Happy Solstice!

Happy Solstice! A very special point of the year, with far more meaning to me personally than the more commercialized holdays. At least (so far) Business Depot and Toys R Us aren't capitalizing (yet) on the Solstice. It's probably just a matter of time before laser printers, iPhones and filing cabinets are being pushed as the perfect Yule gift, and Toys R Us will be offering little Spinal Tap-esque replicas of Stonehenge.

I enjoy contemplating the past on the Winter Solstice...and not just my personal past, for better or worse, but the way-back past, the misty past, the past we can only know through speculation. We can learn so much form archeology, but so much is hidden from us. We do know with certainty though that this day was noted and commemorated by all of our ancients, throughout the world. That continuity of thought and mind is a wonderful thing to consider and embrace.

Cris has beautifully said much of what I've been thinking on her blog, check it out.

I wish you all joy of the return of the light.
And I pledge to myself to remember that each day, each hour, each minute and each second is a new beginning. Have wings, and use them!

We have spent a pleasant quite day, out of the cold, snug and peaceful. This picture was taken a few years ago but it's one of my favorites of the meadow in winter.

I did just a little decorating to conserve my energy...I have approximately , um, an uncountable number of antique and vintage Christmas ornaments, and much as I love them, it really is a lot of work to drag them out, spread them all over the house and then put them all away again! They are a delight, but they are having a nice rest this year! When I worked in retail, for many years my walk to work took me past a thrift store and I went in every single day. Those were the mythical "good old days" of thrifting, seriously, and I bought hundreds of valuable old blown glass ornaments for pennies...and other things, figural Santas and Christmas ephemera, chenille wreaths and bottlebrush trees...I was teased unmercifully about it at work, vintage Christmas wasn't really fashionable or desirable at the time. HA! It has been many years since I've seen any at a thrift. Here are a few sweet Victorian postcards. It's fun to read the messages.

The mantle, there is a wonderful fire int he fireplace tonight. The stocking was sent to me for my first Christmas by my Auntie Ivy and Uncle Claude, so it's very old. Hehehh! Yes, the left hand poinsettia plant is in a plant stand made from a WWI artillery shell. So has an interesting if rather militant taste in collectibles. I say, if you can't blow it up, put a flower in it!

This is the little kitchen tree which amuses us immensely. It has blown glass cupcakes and chocolate dipped strawberries and fancy cocktails, and a pink fridge and vegetable people. That is indeed a blown glass can of diet Coke, one of us (cough, not me) is addicted!

We actually had an hour or two of sunshine yesterday, such a rarity here lately, it has been so dark. Valentine is convinced that if the sun is shining it is SUMMER. She wanted outside so badly I finally let her go out.

WTH? This is COLD!

I do not approve. Is it better over here?

Over there maybe?

To HELL with this! Want in! Poor kitty. It took her a good 10 minutes to lick her toes back to tolerable warmness!

Finally, I found this picture I took last summer and forgot about. Half of a large nut or seed pod of some sort. I love that even inside a nut there can be a beautiful, perfect heart!

Love to you all, thanks for the kind messages.