Retire in Style with Lolita

Christmas! The very word brings joy to our hearts. No matter how we may dread the rush, the long Christmas lists for gifts and cards to be bought and given. When Christmas Day comes there is still the same warm feeling we had as children, the same warmth that enfolds our hearts and our homes.....Joan Winmill Brown quotes Please click pictures to enlarge:)

Snow quietly fell overnight. Just a thin layer and as of this posting it is slowly melting. I left my succulents out and will see how well they do through the winter months. Please click to enlarge pictures.

The pineapple has been a universal symbol of hospitality and welcome for many centuries all over the world. How very fitting to have it around as family and friends gather at Christmas time. Fresh pineapples no less. Exotic and delicious! Please click pictures to enlarge. For the dining table. Welcome topiary and wreath. For Christmas or New Year's day dinner buffet. Hostess gift. Fantastic ideas for Christmas decorating and entertaining... and for the next Luau !

I cannot remember any Christmas when I did not have Poinsettias around the house. Here is a story as to how Poinsettias were associated with Christmas. It came from a Mexican legend. "The story goes that a child, with no means for a grander gift, gathered humble weeds from the side of the road to place at the church altar on Christmas Eve. The congregation witnessed a Christmas miracle: the weeds turned into brilliant red flowers." The Poinsettia first came to the US in 1825. Brought by Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first US ambassador to Mexico. The plant was named after him. Poinsettias symbolize good cheer and success. They bring joy and festivity to the Christmas season. Here is a Christmas Poinsettia centrepiece on my dining table. Please click pictures to enlarge. Are Poinsettias poisonous? For years poinsettias had the bad reputation of being poisonous. While they are not meant to be eaten by humans, pets or livestock, ingesting poinsettias would probably...