The Kings have arrived today.....

Today began clear, bright and sunny, but cloud gradually crept in from the West.
A lovely parcel arrived from our family during the morning. Three Christmas “wreaths” made from green cardboard and decorated with all kinds of stick-on figures like snowmen, Santas and penguins to mention a few.
One each from the grandchildren, Sammy, (9) Libby (8 in January ‘21) and Toby (4)
Bonnie (20 months) has “coloured in” her first Christmas card. Always so precious.
I’ve hung the wreaths in the front window. I’ll blip them tomorrow.
In the meantime I’ve added the Magi, or Kings, whichever name you are used to, to the Nativity.
Unfortunately the “star” on Monday evening, which was to be extremely bright being a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, could not be seen here due to cloud and rain. It was also the Winter Solstice.
Outside just now it is growing darker and very still with hardly a breath of wind. The skies are unusually quiet, due to cancelled air traffic.
In the meantime I feel desperately sorry for the lorry drivers who have been stuck for two days either side of the English Channel Crossing due to most of Europe closing their borders to the UK.
They have to live in their unheated cabs with no toilet facilities.
I am thankful for a warm cosy home, enough food for now.
Thankful for those people on the front line working hard to administer the vaccine, and those who work caring for others in whatever capacity. I know you could add your own long list of others.
As I watch the Christmas lights twinkling away through the climbing hydrangea on the side of our porch, it seems a world away from the chaos I know is out there.
There is so much meaning in the phrase
“Hope springs eternal”.
We need
Hope for a better New Year
Hope for a decrease in the number of virus infections
Hope for a better future for the younger generation.
Hope for being able to see our loved ones without restrictions
Hope for a time when going out and about does not have to be socially distanced, or masked, and hand gelled.