So this is Christmas....

So this is Christmas.... London, that is. Little snapshots of the days leading up to the jolliest of holidays. Shoppers finishing up on King's Road,

decorations on Oxford Street,

lights on Sloane Square,

garlands adorning Piccadilly Arcade,

and ice skaters at Somerset House.

You can't miss Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park,

nor Rudolph in Covent Garden

where the decorations are very festive.

You always find the unique at Covent Garden--mistletoe for sale

and a Merry Kissmas tree where for a small donation to charity, you kiss holding the mistletoe and

the electricity of your touch lights up 50,000 red and white lights.

Always a good idea to read the medical warnings first to avoid any sensations you might not otherwise expect!

Tasty foods abound, such as you might find in this Hot Spicy Somerset Cider trailer,

Christmas cupcakes,

mince pies,

and roasted chestnuts on a open fire.

The Royal Chelsea Hospital pensioners were on their way to a party, and one even gave me a kiss. Gotta love those guys!

Stumbled on an enchanting and cozy room all decked out at the Clos Maggiore restaurant--book me a table soon!

And not to be left out, Father Christmas is on the look out for good little girls and boys.

Often you find Santa or Father Christmas in a grotto, such as this one at Westfield Mall, or others at Harrod's and Selfridge's. The tradition of visiting Santa in a grotto or cavern at a shopping venue first started in Britain in 1879 and then extended to Australia and America.

I spotted this Father Christmas in Peter Jones the other day. This is what I overheard. Mother says, "On Christmas Eve, would you like us to leave you sherry or brandy?" to which I was thankful that Santa said that just milk would do. He also asked for a mince pie and a carrot for his reindeer. Don't you just love his Barbour "wellies?"

So, I leave you with a very amateurish short video clip of the last verse of Hark the Herald Angels Sing, that we sang at the Christmas Carol Service at the St. Luke's church. I was trying to be discreet about the camera, but I did want to share a moment of the music with all of you. So from Paddington and our household, Merry Christmas! More Christmas moments to come....

Watch for updates about the Big Freeze in London in days to come. We finally made it back to Texas today, but only after several tries, a lot of prayers, and some anxious moments.