Beauty everywhere Yuletide by the fireside And joyful memories there

My Christmas Spirit™ this year is certainly on the struggle bus. I am doing my damndest, and it's not coming very easily. Yesterday, I had a glimmer of it.

Yesterday, my friend Susan (whom I had not seen in ages) and I went to Filoli! She had never been and I was very excited to show her around!

There is nothing quite like Christmas at Filoli!

Filoli is stunning at every season, but nonesomuch in my opinion as Fall and Winter.

There was a disco ball in here, and, for whatever reason, it TOOK US OUT laughing.

The vegetable garden has a vegetable gate!

This also SENT us.

We could hear froggies everywhere. 💖💚

A quick stop into the gift shop:

💘

Exactly where Evelyn Nesbitt belongs. (*if Mount Rushmore has to even exist at all)

I don't know why this just SENT us laughing.

This white chocolate cheesecake was one of the most delicious things I have ever had and I will think about it nonstop for the rest of my life.

Now for the house!!

This room is VERY HAUNTED, and Susan definitely felt it, too.

Now for the reason why we had come in the first place!!!

We wondered how they determined this (but did not try out this method to determine its accuracy).

 I fell in love with the Trolls that were here most of the year, and I am very sad they are gone off to their new homes now--BUT-- Filoli has a new troll that will live here forever, and I just ADORE her.

eeeeeeeeee!

This was everything we had hoped for and more:

They had a little Post Office to send letters to Santa! 

In her 27ft glory.

The view from the parking lot.

Dinner last night was one of those British-y pie things from Trader Joe's:

Wound down the evening watching Jack Frost and cuddling the cats.

I will be doing some more Christmasy things this upcoming weekend, although I do not have it in me yet to listen to Christmas music. It's just nothing feels like Christmas. Everything is just...sad. :( I did appreciate the cheer I was able to muster yesterday, though. 💓