wylie " mom what are you knitting?"

me " a sweater for baby samara. i am almost finished"

ransome "for MY baby samara? (his doll)"

me "this sweater is for the baby samara that lives with ajika and amelia and garrett; but i would be happy to make your baby samara something to help keep her warm as the weather gets colder"

wylie (with such sweet enthusiasm) "oh ransome-i mean- big dada, i will spin something for your baby samara with my drop spindle! i can make her a belt to keep her warm! as an equinox present!"

ransome (jumping up and down) "YEAH WYLIE!"

i am so humbled, so in love, so amazed to be with them.

what a beautiful, snowy day.

eli and i have our faults, but we can make some kick ass solstice presents:



the airplanes eli made are amazingly beautiful, and flew around the kitchen all morning. the mushrooms were waiting on the table for ransome to stomp on when he woke up



and wylie reached into his amulet pouch and pulled out a geode from the rock collection i kept as a kid:



it snowed all day, ending right around dusk. we have at least a foot and a half on the ground now, and it is cold, powdery, shiny, beautiful snow. complete with icesicles.





at dusk, we carried our wax figures outside and sang about light. wylie watched from the window, too tired and cold after helping build the cave to go back out! the cave is beautiful, shiny, and icy this year... the rocks we usually use are buried under the snow!





amelia, garrett, and ajika gave wylie a drop spindle with roving, so he can spin his own yarn for finger knitting! he is SO excited about it, and wanted to make yarn from every color roving amelia gave him (arranged in a beautiful basket). amelia and i both cried. i found myself (again) so thankful for the amazing adults he has in his life.



the solstice fire this year was the most powerful, beautiful fire i have ever seen. eli and brian dug a huge circle around the pit, with (almost) 2 feet high walls of snow. the huge fire, built with part of the old poor farm barn, lit up the icy crystals of snow. the wall was about the same height as ransome, and he kept running up to it and shoving his face in it, eating snow, gathering some in his hands, running back, and throwing it in the fire. ajika sang fire songs, and wylie trudged through the deep snow making paths.

what an amazing night. it takes such courage to shine brightly in the darkness.

happy solstice!