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Monday, December 23, 2024

Look Back Monday

22°f this morning, -5.5°C. Clear.

Random pics from this past weekend.

One of the churches in Charleston, not the one where I was on Sunday, but from the steps of that church one could see this one and another. Very religious neighborhood apparently. 


Inside the concert church


Suzy enjoying her cake. She broke a tooth recently and refuses to smile until it is fixed. It really isn't visible, but you can't convince her of that!


Inside Taylor Books. It's a popular spot downtown. 


Nice fire last night.

Solstice sunset






Part of our driveway, which stays snowy long after the snow has melted everywhere else. We often find mushrooms along here in warm weather.


Our mailbox and package box.

 A little beech tree clings to its leaves.

Buddy wasn't sure he wanted to go out after all.


Window view



Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Sunday, December 22, 2024

Solstice Weekend

19°f, -7°C, frosty frozen morning that eventually became sunny and 32°f. Some snow lingers, most has melted away.


We spent most of Saturday cleaning house ...again. How do two people make so much dirt! I know the answer: we are constantly busy, constantly in and out. And then there are the dogs. I have never had housepets, but this winter there's poor old Daisy, 15 years old and arthritic. Well, she has to come in, doesn't she, poor old girl. Then Buddy, who won't stay home, has to be inside as well, and can only go out if we take him. And poor Little Boy can't be left outside by himself! So, everyone is inside in this cold weather, and that means a ton of extra cleaning every day. It's like having my herd of little boys again to clean up after.

Still.  We swept and mopped and dusted and waxed and cleaned the glass door and put away clutter.  And then we were off to a Christmas carols singalong at our favorite cafĂ©,  Shari's,  where we had a good time with a few good friends. Afterwards we stopped at the Yacht Club for a drink and a visit with our son Derek and some other friends. When we returned home (early, really, by 9:00pm) we lit the fireplace and watched A Christmas Memory, about a particular Christmas in Truman Capote's childhood, a poignant movie we watch almost every year. (If you want to see a bit of how fruitcake is made, it will enlighten you.) It was a nice way to celebrate the Solstice, and see in this new season.

Today I slept in until 9:30am, so rare! A leisurely breakfast, a little laundry done, then I picked up my friend Suzy and we drove to Charleston for a pleasant afternoon, stopping at Taylor Books for a little book browsing, coffee and cake,

before attending a "Celtic Christmas" music program at a Presbyterian church. The program turned out to be more  religious than Celtic, but the music was beautiful all the same, and the church was just stunning. 


Mary and Joseph. I hope they enjoyed the concert.


The Charleston Civic Choir, accompanied by some fine musicians.


The church has a domed, almost Byzantine roof, with this intricate interior.


A tiny clip of the concert, not the best part and on my phone so not the best quality either. 


When I returned home, Larry had the fire lit, and the dogs were a rambunctious welcoming committee.  I put in the movie, The Man Who Christmas,  a great story about Charles Dickens and the creation of A Christmas Carol, and we settled in for another cozy evening. 

Oh, and did I mention that we did find another van on Friday? Car shopping is grueling, and it was a long day, but we found what we were looking for over in Athens, Ohio--a 2020 all-wheel-drive Toyota Sienna, which oddly enough is the same color as our smashed van. Neighbors who have seen us in it are a little confused, I think, wondering if we managed to get the old one fixed! It's a big relief to get this off our to-do list. This is our third Sienna, so you know we like them a lot. 

Tomorrow, back to the usual life here.  It will be pie-baking day, I think. 

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Saturday, December 21, 2024

Merry Yule!

26°f, -3°C, snow flurries and icy after yesterday's rain. A proper start to winter and to welcome Solstice.

Found on Facebook

The wheel turns, and round we go again to welcome the Oak King! (In this folkloric tradition, the Holly King represents the gradual fading away of green and light, while the Oak King represents the slow stirring of life beginning again, and the return of green.)

A song to welcome the season: Welcome Yule


This is, I think, another example of a very old song "Christianized" to blend the old traditions with the new religion. These lyrics are from the best carols website on the internet, in my opinion, The Hymns and Carols of Christmas.

Welcome be thou, heaven-king,
Welcome born in one morning,
Welcome for whom we shall sing,
Welcome for whom we shall sing,
Welcome Yule.1

2. Welcome be ye, Stephan and John,
Welcome Innocents every one
Welcome Thomas Martyr one,
Welcome Thomas Marty one,
Welcome Yule.

3. Welcome be ye, good New Year,
Welcome Twelfth Day, both in fere,2
Welcome saints lef and dear,
Welcome saints lef and dear,
Welcome Yule.

4. Welcome be ye Candlemas,
Welcome be ye, Queen of Bliss,
Welcome both to more and less,3
Welcome both to more and less,
Welcome Yule.


I learned the song from an old video found online, in which the verses were arranged differently, and it did not double the third line. The melody was also quite different, much simpler than the very pretty one above.

So, welcome Winter! And welcome light!


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