12/26/2024, Ode to Joyce

I got a call last night at 9:30

informing me that we had 

lost Joyce.

The comments and accolades

she received on her post would

have much pleased her.

Joyce and I taught together at

Adams City 23 years. We had

morn coffee, FACd, and shared

student concerns and stories.

We were friends out of school

as well and had good times. In

common, we both had purple

in our hair, adored our students

and loved to party. Methinks

'twould be well if I didn't tell

on us; we might need a good

spanking!

Joyce liked to come over to the

cabin for crafting and a good

catch up. Naught was ever dull

when Joyce was around.

She was also part of my spiritual

circle and for that I am thankful.

I can't believe she's gone. I want

someone to tell me it's all been

a mistake. I still have her x-mas

card up on the mantle . . .

Well loved! Well remembered!!

Well enjoyed!!! No finer epitaph

for an amazing woman, teacher,

friend . . .

Here's hoping the heavens throw

you a party at your arrival!!!

Missing you already . . .

12/25/2024 - Christmas Day

'Tis o' dark thirty and I 

am left wondering what 

this x-mas will bring to 

one and all.

And, even though I'm of 

the Yule ilk, rather than 

the Christmas, I have so 

many friends and family

who celebrate Christmas. 

I just know I love all of

us no matter which days

we choose to celebrate.

Today holds a bit of mystery

as we have nothing planned.

We do know one of the kids

is coming over for a while.

I'm looking forward to it!

'Twill be most interesting

to see what happens through-

out the day. I'm sooooo open

for surprises!

Merriest of all Christmas

moments for those of you 

who celebrate this wondrous

time.

Do enjoy every minute!

12/24/2024 - Christmas Eve

I have such fond memories

of x-mas eve w/my parents.

Somewhat impoverished,

our eves were small, but

most wondrous.

The usual unders, a new

book to read and a doll

for me. I've shared before

that I was expected to share

my old doll the following

day. And, if it wasn't as 

nice as the new one, then

I was to give the new doll.

Trust me, I took good care

of my dolls.

I so enjoyed reading my

new book! I was actually

given license to read thru

the night. Fab memory.

We'll begin readying the

cabin for the New Year

today. I find, I'm well

pleased that I'm looking

forward rather than back.

Have a delightful x-mas eve

and here's hoping you get

more than unders!

12/23/2024

Part 1

Sooooo strange . . .

Woke up this early morn at 

quarter to two. The sense of

foreboding was incredible.

Quite frightening actually!

Not sure where all this came

from. It might just be SAD

in action.

I ask myself yet again, how

to cope? I tend to forget all

remedies when in the midst

of a SAD attack. So, I keep

a list . . . and check it twice.

Ha!

Methinks, 'tis off to bed I go

again and see if I feel better

in the morning . . .

 - - -

Part 2

Awoke again around 9:00

this morning and indeed I

feel much better.

I may owe it to a brisk walk

out to the mail box with my

thank you notes. It's 33.3°

so when I say brisk, 'tis

exactly what I mean.

Think I'll spend a few hours

putting away Yule and setting 

up my annual altar for dear

Saint Brighid.

'Tis off to work I go . . .

 - - -

Saint Brighid of Ireland is the

patroness saint of Ireland. She

was the abbess who founded

the abbey of Kildare, as well 

as several other monasteries.

Died Feb 1 525 AD, Kildare.

Wikipedia

12/22/2024

'Tis morning of the day after,

alas!

This particular Yule Eve and

Yule were both phenomenal.

We were lucky enough to 

spend them with friends and

family. And, these are my two 

favest days of December!

Sooooo, where to go from

here?! How will I cope with

these upcoming days of dark

December?!

Perhaps first of all, I simply 

must remember that today, 

the light begins to return, 

just a tiny bit each day.

I so love postcards. Might be

fun for me to send as many

as I can during the upcoming

days . . . might even get an

answer to one or two.

I need to make an effort to

sit by the fire as it feeds my

soul and comforts me.

If outdoors is just too cold to

deal with, the porch for a few

moments each day should do.

I should make more of an

effort to cook. Especially 

in winter, I tend to open the 

fridge to see what falls out

rather than preparing a meal.

Bottom line, I'll be doing all 

of these and any other I can

come up with.

 Here's to growing light . . .

12/21/2024 - Yule

Yule has finally arrived . . . 

Methinks that little kid within

my soul has been waiting for

ages, but truly, we're only 

three weeks into December.

Yes, today is known as Yule,

but it is also called the Winter

Solstice, and 'tis the first day

of Winter.

We're gathering with family

today. So excited to see every

one. Our co-in-laws have

traveled far to be here with 

us as they do every year.

Seasonal celebrations ahoy . . . 

Yule, Christmas, Hanukkah!

Enjoy yours!!!

- - -

Yule is one of the oldest Winter

Solstice festivals in the world,

with origins among the ancient

Norse. It was later incorporated

into the Christian holiday of

Christmas. Today, Yule is

celebrated by many Pagans.

~Al Overview

12/20/2024 - Yule Eve

For moi, the Winter Solstice

is the most wondrous part of

winter . . . kicking it off to a

good start!

And, although I have personal

issues with winter, I simply

adore this holiday, thus starting

the celebrations on the eve.

If you're not familiar with Yule,

and/or Yule Eve, 'tis the first

day of winter. It is celebrated

similarly to Christmas Eve,

which celebrates the birth of

the Christ child.

Meeting with family, friends,

preparing special foods and

gifts, holiday decor all 'round.

This is Yule Eve.

My guy and I intend to sit

before the fire in our lessers,

and simply enjoy each other

and the eve.

Happy Yule Eve to one and

all . . . may light join us as

the days shorten . . .

 - - -

Yule Eve is the night before

the Winter Solstice, Pagan 

holiday celebrating the rebirth

of the sun and the return of the

light and warmth. The Winter

Solstice is the shortest day and

longest night of the year.

~Al Overview

12/19/2024

I imagine this is the time of

year that brings on pondering.

Seems my mind can barely

keep up with all the things 

I find myself thinking about.

The increase in traffic outside

my window makes me think

of hard working families. The

school bus stops for a young

lass every morning just outside

the cabin.

So, why is this so important?

'Tis the darkest time and the 

coldest of days . . . and it isn't

even winter yet.

I think about the holiday 

shoppers; their hurry, their

spending and their exhaustion.

I find myself thinking about

the people I would love to see.

Then, I look outside . . . piles

of snow and sleet everywhere. 

Ever so glad to be retired.

None of this is negative; it

simply is. I am determined to

get through these cold dark

months of SAD with the best

attitude I can conjure. Still

glad for my happy pills though.

12/18/2024

"If you are always trying 

to be normal, you will never

know how amazing you can 

be." ~Maya Angelou

I tend to associate normal

with cookie cutter . . . 

sooooo not who I want to be 

when I grow up!!!

Methinks my entire life I've

been attracted to the different,

the unusual. Same song, second

verse simply doesn't work for

me.

My father, most fab eccentric

of all times, used to call us,

the odd man out. He was the

one who showed me how

wondrous it was to be one's

own self.

My own eccentricities tend

to crop up in me only wearing

black, nigh onto 20 tats, reading

a book a day (or should I say

night?), painting deep blue in

my white hair, but wearing no

makeup, not shaving (that one

hurts!) I could go on and on.

I would encourage each of us

to think . . . think about what

we do that signifies the diff in

each of us. Might even be a

bit of fun.

I avidly await your comments . . .

12/17/2024

"We need beauty because it

makes us ache to be worthy

of it." ~Mary Oliver

Sooooo love Mary Oliver

and her eternal wisdom!

Looking out my window at

the beauty Mother Nature

has gifted often leaves me

breathless.

There's this place on the

highway where going under

the overpass, you're assailed

with an almost 360° of pure

mountain beauty. All seasons,

different views. I've seen it

hundreds of times and every

single one of them takes my

breath away.

The pines up the mountain

beside my cabin can compete

with any beauty one has to

offer. I feel so lucky to live

here. I just ignore the road

noise on the other side! Sigh!

Then there is the beauty in

our children, their kids and

their babies. Naught like it

in the entire universe. Add

in friendship and I'm full up

with beauty.

My heart overflows with

gratitude . . .

12/16/2024

As the year closes down . . .

I get that each of us have our

own doings, rituals, for saying

goodbye. And, many a good 

thing has happened worth

remembering. Alas, 'tis time

to bid adieu. 

I find myself rereading a fave

book or two. I go through the

snail-mail letters I've kept and

reread those as well.

As the day ends and rest is nigh,

I mentally visit scenarios of the

happenings throughout the year

that I wish to remember. I find

there are many.

Something that always amazes 

me, one thing, one tiny little thing

can happen in a 24 hour period

and that's what we remember.

Not the 23 hours and 45 minutes,

but that one little 15 minute thing.

So, indeed I am insistent on

remembering the good moments;

visits from fam and fave peeps.

A good show whilst holding 

hands with my lover, an amazing

meal with my girlfriends, FACs

with our dear friends, neighbors.

In less than a couple of weeks,

this year will simply be a walk

down memory lane.

Let us remember . . .

12/15/2024

Half of December . . . gone!

Seems the days pass ever so

fast. And yes, I do know there

are 24 hours in a day!

I am ever and always amazed

by how fast the days go by,

but in this case, I wish they

would hurry faster!

So looking forward to the

Winter Solstice, Dec 21st.

You may think of the day as

first day of Winter, the first

day the sun starts to return.

As I honor eight specific

holidays throughout the 

year, I tend to call the day

Yule. And 'tis the day I

celebrate in December.

For those of us who are a

tad archaic, we may call it

the Hibernal Solstice.

I guess since I am Linda-Dale,

ld, jennings, mom, teacher,

maestra . . . the first day of

Winter can have several names

as well.

Prepare to greet the day. There

is something about it that is

pure magick! And, you only

have five days to prepare!

Do something special!

12/14/2024

"We must be willing to let go 

of the life we planned so as 

to have the life that is waiting 

for us." ~Joseph Campbell

Methinks Joseph Campbell

must have been the wisest

man on earth! Every time I

read his words, I find myself

inspired.

My mother used to say about

me that I had my life planned

from the cradle to the grave.

Alas, not far from the truth!

Planned to stay home; left at

15. Planned to live in the US;

lived in Mexico 20 years.

Planned to have two; now I

have eight kids. Planned to

live in my beautiful home; I

live in a tiny, tiny 145 year old

cabin.

I could go on and on . . .

Still, I have had an amazing 

life, regret none of it and have 

memories that fill up many a

mental scrapbook.

Ever so grateful for my life . . .

 - - -

Joseph John Campbell was an

American professor of literature

at Sarah Lawrence College who

worked in comparative mythology

and religion. His work covers many

aspects of the human experience.

1904 - 1987 Wikipedia