Solstice Celebration

This year my husband Gerry and I celebrated Yule on the eve of the Winter solstice. This is a beautiful and sacred time of year when the northern hemisphere is at it's shortest day and we celebrate for the reversal of that shortening. It was cold and wintry following Friday's snowstorm, as we made our way to the store to buy our dinner feast. Normally we would have bought firewood to help light our yule log, but this year's frigid temperature and the possibility of winds precluded that plan. I had baked an oatmeal raison bread to feed my woodland creatures, as Gerry carved the roast beef of all fat and threw it out to attract the Turkey Buzzards that I adore. My favorite squirrel, Mrs. Personality visited me on the back porch and got a handful of nuts for her treat. Holiday music blared through the house, anything ranging from James Taylor to Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and my bunny Otis was unusually perky in anticipation of the celebration. We are training him to dance in a circle for his snacky snacks, and he can get almost half way around on his hind legs before stealing off to the corner with the vegetable puffs that he loves. Gerry herb encrusted the beef and we had a nice visit with his kids who are anticipating the Christmas celebration that we will also attend later in the week. It's so nice to pass the torch to the next generation to do the big family  parties, and it's probably why my Wiccan holidays are so meaningful... it's just the two of us who celebrates them. The holiday branch that we decorated on Jack Frost day glowed it merry white lights, as the sun set early, and occasional flakes of snow floated by. It seemed we laughed the whole afternoon away, drinking our holiday cheer as my husband prepared our dinner. Normally I bake or cook dessert, but we just couldn't pass up the tin of Belgian chocolate cookies at Cosco, so my work consisted of setting the table. At dinnertime we ate by candlelight and enjoyed the most delicious rare roast beef, sweet potatoes, and harvard beets, as the Celtic Women sang for us. After our own private and intimate ceremony, we snuggled on the couch with the box of Belgian chocolate cookies and watched "Home Alone"... which was even funnier after a Green Fairy cocktail!