Shortest day

The winter solstice took place this morning at 10:35 a.m. (California time).

I'm very ready for the days to start getting longer again. I'm sorry that this has to come at the expense of the days getting shorter in the Southern hemisphere, but last time around Damselfly assured me that in Australia winter isn't such a big deal, so I'll ignore other parts of that hemisphere and selfishly rejoice in my own good fortune.

I was going to whine about the gloomy weather around here lately, but last night I talked with an old friend who lives in NYC, where they not only have extreme (by my standards) cold but have no public transit at the moment. My friend was planning to leave for the airport five hours before her flight today; I hope she made it. So anyway, I don't think I get to complain on that front.

As is becoming traditional, I'll quote my favorite bit of Susan Cooper's poem "The Shortest Day" (thanks again, Chaos):

As promise wakens in the sleeping land:

They carol, feast, give thanks,

And dearly love their friends,

And hope for peace.

Huh—I wonder if The Dark Is Rising will be the next beloved series of children's fantasy novels turned into films?

I think one of the things I had in my head when Chaos suggested "The Shortest Day" a couple years ago was a round by Sky Evergreen, the lyrics for which start "Now is the longest night of winter, when all the world awaits the sun's return." I keep trying to sing that first line to the tune of "Lo, How a Rose," but it's not quite working.

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