12/21/22
December 21,2025
Over the past 4 years the only Solstice that I really photographed was 2022

You''d think that wouldn't be true, you'd think I would have been in celebration most years.  I have been, therefore, not behind the camera.   Last year was the closing reception for the Community Art Show.  It was really good.  My friend Jean came and joined us.  At the end of the day we went to China Gourmet with Donnie and family and Gerard and family.  There are a few phone photos,  but no real ones.  I don't know, I guess my attention gets taken away from my camera on the 21st of December.


I have started to rebuild my Christmas wall this year.  I've  not received too many cards so far, but I gathered all my ornaments.  I've been thinking about having to give things away soon and I think one of the places I could start would be all the Christmas decorations that have been in a large plastic crate since maybe, I don't know when the last time I had a tree up, I think EJ was 2, so 2002.  I was thinking about some funny things I used to put out every year.  I think there's a mechanical penguin slide track.   I really don't remember at all.  The last time I had a big tree would have been 1996, but I did have little trees in here in the beginning.  Maybe it was when I started going to Annie and Matt's for Christmas morning that I stopped getting trees.  That really was about 2003.  

That may have been the year that EJ wanted to send a balloon up to Jesus for his birthday.  It was rainy and yucky, but I brought a balloon up and Chris, Ej and I sent it up to Jesus and said happy birthday.  I have no idea where they got the idea except that I gave them balloons for their birthday every year until they went off to College and someone and told them about Jesus and they felt he needed a balloon, too.

.

Most of the pictures in the surrounding days are of birds, mainly big birds, lot of hawks. 
This chick a dee is at Ember's feeder. 
We listed intentions today, 13 in all.  We pulled one of them out of a bowl and burnt it up.  We will do this every night for the next 11 and on the 13th night we will have our one intention to focus on,  Jan 3rd, not quite 12th night.  But close enough.  My intentions ran the gambit between health goals to Chapbook publishing, to some concrete goals, too.  

Is that an airplane or a snow plow?
I remember the night in 1978 when the chimney caught fire during the blizzard.  The snow and wind blew it out.  I was alone that night with a friend's dog and I had the flu.  Ever since then I am taken aback by that sound of a very large engine.  

I am going to state an intention for just this week.  I want to take care of myself in a proactive way and not react to the symptoms of trauma.  I am going to eat well this week.

And finally I'll share with you a moment of joy from Friday in the pool.  I'm telling you, I am very happy in the pool  





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