Yule-ishness

I keep trying to load up pictures but its not happening. grrrrr. I'm sure all are waiting with baited breath to see our tree etc. NOT....LOL
So, here we are...the Yule season! Solstice is Thursday...yay..longest night leading us to the return of the Light as the days commence to gettin' longer. Woohoo.
I have to miss Marla's Solstice party again this year since I'm hundreds of miles away. Her's was the first Solstice party I ever attended..think Christmas party without Jesus..thats a Solstice party. Great food, fun folk, happy kids hopped up on candy canes, a beautiful tree and many references to the Sun, Light, Winter, and Nature. siiiiiggghhhhh It was so awesome and a really pivotal moment when I was in a bit of a spiritual no man's land after turning away from christianity and exploring other ideas of what I believe and trust in.
What ya have to know about Marla (besides that everything is all about her..kidding...its our joke cuz we got in a fight one time about that) is that no event is a simple dull thing when she gets her organizy mitts on it. She made Ice lanterns...basically candle holders made of ice....for outdoors...had candles for lighting our way to her little pine grove where we had a simple ritual...had a fire outside in the fire pit for roasting hot dogs and adding its strength to the sun (spiritually..we are NOT idiots, just pagans), a solstice tree that is decorated with yellow paper suns on which we wrote what brings light into our lives.... I'm telling you..she could, and perhaps should write a book on how to throw a family friendly solstice party. Last year she was in Cuba/Florida on her sailboat and I was here in Quebec. This year she's home in Nova Scotia, planning the party and I am here. I think I will make an ice lantern or two so's I can light candles in them and bring me closer to her Thursday night as we welcome the sun's return.
Yesterday, I was at Melange for my MPRC shift. May I just say that I really like the new MPRC layout. I can watch the goings on in the store and am no longer hidden in a dark corner. I did some shopping after my shift. Robin was so helpful! She got me my twiggy pentagrams, a pentacle pendant for my kitten's collar (thats another story..) and was able to just be friendly and helpful and sooo Roo-ish. Her hair is growing in so good now from her Shave To Save experience where one raises funds for cancer research and then has their head shaved. Anyways, I got the most awesome hug from her when I left because I won't see the folk at Melange for two weeks or so due to holidays. Nathalie was sooooo busy with customers...go often and spend much because Melange Magique is a terrific resource for Pagans needing pagan stuffs and information. These a good kind people here. ... so we could only blow kisses briefly and poor Eri lost her great aunt to cancer this week so as I hugged her and wished her a happy Hanukah I also offered her comfort for her loss. She is such a sweet calm person.
OOOH! And the amazingest lady I know, Shirley (she just blows me away and warms my soul ) gave mE a gift! She crochetted and starched ornaments for the tree. I LOVE these things!!! I had a few already but just love them so much I may have to have a separate tree just for startched white crochet ornaments...maybe with red lights and candy canes....mmmmmm pretty,.. Oh wait..Shirley... ok so she gave me this bag and there they were and I was sooo touched. sigghhh.
Today as I waited for the bus to take my hoodlums to school, the lady across the street came out and came towards me as I stood in my driveway. I have rarely passed words with her because of the language barrier but we wave occassionally, smile, nodd..you know..not very personal. She's an amazing gardener though and I admire her tree often. Anyways, I figured "Oh shit..the cats have been crapping in her garden..I'm gonna get an earful.." but I smiled and said Bonjour as she approached. She spoke in French and I had no idea what she said so she switched to slightly broken English and apologised for not recognising me at a store one day and held our a small rectangular flat GIFT. What the???! She wanted me to open it..so I did, expecting it to be something for keeping my cats outta her garden..which I apologised for(they dig and pooh in mine too..I KNOW its grosss but thats what cats that go outside anytime for 10 seconds DO. Its like the frikkin' world is their litterbox and if it has pretty flowers? BONUS!) and she said not to worry about it..its what cats do..haha..but it was something to do with my cats she said. I got nervouser then....UNTIL I finished ripping paper and turned it over to see the gift properly. When my brain took it in, I almost burst into tears.
This lovely lady, Christine, had framed a photo of Miss Kitty and Freckles sitting together at her back steps where apparently they spent a lot of time socializing with Christine and her husband. She wanted to give us this photo to remember Freckles by and said how much she liked her and misses her. I got very choked and hugged Christine so tight..this amazing gift from a barely known neighbor!!! We spoke for a couple of minutes and then the bus came and she went to get warm and I tried to find my way to my front door through tears of...sadness, gratitude, joy, wonder....
Its stuff like this that special times are made of. I think this has to be just about the bestest holiday season ever. May blessings of peace, prosperity, and happiness come to all who pass through these waters. I wish that for you, whoever you may be. Pass it on.
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