random solstice, christmas, holiday thoughts

I got out of bed at 7 am and opened the bedroom curtain to find it was PITCH dark outside. Not even a hint of light. About 7:30, it started to get a little lighter but not much. Whoa. Winter Solstice! Good thing I had a little celebration planned for the afternoon at exactly 5:03. It would have been nice to do this out in the sunshine but it was cold and gray and wet...so I didn't.

I set out these little things: a bunny, two crystals, three candles, a glass of tea, and a cookie. I played Here Comes the Sun by the Beatles and read a poem called Winter Grace. It was a lovely moment. Gus was very curious but it might have been the promise of a cookie and not the ancient ritual of the solstice.

Woody loves bags and boxes. If he is sound asleep in the bedroom and hears a box being opened, he tears into the living room to investigate. He likes most kinds of bags but especially the kind he can hide in completely.

I bought a new Santa hat today and then wore it while I finished shopping. The young girl at the store gave me a funny look when I asked her to remove the tag so I could wear it. It's a nice one with leopard trim. I think I'll wear it to the HyVee tomorrow.

I got a gift card for $15 from my volunteer employers at the NCHS, which I appreciated very much. I wanted to buy my favorite coffee so I went to the coop, filled a bag, then asked the fellow to weigh it to see how close I got. $14.99! Bingo!

I heard a woman in a restaurant today go on a rant about people saying Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas. She said she is so offended that she turns and walks away. Really? I bet Jesus would approve of that attitude.

Time to go to bed.