Mossy

We are having a very damp December. I mean, December's always damp in England, but this seems rather extreme even for here. Yesterday morning -- our first sunny day in what seems like ages -- I wiped down a corner of our living room where we sometimes get spots of black mold on the walls from dampness seeping through from the outside. And then I washed the windows and wiped the sills and the window frames, and this morning there's still more condensation on the glass.

I took Olga to the cemetery yesterday, where the moss is running riot over all the stonework. It finds a little crevice and takes hold, and with all this rain, pretty soon it's as lush as a shag rug or as round and plump as a pincushion.

It's kind of amazing, really.

Our patio looks like we've installed green carpeting. I'll spare you a photo of that.

After our cemetery walk I bathed the dog and then made hot chocolate, which seemed like a good Christmas Eve thing to do. (I got some fancy hot chocolate packets as a very kind gift from one of the students at school, flavored with caramel, orange, ginger, mint and that kind of thing.) Then Dave got to cooking, and made a pumpkin pie and a stuffed chicken dish with rice and herbs.

Last night we watched comfort TV -- "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and "The Sound of Music" -- while Olga snored on the couch.

Merry Christmas from our house to yours!