Winter Solstice wishes

 

Today around 10:30 pm is Winter Solstice. 

Starhawk in her book "The Fifth Sacred Thing" talks about a future where people would wish each other well by saying "May you never Hunger," to be answered by "May you never Thirst."

With climate catastrophe looming, having food and water available is an important part of our lives, or those of our children and their children. Remember the phrase of thinking of the seven generations to come? 

When I wish peace on earth I'm thinking of this, not so much of the wars that are so awful and continuing. The seventh generation to come.

What I tell my students, when they feel singularly unfortunate to
be born in this moment, is - 

"this is your moment, the moment your
soul showed up incarnate.  In this world.  It is an astonishing moment
to be alive.  You could have been born into a lull - instead you were
born into a tipping point. It's your one life and you've entered it at
a flexion point - a point when everything you do matters.  How
often in history does a soul get to live in such an era?  Don't waste it.
Show up for it.  With everything you've got.  Some will invent,
some will organize, some will witness, some will grieve, some
will console.  Live this life now.  Even if in fury and grief, live it.

You don't want to die not having lived.  It's incredibly easy to find
a way around experience rather than through it.  But you will have
cheated yourself out of ..... your life.  You are
here now.  Now is the time to live fully, not hide, not escape."

Jorie Graham

Winter Solstice Deer by Rion Wang

WINTER SOLSTICE PRAYER by Mary Saracino

Deep night, Dark night

Night of the longest sigh

Soulful night, Sacred night

Night of the longest dreams

Cold night, Holy night

Night of unfurling desires

Womb of the world, Birther of hope

Bringer of peace and good will

Pray, pray for all good things

That suffering for all will end

That life will thrive and generosity reign

In the hearts of all humankind

That joy will rise and children will fly

On wings of prosperity

Oh hear our plea, this silent night

When the moon is round in the sky

When hopes are high and eyes are wide

with delight and audacity

May Love prevail tonight, and always

Leading us back to our Source

May we dance with the dark, without hesitation or fear

And savor her promise of plenty

Deep night

Dark night

Night of the longest sigh

May our weary hearts stay vigilant and receptive

To all that is loving and dear

Four days till Christmas

Changes at Newgrange. This is an ancient site where the Winter Solstice is celebrated by the sun coming down the chamber to the back wall. It was sitting intact for centuries, until in the 20th century engineers decided to improve upon it.

Just saying...

These are serious anthropologists!

The stars and balls got it wrong, it's just two days till Winter Solstice!

Now this is a Father Christmas I could imagine sharing some great presents with me.

I'm not sure black people would want this guy with his list of the good kids. It's more likely PC people will purchase him and make him stand in public places where blacks might see him. 

St. Patrick's Cathedral 2017 New York City

Six days till Christmas

Today's quote:

That is happiness; to be dissolved into something complete and great. 

-Willa Cather, novelist (1873-1947)

Step back in history

 At the Swannanoa Valley Museum and  History Center!

A friend who's an artist created these figures, Jerry Pope.

This String Band sits on an old time radio...where many people used to sit in their living rooms to listen to so many shows.

Roberta Flack was born in Black Mountain, though she grew up elsewhere. We've adopted her though.

Many explanatory boards talking about music making in these mountains and valleys!

I do love folk music. And some blue grass. And a bit of country. 

One of my favorite songs of Roberta Flack..."The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face..."

Today's quote: 

Times of scarcity need to be met with generosity, times of fear with comfort, times of uncertainty with presence.

THOMAS HÜB Four more days till Winter Solstice when the light returns

My Facebook friend's tree (Maureen Kiloram). 13 More Days till Christmas

APPALACHIAN LIVING (not serious)

 OLD APPALACIA WELCOMES YOU...

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW IF YOU MOVE TO THE APPALACHIANS.

1. A possum is a flat animal that sleeps in the middle of the road.

2. There are 5,000 types of snakes and 4,998 of them live in the South.

3. There are 10,000 types of spiders. All 10,000 of them live in the South, plus a couple no one's seen before.

4. If it grows, it'll stick ya. If it crawls, it'll bite cha.

5. Onced and Twiced are words.

6. It is not a shopping cart, it is a buggy!

7. Jawl-P? means: Did you all go to the bathroom?

8. People actually grow, eat, and like okra.

9. Fixinto is one word. It means I'm going to do something.

10. There is no such thing as lunch. There is only dinner and then there's supper.

11. Iced tea is appropriate for all meals and you start drinking it when you're two. We do like a little tea with our sugar. It is referred to as the Wine of the South.

12. Backwards and forwards means I know everything about you.

13. The word jeet is actually a question meaning, 'Did you eat?'

14. You don't have to wear a watch, because it doesn't matter what time it is, you work until you're done or it's too dark to see.

15. You don't PUSH buttons, you MASH em.

16. Y'all is singular. All Y'all is plural.

17. All the festivals across the state are named after a fruit, vegetable, grain, insect, or animal.

18. You carry jumper cables in your car for your OWN car.

19. You only own five spices: salt, pepper, mustard, Tabasco, and ketchup.

20. The local papers cover national and international news on one page, but require 6 pages for local high school sports, motorsports, and gossip.

21. Everyone you meet is a Honey, Sugar, Miss (first name), or Mr (first name)

22. You think that the first day of deer season is a national holiday.

23. You know what a hissy fit is..

24. Fried catfish is the other white meat.

25. We don't need no dang Driver's Ed. If our mama says we can drive, we can drive!!!

26. You understand these jokes and forward them to your Appalachian friends and those who just wish they were from the Appalachians.

AND one more:

27. Why did the chicken cross the road? To show that stupid possum that it CAN be done!

Lots of you might have seen it on FB!

With this photo:

NEW APPALACHIA:

And for all my very modern Appalachian friends...who have newer hermetically sealed homes perched on the tops of ridges, with driveways that defy gravity, and modern appliances and total air conditioned/heated homes, with hopefully at least a gas log fireplace...you still have to go outside to your cars! Watch out, there are bears out there! But do sit around the fire and enjoy the scenes of blue mountains extending into the distance.

-----------------------------

A local hotel lobby in Asheville has a critter looking over us from the mantle of the fireplace.

Friends visiting a local hotel and enjoying the decorations

Winter Solstice is 6 days away!

Christmas is 10 days away!

Today's quote:

There are two kinds of light -- the glow that illuminates, and the glare that obscures. -James Thurber, writer and cartoonist (1894-1961)

Signs2 This Wednesday

 

Former blogger John Bauman (former potter also!) posted this on Facebook the other day.

A friend who opened her own pottery business 2 years ago in Black Mountain....Sarah Vekasi.

Autumnal decorations at the welcome sign.

The hub of our mail in Black Mountain.

Sharing with Signs2

Today's quote:

Awakening is to realize the infinite value of each moment of your own life as well as other beings, then continue to act accordingly.

KAZUAKI TANAHASHI 10 more days till winter solstice Celebrating the return of the light with santa lucia - at UUCSV in 2010!

Illustration by Louis Wain 

17 more days till Christmas

Seventh Night of Hanukkah

Long shadow day

This was taken at 2 pm, looking north on Flat Creek, in Montreat NC

The solstice means our earth is tilted at it's most severe angle from the sun, and it will give the illusion that it stops as it starts its tilt back the other direction.  That moment, when the earth stands still, is a miraculous time, I think.  If it isn't, it should be.

December Solstice in Asheville, North Carolina, U.S.A. is on
Sunday, December 21, 2014 at 6:03 PM EST

Twice a year our huge Gaia is oriented differently from the sun.  And this time is the longest night of the year, for Winter Solstice.  Pleasant dreams everyone!

Quote for today:

If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.

Blessed Mother Teresa