Brief seasonal photo post

 Today we dressed appropriately for the weather (wet) and activity (tree fetching) and trudged up the hill to buy this year's tree at the Holy Rosary lot and then carried it back down the hill again as is our custom. We are probably somewhat unusual in considering weight as a factor in our selection process. And possibly that figures into why every tree we get is pretty much the same as the previous year's tree, especially once decorated. For posterity, this year's tree:

I call her Gloria

The angle of the photo hides the quite large gap on the left side that I didn't fully appreciate until I took a photo. I've also discovered that there's nothing quite like a holiday snap to make one realize how many cobwebs one has on the living room ceiling. 

After we brought the tree home but before her official installation, I trimmed off some of the lower branches and then went out to snip some rosemary and lavender. The neighbor was doing some pruning of her shrubs with reddish berries and kindly gave me a few branches. I spent some time putting all that, and a few other bits and bobs, together to create this year's wreath. The asymmetry is a feature, not a bug, mind you:

Not quite final wreath

Tomorrow is supposed to be less rainy so the plan is to get the outdoor lights up in the afternoon. I tell myself I'll also write Christmas cards. I tell myself a lot of things.