Just Delicate Needles

Just Delicate Needles

It's so delicate, the light.

And there's so little of it. The dark

is huge.

Just delicate needles, the light,

in an endless night.

And it has such a long way to go

through such desolate space.

So let's be gentle with it.

Cherish it.

So it will come again in the morning.

We hope.

--by Rolf Jacobsen

Translated by Robert Hedin

Happy Winter Solstice!  Tonight will find me drinking Swedish Glogg and singing carols and reading books like The Longest Night to the children.  I'm not really sure how that will go, with the glogg and all, but we'll see.  We are VERY excited.  We'll also be decorating a Solstice Tree outside with bagels dipped in peanut butter and birdseed, and exchanging homemade presents.  And then the children will crash, and the moms will too.  I just love my homebirthin' hippie friends that I can share these things with.  Makes me VERY happy.  We get so damn giddy about it.  And there is snow on the ground, making it even more special. 

Oh, and in case I remember to look back next December, let this be a reminder to maybe get the Christmas Tree sooner than six days before Christmas? 

Winter Solstice Celebrating

our gift exchange--a coupon book for Rob from Grace for things like mowing the yard, a half an hour of piano time, playing a game of tennis...I'm guessing she is going to babysit for the piano/tennis ones??

We read 'The Shortest Day' and Grace's wonderful St. Lucia book.  We decided that next year on Dec. 13, Grace will dress as St. Lucia and we'll have a St. Lucia celebration.

Eric was so proud to give each sibling a small cloth doll that he had picked out downtown.

Grace made me a necklace!

The new long awaited jammie pants!

I loved how happy they were with them.  They (the jammie pants) are so simple and sweet (well, so are my children).

Eric says the blessing before we eat.

Vegetarian Shepherd's pie-mmm!

Calvin enjoyed playing with cranberries (and later throwing big handfuls of them).

Happy return of the light!

Happy Winter Solstice!

Yesterday I sewed 4 pairs of jammie pants for solstice presents.  Tonight we are having a solstice party--we're going to bake cookies and have them with cocoa as we read The Shortest Day.   I tucked the jammie pants away for tonight, it will be fun to celebrate the return of the light with my loves.

This one looks wonderful, too!

Oh, and thank you all for the camera info!  Rob asked me if I was going to buy one.  He seemed very concerned...and I correctly guessed that I am getting one for Christmas.  Yeah!!!