Saturday, December 27, 2008

Joys of the Holiday....








    I have always loved Christmas, but this one was more fun and brought more happiness than I can remember.  We seemed to find the right balance between busy and pure relaxation. Most importantly we found time to be with the ones we love. 
     I have promised pictures of our stay in Montecito....but even with the abundance of photos that I took nothing can capture the beauty and contentment that the weekend brought to our family. The house was built in 1922 and as my Mom said upon first seeing it "oh, it looks like the Villa in Under the Tuscan Sun".  As affluent as the home and surrounding areas are , the house just seemed to give our family loving hugs.  Our time consisted of exploring the rooms full of art and wonderful books, the gardens that were both serene and aromatic, and sitting by the fire to warm both body and soul.
     We ate wonderful meals, shared incredible wines, but most importantly there was this powerful peacefulness that seemed to touch us all. We ventured from the home very little.  We were all happiest sitting by the fire and sharing time together.  The few activities away from our Villa were equally joyful.  There were the candlelight Christmas carols at the Mission Santa Barbara, and the visit to a living Creche the next night at an equally stunning Church. We had a gourmet and fun filled dinner at Aldos ( thanks Dustin and Meghan....such a generous gift). Jonathan and Jill took over the kitchen at the Villa to make an equally wonderful frittata for breakfast, and I had the joy of serving dinner on the Limoges plates the house provided.  
     I hope you will enjoy the pictures, and I wish they could capture the pure bliss of being there. We are grateful for the time we can spend together.....we were truly blessed this holiday season. 

3 comments:

Jacqueline Korteland Boller said...

Looks fantastic!! I sure want to be a mouse in your pocket next time you go!!!!

Now what to do for New Year's, huh? I need something to distract me...

Meghan said...

Let's go back!

Red Geranium Cottage said...

What a cool looking place.