofa or armchair with a cup of hot cocoa or tea and be pleased as punch that you don't have to be outside where the first snow of this winter thaws and cold rain patters against your windows.

So get yourselves in the mood for Advent; take your time and find some inspiration how to prepare your home for the coldest but coziest season. Because winter is coming! ;)