Prep Time

Waddya know, it’s December. Winter doesn’t officially begin until later—December 21 at 11:48 P.M. EST, just to be all precise and shit.

That's the winter solstice, the first day of winter, the shortest day of the year—the day the sun flips me the bird. *sigh* Still and all, it’s a day to celebrate as it means that sunlight WILL be coming back, the days WILL get longer.

One of these years I’d like to observe the solstice up at the Ring of Brodgar in the Orkney Islands. Sunrise on that day isn’t until just a few ticks past nine with sunset at 3:15.  Six precious hours of daylight.

Dunno what goes down there on this day BUT Helen and Mark Woodsford-Dean of the Scottish Pagan Federation observe the day complete with mead and honeycakes.

 With the kind permission of Historic Scotland we celebrate the main Pagan / Celtic festivals at the Ring of Brodgar (by the fallen stone by the southern entrance) OR at the Standing Stones of Stenness. We usually design a ritual around those provided by the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids. Wherever possible, we celebrate on the day of the festival, or as near as possible, giving preference to weekends.

Anyone with a warm heart and open mind is very welcome to join us, or even just interested observers, at any of these events. We usually sound a horn to announce the ritual is starting!

I think this would be an ideal way to ring in the beginning of longer days. Maybe my cousin Della could come up from Berlin and join me too. That’d be awesome plus.

This year, maybe what we’ll do, TAB, Jen, Oni and I, is have a nice dinner by candlelight....or bonfire.

In any case, my body’s been getting a jump start on the heart of the frozen season. The old skin sack’s doing it’s best impression of obscenely crispy, ancient papyrus recently unearthed from the Pyramid of Djoser. That and I’m beyond ravenous all the damn time. I could eat a block of cheddar, the size of my head, in one sitting—swear to Bast, I could!

That perpetual diet of mine? I’m currently doing everything possible just to keep from putting on additional, molto unneeded poundage. Actually losing weight will happen, just not until I’ve adjusted to the cold. Workin’ on it.

I've been wrapping myself in layers of wool and getting out to exercise each and every day. I’m even doing more walking in addition (incredibly!) to triking. My goal, once the snow’s fallen and the streets are icy, is to be able to stay upright—to be able to walk down to the big beach, less than a half dozen blocks down the seawall, and back without splatting on my ass 500 times.

This, even at the best of times, is a challenge.

So then, I'm fighting off my PTSS (Post Traumatic Snow Syndrome—brought on by last years' Snowmageddon), attempting to perk up my attitude/my down outlook and get fit (less unfit) so that I can get around on the coming ice and snow.

Yea me?