The delight of past eras - I

Just look how life was beautiful in the years past.

I know that problems and difficulties were present in people's lives in each decade, let's think about the two wars, the big depression and so on, but what I mean is the beauty. 

From the end of the sixties life went from ugly to uglier. I know that there was pretty thing even after that date, some quite beautiful, but life in the whole, the clothes, the habits, everything went down. The number of nice things (clothes, car and life in general) was smaller than before it.

See the 1900s - 1919

This picture reminds us so much of the time before the war of 1914-18.

The 20s.

It's so interesting how this picture, which is from January of 1920, just the ending of the previous decade and the begining of a new one, shows us exactly similar clothes to the 1900s, more after 1910.

Notice how here the skirt is so much shorter. For sure many women then used longer ones still, but we see the new trend.

Here, in 1924, longer skirts again.

The 30s

So much elegance here. Amazing!

The 40s

So inspiring !

The 50s in another post. 😊

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Catherines Corner for The First TFT Blog Hop 2026

Talking about it Tuesday at Slices of Life

The Epiphany

Today is the Epiphany, also known as the Three Kings Day.

I know, as I have reading around, that many people take the Crib and the Tree down and all the decorations after Christmas or after New Year's Day but there are Twelve Days of Christmas, we should only take it down AFTER the Epiphany and the Crib after the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple. But it's ok to put also the Crib down after the King's Day.

This was a way to teach the basics of Faith without the risk of being persecuted in that calamitous time in England when Catholics were arrested and killed In Odium Fidei.

The meaning of the lyrics is:

The two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments

The three French hens stood for faith, hope, and love.

The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

The five golden rings rerepresented the first five books of the Old Testament, which describe man's fall into sin and the great love of God in sending a Savior.

The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit-----Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit-----Charity, Joy, Peace, Patience [Forbearance], Goodness [Kindness], Mildness, Fidelity, Modesty, Continency [Chastity].

The ten lords a-leaping were the Ten Commandments.

The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful Apostles.

The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in The Apostles' Creed.

(https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/resource/55904/the-history-of-the-twelve-days-of-christmas)

And the Partrige means Our Lord.

As for me I will keep the Crib on till the Presentation of the Lord, Candlemas, also known as Our Lady of the Candles or the Light Day (2.February), and take the Tree and decoration after today, slowly, without stress.

Partying at

Ridge haven Homestead  for  Homestead Blog Hope

It's a New Year

It's a New Year, thanks be to God.

So we begin, once again.

Let's take advantage of this new time that God gives to us.

It's not  late, it's just the perfect time for you to be what you want to be and meant to be.

Let's begin.

The tree is up!

Is your tree up? 😀

Mine it is. Oh happiness. We always put our tree up on the first day of December and also the Crib.

We begin decorating the walls and everything but we will do it for some days, not just everything at once.

To tell you the truth, this year we began on the 30 November because it was Sunday.

So, if you didn't put your tree up yet begin NOW.

Maybe you are tired and can't imagine the efford of doing it all at once. It's ok, maybe now you will just bring the tree and decorations. 

Tomorrow you will put the tree up. Just that. The day after you begin putting some decorations and tassels on the tree. 

And so on. With calm. You are not proving anybody  that you can, not even to yourself. Justenjoy the process and then the aftermath.

Be calm and happy.

Happy Thanksgiving

One of my favourite illustrations of Thanksgiving

I'm not American or Canadian so I don't do Thanksgiving, except in my heart, because many years ago, my husband, who lived in America for some years, wanted to invite me to have luch with him and decided to make Thanksgiving lunch just to invite me.

Less than a year after we were married.

So I do like Thanksgiving.

And now to the First Thanksgiving.

"Blaring trumpets and thundering serenaded Don Pedro Menéndez de Avilés as he waded ashore on September 8, 1565. The Spanish admiral kissed a cross held aloft by the fleet's captain, Father Francisco Lopez, then claimed Florida for both his God and his country. As curious members of the indigenous Timucua tribe looked on, the 800 newly arrived colonists gathered around a makeshift altar as Father Lopez performed a Catholic Mass of thanksgiving for their safe arrival in the newly christened settlement of St. Augustine. At the invitation of Menéndez, the Timucuans then joined the newcomers in a comunal meal.

Some Florida historians have argued that this feast - and not the one held 56 years later by the Pilgrims and the Wampanoags in Plymouth, Massachusetts - was actually North America's First Thanksgiving. It was the first community act of religion and thanksgiving in the first permanent settlement in the land", wrote University of Florida Professor Emmeritus of History Michael Gannon in his book The Cross in the Sand".

(https://myfloridahistory.org/frontiers/article/140)

Anyway, have your turkey with your family and have a happy Thanksgiving.

Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal - 27 November

 

https://www.chapellenotredamedelamedaillemiraculeuse.com/langues/english/apparitions-et-la-medaille-miraculeuse-gb/

Did you begin wrapping ?

So I've been all happy shopping for Christmas. 

One thing that I remind you, dear reader, is to be careful with the wrapping or you will find yourself in the days before Christmas panicking because you didn't wrapp enough presents - or any of them.

Don't do that. If you have the strength, wrapp at least one or two, or three presents a day, avoid big sessions, unless you have the time for it.

On saturdays in the afternoon I try to wrapp for one or two hours and then stop, or I will  be very tired and the pleasure of this activity will go off.

Please, please, do some wrapping now while is not too late. You will be so pleased with yourself if you have control on it and in the days before Christmas you look back and see how much you did and that you may breathe with relief.

Do it, ok?

I bought some new wrapping papers. I still have lots of the previous Christmas but I can't avoid buying some more every year. 😃

Now I can't but as soon as I can I will post about me wrapping and my Christmas papers.

Oh this blessed time. We give thanks.

Have you got everything you need for Christmas?

 

Have you got eveything you need for Christmas? Food, ingredients, last things ?

Christmas is quickly arriving, we have only 33 days till Christmas. What? 33 days?😲

So let's think.

• Have you the list with names of people you want to give presents?
• What do you want to give to that people?
• Is already bought? 
• If not when will you buy?
• When will you wrap the presents?
• What about the food, do you know what you will make for Christmas?
• When will you buy the ingredients?

Now seat down and think on those questions. Take a paper or a notebook, even better, and write the answers to those questions. Plan and plan. And then do it. Do something. Do at least one thing. And tomorrow do another thing. With a happy heart. Don't be anxious, just think, plan and act. Begin now, you still have time. But don't dilly dally, just do something everyday.

Missing England

Something in me really likes England. I must say that there is not just one England, there's plenty to each one's taste.

My England belongs to years past, even if I truly like the present one, the roofs, the streets, the houses, all the landscape is a bit of Heaven.

Today I will post some pictures of everyday's England.

Just some eye candy. 😉

Are we there yet?

Christmas Day

Almost there !! Just 40 days till Christmas.

May Our Lord gives us a happy and peaceful time in our homnes and hearts in this joyfull season, all the way till Christmas.