So here we are at the end of 2021, another year that sort of didn’t happen.  But the photos continued, and they helped me keep a vague idea of how time was moving on.  This month is as Festive as I could manage for the prompts, I felt a need to that after the initial few days passed.

As has been my habit for the last four years, I have also been doing the December Reflections led by Susannah Conway, and these have been gathered in their own post.

1st Dec – I love this!

A white bird with a red beak and grey wings stands in water, it is highlighted by sunlight.

Ok, so I said I wanted to be festive with my photos this month, but I really drew a blank on what to take a photo of today. Seriously, I lost any idea of things that begin with T that I could photograph, and those that I did didn’t turnout well.  So my toaster was the final option.

2nd Dec – I bought this!

Close up of the helmet of the Mandalorian, with Baby Yoda (also known as Grogu) it is a plastic toy here the heads are larger than expected.

And onto more festive things with this one, a trip to Kew Gardens to see their Christmas Lights gave me the chacne to take this one of stars, just festive enough for this month.

3rd Dec – Starts with T

A teacup and saucer, with a floral pattern sits on a green background.  There is a brown liquid inside the cup.

The Kew Christmas light extravaganza produced this awesome sight, a dome over the Sackler bridge reflecting in the water to produce a lovely green globe.

4th Dec – I held this

A hand holding a mug, which has an embossed christmas tree on it.

My Significant Other (SO) sings in a choir and they have an annual Carol concert, which didn’t happen last year for some reason.  But joyfully it happened this year and my heart sings with joy hearing them sing.  Tears of joy were gently shed when the descants sing over the final verse of “Oh Come, all ye faithful” and I briefly couldn’t sing.  Still giving me goosebumps writing this.

5th Dec – Something Red

A red moped is parked on the street, the background is in black and white.

Another photo from my visit to the Kew at Christmas event, and I love this walk of lights. I was also delighted that it was chosen as one of the Fab Four on the Facebook group.

6th Dec – Peace

Two candles of different heights with a blurry image of a Christmas tree and lights in the background

A quick visit from a little green friend to help enliven something red: a bauble.

7th Dec – Tree

A tree sits in a valley, a wall runs beneath it

This is the famous Sycamore Gap on Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland.  Made very famous by the Kevin Costner film “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves”  This is where he encounters Wil on his walk from Dover to Sherwood Forest, which he completes in a single day.

Delighted that this was picked as a Fab Four on the Instagram Group. 

8th Dec – Looking up

Looking up the centre of a spiral staircase, with a flattened side.

This spectacular staircase can  be found at the Courtauld Gallery in London, where I was killing time before my first Carol Concert of the year.

9th Dec – Small

A toy Baby Yoda is nearly swamped by a Red Santa Hat

It’s difficult to find a hat that fits when you’re small.

This image of Baby Yoda was chosen as one of the selection for the Facebook Group.

10th Dec – Out & About

A close up of a frosty leaf

It was very frosty on this ady, and I wasn’t needing to go anywhere, so I made it as far as my garden.

11th Dec – Free Choice

A half moon with clouds.

I do find these prompts difficult, but recently I’ve been taking photographs of the moon, with my phone camera and this turned out well.

12th Dec – Lights

People stand in front of the Palm House at Kew Gardens.  The large curving green house is lit bright pink and spot lights are hitting fountains of water.

The tree when up the day before this photo, and this little fox caught my eye.

13th Dec – Something Green

A furrty green ball, with two felt leaves, create a sprout, with a pair of bead eyes. It is wearing a red and white santa hat.

A new decoration this, and this sprout looks like it is having deep and philosophical thoughts about the meaning of life and why it isn’t welcome at some people’s tables.

14th Dec – Decoration

A wire snowflake with wire streamers, there are lights along it, but it is against a blue sky.

A street decoration in day light, this one was near Seven Dials, Covent Garden.

15th Dec – A star

An outline of a Star straddles a walkway, three people walking underneath.  One is wearing a red coat. On the ground is written 10 years, Christmas at Kew.

This star was along the path at the Christmas at Kew light show.

16th Dec – Candy Cane

Red and green candy canes arranged into a pattern against a white background

A flat lay of candy canes.

Delighted that this was chosen for the IG group of Fab Four. 

17th Dec – A Hat

A Father Christmas hat fills the frame, a pair of smiling eyes can be seen below the brim

Still in training for Father Christmas as I need more white hair…

18th Dec – I made this!

Star shaped brown biscuits on baking trays.

So, every year I make a batch of these biscuits.  They are my Christmas Tree biscuits and the recipe is on my blog.

19th Dec – Joy is…

Close up of chirstmas decorations, a sprout witha red hat on the right, and a circular metal one with the word Joy cut out from it.

Joy can be found on my Christmas tree, according to one of my decorations. I find this prompt difficult, not because I don’t experience joy, I’m just enjoying it at the time and forget to photograph it.

20th Dec – Begins with S

Two, blue star shaped biscuit cutters sit on a floury board.

Two of the biscuit cutters used for the Christmas Tree Biscuits.

These were chosen as a Fab Four on the Instagram group.

21st Dec – On the floor

Small baubles and bells with crocodile clips lie on a purple yoga mat and wooden floorboards

Getting ready for the annual humiliation video. Which is below as part of the bonus section.

22nd Dec – A gift

A red illumated gift box with ribbon

I hadn’t done any wrapping by the time this prompt was due, so a dig into the archives. 

23rd Dec – A tradition

A star shaped biscuit, covered in white icing, hangs on a Christmas Tree, other decorations in the background.

As I said before, I make biscuits to hang on my Christmans Tree.  They have been something my mother made for many years, so they are part of my Christmas tradition.

24th Dec – Someone I love

Weird pastel shapes from an art installation, a dark clothed person is taking a photograph in the background.

A sneaky shot of my wonderful, supporting, long suffering Significant Other, who really doesn’t like having his photo taken.

25th Dec – My day

Dirty knives, forks and spoons on a pile of dirty plates.

I spent the day cooking and eating, so this sums it all up.  I also forgot to take any photos of the cooked meal.

26th Dec – This is delish!

A cross section of a loaf of stollen, with dried fruit and  circle of marzipan visible in the cut side

There are many delicious things at Christmas, but I couldn’t use a picture of my Christmans Tree biscuits again, so instead some lovely stollen.

27th Dec – Colourful

A colourful shape sits on a wall, its shadow shows it is a dragon.

This wonderful and colourful sculpture can be found on the wall on the High Street of Walthamstow.  It’s not terribly obvious, unless you see the shadow, that it is a dragon.

28th Dec – A book

A book covers most of the face of the reader, The book is called The World We Make.

One of the books that I got for Christmas, The World We Make by N. K. Jemsin, but it’s not actually what I was reading at the time of the photograph.  That was the Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper.

There is something about me behind a book that people like, as this was chosen as a Fab Four for the Facebook Group.

29th Dec – Us

Two men smiling at the camera, in the background is a big tree, a bit of Hadrian's Wall and rolling green hills.

My wonderful and long suffering SO, forced into a selfie as we walked part of Hadrian’s Wall.  Behind us is The Sycamore of Sycamore Gap, that I used for the Tree prompt.

30th Dec – How I relax

Black and white image of a man holding a book, the spine of which is still showing as green in colour.

Reading helps me relax, naturally.  This book is Greenwitch by Susan Cooper, and is book three of the Dark is Rising Sequence. A series of children’s books that I really love and am totally loving re-reading.

31st Dec – Best part of 2022

Always very difficult to choose one thing that I love about a year (even the Lockdown Years of 2020 and 2021) but this year I finally made it to Barcelona (delayed for two years) and we had a wonderful time visiting this amazing city.

We then went on to attend my first ever Yoga Holiday, which was awesome. 

I’ve also been to many wonderful music concerts, some of which had been delayed for 2 years. 

I have also had a fantastic time visiting the Walthamstow Wetlands and other gorgeous bits of nature (looking at you Northumberland)

Bonus videos

So that’s it for December and for my sixth year of taking part in the Fat Mum Slim Photo a Day group.  I hope you are still enjoying these monthly collections. I was totally gobsmacked to have 6 photos chosen for recognition this month across the Facebook and Instagram feeds.

There will be a constant (some might think endless) stream of photos on my Instagram feed, so if you can’t wait until next month then follow me there. There will be another summary of my photos next month.

Thanks for reading this, my lovely interonauts,

Tim

COMING UP IN 2023

SMFR Therapy online classes.  Group classes are running every Wednesday between 5pm-6pm.  More info here.

Online yoga classes.  I am continuing my Tuesday morning zoom classes (9:30am-10:30am).  More info here

In person yoga classes.  These are back at Clerkenwell Chiropractic Clinic on Wednesdays at 1pm.  Please contact the Clinic to book.  But more info here