Nice photos... and I like "your" black cat, having one of those myself!

Sacred spaces are very peaceful, and good places to generally just "be," I guess because they offer a break from the hustle and bustle of life. I'm not a religious person either, but I have often visited churches and temples; used to be just to sit and think, and sometimes write in my paper journal. Somehow, they feel like places where your space is respected, and you can be left undisturbed to work though whatever is going through your mind.

Happy New Year to you, if I don't swing by "this way" before then!