I spent a lot of time on my feet over the weekend, probably more than I should've given my ankle. Thus, I plan to spend most of today lying on the couch with my foot up and on ice. I've got a bunch of things to work on that I can do from this position, but extensive blogging is not one of them. Thus, an audience-participation thread:
If you celebrated some solstice-linked holiday in the last month or so, what was the highlight of it for you?
This could be a gift you received, a gift you gave, or just some moment that was particularly nice. If you've got something you'd like to share, leave it in the comments.
As noted last night, I got a cool flash unit for the camera, but the best gift may well have been the awesome Einstein marionette that my sister got me. Pictures will eventually be forthcoming.
The best moment I didn't actually see, but heard from the end of the hall. SteelyKid was sleeping on a cot in my parents' room, and Kate and I were still in bed when she got up. I heard her walk down the hall (she tends to stomp wherever she goes, a trait she probably inherited from her father), and then there was a huge gasp of amazement when she reached the living room and saw the presents.
So, what was the highlight of the season for you?
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MY seasonal highlight was watching my husband laugh uproariously at his sister's reactions as she unwrapped the joke gifts he gave her. (One package was an empty mustard bottle, and another was nothing but bubble wrap.) My husband has had a very stressful year, and I had forgotten just how merry his face gets when he is truly relaxed and pleased about something.
PS To clear up any confusion, I am not a canine, nor am I in any way trying to steal Emmy's thunder with my own independently generated moniker. :-)
This year something inspired me to celebrate the winter solstice... so I learned about the analemma, went outside at night, lit a circle of candles, and meditated on joy. It was thrilling.
This morning, I would have been surprised if you had told me I'd have an entry for this. I am not a fan of the ways that my in-laws celebrate, but Jenny and the kids are, so...
...anyway: the snow allowed Aidan and I to have our first really two-sided snowball fight, and it was a thing of glory. The combination of exhilaration, exercise, and laughter - and pink cheeks - will stay with me for a long time.
Early Christmas morning my (youngest) teenage son's alarm went off. He usually sleeps through it, so my husband sighed, went in to the boy's bedroom and turned off the alarm. He said, "Wow, I remember when those kids used to be up at 5, and now he's sleeping through his alarm, and the other won't be up 'til noon probably. I guess those days when they were all excited are go--"
And his sorrowful reminiscing was interrupted by the sound of our kids' feet, thumping down the stairs to check out the tree and the presents.
We were so happy.
I love the whole couple of days but if forced to pick one time, I'd choose late afternoon on Christmas when B1 fiddled tunes he'd written himself as background music for the reading/cooking/game playing the rest of us were doing. The puppies had worn themselves out (finally!) so they were sacked out. Very lowkey and lovely.
It was my kid's first Christmas, which was fun, but I suspect it will be a lot more fun next year, and get increasingly fun for several years thereafter.
My favorite present was a new lens for my camera from my parents. It is a wide-angle zoom that goes from wide-normal on one end to hilarously wide on the other. Learning how the heck to use it is already proving quite entertaining.