winter solstice

 i have moved away from traditional christmas 

to an awareness and need for a

solstice celebration

 but of course there is the last

day

of 

school

to get through before

the holiday.

 so we resorted to video

the morning group: the polar express

the afternoon: santa claus conquers the martians

my belly hurt from laughing!

 as we watched, the rain/sleet/ice

came down and began another storm.

 so on saturday afternoon

we had some icing

 pretty 

very lovely 

 really amazing

 hollyhock seeds

 icy slippery elm for aimee

because that's what we've been 

talking about.

and then night fell

and fell.

and the electricity went out,

taken down by some iced trees

who gave up last night.

 at my house there's no backup heat

except this

 which ate wood

all

night

long.

yawn.

 more ice today.

st lawrence county is under 

a state of emergency.

and hannah is coming home.

my nephew's family, too.

but not yet

 the grandmother maple

in the back yard

is still holding her limbs,

the white pine, is not.

i dug into one of these piles

(this one has hosta under it)

and dug out another day's wood.

but this afternoon

a miracle:

electricity again!

i am eager to move off grid 

these storms will then be far less difficult.