Our new dog, Rooney, is settling in well with us, and unlike Henry, loves to wear his Christmas finery! He's a lovely dog and his temperament is so much like Henry's that we feel a little part of him is still here with us. Doesn't he have a beautiful soulful face?

The holiday season has been really nice so far, with loads of parties and places to go. We've been eating and drinking far too mcuh, but tis the season and all that.

I decorated the front of our house with fresh fruit and greens. I've been doing this for years and I love its unique look, which was inspired by some Della Robbia terracottas, which I have admired for years, particularly when I saw beautiful examples of them adorning the Ospedale degli Innocenti in Florence, years ago.

Here's two examples of Della Robbias, which inspired me:

And here's my own handiwork, not exactly up to Florentine Renaissance standards, but I'm quite happy with the results!