The angel in the featured image was on the top of an elaborate structure in the park (Promenade du Paillon which is between Old and New town in Nice: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nice). Yet when I went to hunt down an angel on a Christmas ornament in my collection of photos, there were none to be found. So I decided to focus on JOY, since JOY is the theme of the 3rd week of Advent.

I lived in Northern California for about 40 years and the immediate photo above reminds me of what I consider ideal weather throughout the seasons and similar to what I experienced in the Bay Area as well as the Wine Country, where I lived for all those years. One evening in Old Town, walking back to my rental apartment, this scene captured my heart….Holiday spirit of lights (mid November) and the umbrellas for dining in case the sun’s temperature and saturation of light would call for their use the following day.

It was JOYful for me to see this woman carrying these be-sparkled balloons to their destination one evening in Old Town.

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Exploring in Old Town, I found this tea salon be-dazzled with lights drizzling down the window for the pleasure of the holiday season. The tea towels displayed artfully down the ladder were seen in one of my favorite Old Town shops, Cabane (https://www.cabane-nice.com).

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Mid November and you can witness I wasn’t the only one sucking in the glory of the sea /beach, even down to sunset time. JOY, JOY, JOY!

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Nice’s beach is pebbly but it doesn’t seem to stop these children walking around in their little shoes. Children bring me JOY.

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Setting up the holiday decorations at the park (Promenade du Paillon between Old and New Town). I do find JOY in watching the changes in the fountain–ups and downs of the water levels with some quiet time between spurts. Flowers at one of my favorite restaurants in Old Town. Walking home in New Town one evening in the rain with the wet adding to the street’s shine.

Below, since I couldn’t find an angel ornament, I am going to have to…make a snow angel! Not taken in Nice..but rather in Bend, OR with one of the first snowfalls I experienced after having moved here a few years ago. Although COLD is not for me, I did feel JOYful, remembering this childish snow trick.

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The ANGEL (John Travolta) in the movie, Michael, said: “Whatever they say, you can never have too much of earth.”

Wouldn’t you agree??