Winter Solstice: Fireside Enjoyments

O Winter! ruler of the inverted year, . . .
I crown thee king of intimate delights,
Fireside enjoyments, home-born happiness,
And all the comforts that the lowly roof
Of undisturb'd Retirement, and the hours
Of long uninterrupted evening, know. - William Cowper

A tide of 30 friends, big and small flowed through our home in glorious waves awash with mounds of winter woolens, and wellies...

Boisterous laughter, good eats, warm fire, and bear hugs - the short, dark days of winter has its gifts!

Children run amok with finger flashlights playing light tag and constructing forts from large cardboard boxes - stopping briefly to roast marshmallows in the fireplace...

Near the door, a basket of paperwhite bulbs - blooming gifts for our guests. Packets of seed for our feathered friends...

and necklaces for the snow children (inspired by these)...

During all the merriment, S lost his second tooth! The toothy fairy was pleased to find a wreath on her door...

Celebration upon celebration!

Here are some scenes from the Solstice party at Satchel's outdoor kindergarten.

O Winter, king of intimate delights!

Crunchy

"Crunchy would be a good word to write in your web."- E.B. White (Charlotte's Web)

When I drove S to Discovery Woods yesterday he asked me if I could bring his camera when I came back to pick him up. He was very excited about the enormous garden spider and wanted to photograph it.

I arrived early and sat on the log pile. The children were just returning from the meadow when S spotted me. "It's not time yet, Mama", he shouted, wanting to soak up every last second of this magical place.

When he emerged again, I handed him his camera and we both photographed his teacher releasing the latest Monarch to emerge, this one a male.

Then he took me to the front yard to show me Charlotte, the garden spider. He pointed out her egg case and noted that it looked like his mantis egg case. He photographed the spider then showed his mates how to use his camera. They each took a turn.

I am so happy that his days are filled with wonder and awe. I miss sharing those moments with him. I am grateful for his daily recounting of his adventures and the teachers' notes and photos that make his tales all the more vivid.

"Did you miss me?", he asked.

"More than you know", I replied.

Most Alive Monday: Free

The world was made to be free in...

Location: Discovery Woods

*About Most Alive Monday: I've decided to make at least one "most alive choice" each day and post my favorite each Monday. This, of course, is to motivate me to consciously "live juicy"! I hope you'll join me and share your "most alive moment" in the comments section so we may inspire each other.