A beautifully moving, atmospheric evocation of place, and disappearing world.

Discovered that I mistakenly bought decaf coffee beans on my most recent grocery trip, so I ask you to please refrain from telling me that bad things don’t happen to good people.

Photographer Hannes Kilian, Cat Nero in the Snow, 1953. Printed 1973.

2 mints = 1 serving 🙁😭

This week in clouds. #MentalHealthMatters 💙

Star plants #5 Wild Teasel. A tall, spiny biennial with striking seed heads and leaf-cups that hold rainwater: a sculptural presence in the garden and a magnet for birds and insects. 🌱🦋🌎 gardeningwell.ie/wild-teasel

My Creative Writing group homework was ' A sense of place'. I wrote this. Would love to hear what you think! Feel free to DM. docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Painting by James McIntosh Patrick ‘December Sunshine, Angus' 1949. Oil on canvas. Dimensions 75 x 100cm.

The phrase “knock on wood” - or “touch wood” in the UK - is an ancient one deriving from the belief that tapping on trees awakes the gods and spirits that reside within them and brings good luck.

Fox in the Snow N. C. Wyeth, c.1935

Continuing the theme of joyous music... Here's Steeleye Span's pure-voiced folk songstress Maddy Prior, performing their hit "All Around My Hat" with the assistance of - errrm - Status Quo 🤔🤣 Maddy bouncing around with a huge grin, obviously having a tremendous time! 👍 youtu.be/m0FkSaFTV2A?...

There are 10 categories of people : those who understand binary and the others. #joke

For the eternal optimists it’s the first day of summer tomorrow 🥳🌳

Words for Winter #Solstice in Welsh: Canol Gaeaf=midwinter Heuldro=sun turning (prior to 20th century this word only referred to the plant heliotrope) Heulsaf=sun-standing (1604) Haul-orsaf=sun-station (17th century) Alban Arthan (late 18th century, coined by Iolo Morganwg)

This one’s still available here artofnote.sumupstore.com

My dad also does very lovely landscapes. I'm especially fond of this Peak District scene which he painted in the 80s while working as a supply teacher in rough Nottingham schools and dreaming about escape. More of his work is on sale here: michaelcoxmoredaysthansausages.bigcartel.com

Heuldro'r Gaeaf (the Sun's Winter Return, in Cymraeg), Happy solstice, folks 🌞 #solstice #Cymru #witchsky

Happy Winter Solstice, shortest day of the year! ‘What good is the warmth of summer without the cold of winter to give it sweetness! - John Steinbeck. Painting by Peder Mørk Mønsted ‘Winter Day in the Woods of Charlotenlund.' 1918. Oil on canvas. Size 28 x 43cm

When our son was small he would never wake excitedly at 4am like everyone else's kids on Christmas morning. I'd be stomping around, flushing the loo and rattling things frustratedly in the kitchen for hours! Fast forward two and a half decades, they're here for the weekend and I'm doing it again! 😂

Thank goodness I bought a new frock for today's family lunch outing!!

The Dark Is Rising is a fabulous children's book which I taught for many years but I'd never seen any of Susan Cooper's poetry. Thanks Terri! Enjoy!

The Winter Solstice alignment at Stonehenge today. Photo credit: Nick Bull x.com/i/status/200...

I'm biased but if this Christmas you are looking for silly, warm, dark, complex novel about an antique dealer who lives with a hyper-intelligent semi-aquatic folkloric creature who loves knitting, might I recommend this? It's quite weird and not for everyone but some people seem to think it's ok...

I painted some Christmas cards featuring four identical plain green trees. The last one on each was personalised for the recipient, be it in the baubles, colours or message. My black-cat-owning pals were so delighted with theirs, they're getting it framed for annual use! 😂

Catherine Hyde, contemporary UK artist, photographer, writer and award-winning illustrator #WomensArt #Solstice #December21st #ArtAdvent

Sunday! Good morning, BlueSky. Hope you all have a great day - last minute preparations here.(Fortunately only the two of us so not much to do). Spare a thought for those going through difficult times; in the depths of night, be the candle that lights the way. #Christmas

Today is winter solstice ❄️ A perfect day to align with Earth’s rhythms and find peace in winter’s beauty. 📸: Ian Brierley

A couple of bees napping in a flower. The bees sleep 5 - 6 hours in 24 hours period and many bees hold each other's legs as they sleep. Some native bees sleep in the flowers. Photo: Joe Neely

Happy #Caturday lovely phone family. What's the weather up to where you are? Just a wee reminder that you don't have to buy in to any part of Christmas that you don't want to. If you're largely ignoring it, for whatever reason, that's totally fine too. Have a peaceful day ✨️ #HaveCourageAndBeKind ❤️

Morning. Winter Hare, Vanessa Bowman.

Guess where I was and what I saw yesterday?

And lo did it come to pass that Mary and Joseph came upon an inn where Mary could rest and prepare to give birth to Jesus Christ, the son of our Lord, the messiah and chosen one 🙏 But the innkeeper was a cat. And as we know. All cats are bastards. #Caturday

Well, that's me sorted for the afternoon. Come visit my Advent Lucky Dip stall. Don't forget to bring your 20p's, and order your gift from Santa in advance.

Contemporary Ukrainian painter Maria Chepeleva #WomensArt #ArtAdvent

Su Blackwell, UK artist who works with disgarded books to create paper sculptures often based on fairy tales and nature #WomensArt 🎄❄️

Advent #20 'light snow' the forecast said ❄️🤣

Daily #Wales with Portmeirion and Tuesday’s sunset over the estuary. (Fingers crossed for no rain today, too)

I've removed the paywall permanently from this piece, which is a chapter from my novel Villager, told entirely in the form of an online village message board. If you like it, you'll probably like the book. If you don't, you won't... www.tom-cox.com/the-village-...

"Breaking Light” Watercolor on Paper, 1986 Ray Hendershot (1931-2019)

You can have twenty cups of tea in a day, but there's always one which stands out as The Perfect Cup.

In UK English I’ve encountered “they got into the gene pool when the lifeguard wasn’t watching” and “come the brain-eating zombie apocalypse, they’ll be the diet option.” Another one, more for someone considered mad, is “they’re a bit Upton Park” (Upton Park station is two stops short of Barking).

He's just accused me of parking my car on his massive litter tray.

Hand painted woodblock print, by German printmaker Lisbet Schulz, c.1940 #womensart

Sun behind the clouds.

Oh, go on then.

Warm enough to stop for an outdoor coffee. 🥾 Got myself a kitty pal. 🐾

Emily Brontë died on this day 1848 at Haworth. Solitary and reclusive, the most mysterious of the Brontës.

This is Copper. He's trying to make you a fancy Italian meal. Just needs help tracking down some sauce and meatballs, then dinner will be served. 13/10 (TT: spy_v13)

The 19 December is the anniversary of the Penlee lifeboat disaster of 1981. We remember the courage of the crew of the Solomon Browne in attempting to rescue the crew and passengers of the stricken Union Star. We never forget the courage of the crew and the 16 lives lost that night. RIP.

Finally finished one of the hardest builds ever. 💪 Delivered to client's house today (that I also built!)...without damage. 👍 ..Getting this all working nicely has been much more challenging than expected.😉 Pretty much done for the year now. 👌