At 6:12 this morning, Autumn gave its final bow and Winter settled in for good. And yes, I was awake to "see" it happen (the Solstice that is), but since it's dark at that time of day, AND rainy this morning to boot, there was not much to see. That picture above was taken a couple of years ago after a proper snowfall. (We haven't had one of those yet this year. According to the forecast, maybe next week.)
So, plans for the day?
Well, per family tradition, the boys woke to the smell of "Solstice Rolls" for breakfast ...
NOT homemade this year, just a can of Pilsbury - but hey, the sentiment's there! One of these years I'll make homemade yeast rolls filled with fragrant fruits and earthy spices ... but this would not be that year. ;)
I also lit the Solstice lanterns:
The older boys made these lanterns many years ago, when EB was but a baby! We attended a Solstice party thrown by homeschooling friends, and this was one of the projects for the kids. The night before, the family had filled old soup cans with water and then let them freeze - the kids then punched holes along the sides using hammers and nails. (Adult supervision and assistance was required, of course.) When the ice melted, a "starry" lantern was left behind. We light these every year on the Winter Solstice, in honor of the returning light and in fond remembrance of our friends.
Later today, we'll make some suet treats for the birds - though perhaps not as elaborately as this post describes! (Simple is my motto this year!) I picked up some suet at the market yesterday and I have some mixed fruits, nuts and seed on hand. Suet's not always easy to find, but if you ask your butcher I'm sure he'll be able to provide you with some.
And while the rain pounds and the wind roars, there will be good books to read - see my "Winter Basket" at left - and we'll also work on our Snowflakes for Sandy Hook ... I've got paper plates, glitter, and glue set aside for that craft. :)
For dinner, we'll have our traditional Solstice supper ~ a potato-topped cottage pie, crusty rolls, small salads (for the picky eaters) and a lemon sun cake for dessert.
(And one of these years I'll make this very cool bread wreath, but - again - this will not be that year!)
Oh, and we'll have some hot spiced cider, of course! Our own "family wassail."
*❤*
Dear readers, how do you feel about this season? I myself love Winter - "O king of fireside enjoyments and homebound happiness" - though I admit I find myself eager for Spring come the first of March! What kind of Winter do you have where you live? New England Winters are usually snowy and cold, though last year was quite the anomaly - aside from a freak Halloween storm, we had no snow to speak of!
Well my friends, I'd best be off - I've a busy day ahead and my boys are all up now. (Tucking right into those rolls, of course!) Thank you for your visit and your kind words about my new "look" here at the old blog ... I'm still tweaking, but I'm liking the change so far. :)
So Happy Friday and Bonne Hiver!
See you all here again soon ...
*❤*
