Once again, Westfield held its annual Winter Solstice celebration, SnowFire. Once again, it was a bloody cold night, but the bonfire was nice and hot.
( hot and cold )
While I think it's cool that they do this, I wish they'd have more audience participation. Singing around the fire, perhaps. Something. After the fire was lit, there really wasn't much else to do besides watch it burn.
It was nice and toasty, though. :)
- Music:Lady GaGa - Poker Face (Space Cowboy Remix) | Powered by Last.fm
Happy Solstice/Yule! Today is the shortest day, after the longest night. From now until Midsummer, the days grow longer and the light returns.![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
sea_dark_wine sent me a poem that she said I had written a long time ago about the solstice. I don't remember it at all, so it must have been a *very* long time ago! Here it is:
The geese fly high
this Solstice morn.
The woods are bare,
the snow is deep.
We wait for Herne
to sound His horn,
to wake His children
up from sleep
To celebrate this happy night,
When Winter may be put to flight
It still hadn't started snowing when I went to bed last night, sometime around 11:30. Friends in Connecticut were reporting snow, so I expected to awaken to a winter wonderland. What a disappointment! We got a dusting; not even an inch of the white stuff. Boo. It had stopped before I even got out of bed.
I went out for a walk to see how people were coping with this. I passed a couple of people shoveling their section of sidewalk, and we talked about what a disappointment it was after the big buildup all day yesterday.
One person had swept their sidewalk. Pitiful, isn't it?
I went over to Grandmothers' Garden, where I took a few pix before the wind got to me and I trudged home.
( not quite a winter wonderland, but close )
I know lots of you got plenty of snow, especially down in the Baltimore/D.C. area (where they're not quite as prepared as we are for this sort of thing) where you are digging out from record snows. I feel badly for all the people who were stuck in their cars on the highways; that must have been awful.
If you were in the path of the storm, how much snow did you get?
I've been reading friends' reports from Baltimore, D.C., and Virginia all day about the massive amounts of snow they've gotten, but it has yet to start here. I went out for a walk this afternoon, but it was bitterly cold and windy, so I didn't get very far. I took pix of the lacy ice along the sidewalk, then came back home for some hot chocolate. I keep peeking out the window, but all is quiet for now. The Weather Channel and NECN keep telling me that we're going to get a lot of snow; I'm getting impatient for it now, especially since I have nowhere to go.
Several other people have decided to not go to Yule tonight, so I don't feel quite so left out. I suggested that we all meet on the astral and join the revelers at the covenstead. We'll be meeting around 8:30 if you'd like to join us. :)
I hope you're all safe and warm this cold (almost) winter's night!
Unfortunately, tonight is the coven Yule, which means that I will miss it for the second year in a row due to snow. It's not like the days when we all lived in the same town, and even a snowstorm couldn't stop us. Now we are all far-flung, and Mother Nature can more easily keep us apart.
Fortunately, Westfield is still having its Solstice celebration on Monday, SnowFire. Hopefully it won't be too cold.
How are you all faring with the storm? If you don't live in the East, aren't you glad? *g*
- Location:the batcave
- Mood:
disappointed
That's my grandmother down in front, holding my cousin Randy, which dates this to sometime in the late 50's. Everyone else is either an aunt, uncle, or cousin. I love the goofy expressions on some of them.
Things really haven't changed much. In fact, I believe we've gotten sillier.
(This one was taken by my brother)
*****
This morning on my way to work, I saw a hawk when I was on the entrance ramp to route 57. About a half mile later, an animal ran across the highway a little way in front of my car. As I slowed down to avoid hitting it, I saw that it was a coyote. As he cleared the highway, he leaped over the guardrail and was gone. Very cool.
Today would have been my grandfather's 109th birthday. He's been gone 30 years, and I still miss him lots. He was a wonderful grandfather, and since I was one of the oldest grandchildren, I was very close to him, especially when I was little and we lived nearby.
I love this picture of him, with my cousin shortysugarplum and some unknown relative making bunny ears behind his head.
I could never quite believe my mother's stories about how strict he was when she was growing up, because to me he was the man who told me what that beautiful blue bird was (a great blue heron), and snuck sunflower seeds out of the birdfeeder to munch on, and told me that garter snakes were good because they eat bugs, and taught me the chickadee's song.
Happy birthday, Grampa!
This month's theme is 'toys,' and I have no idea what to do for this one. I took a couple shots of my robot and Tigger figures that I have here in my cubicle, but I didn't love them. I have some stuffed animals at home; maybe I can come up with something interesting with them. The point is to stretch oneself, right?
- Location:the cube
- Mood:
chagrined - Music:DeSol, "Chango"
Leo (July 23-August 22)
One of the 20th century's greatest scientific minds was Nobel Prize-winning physicist Max Planck. He knew that in his field, like most others, ingenious innovation doesn't automatically rise to the top. The advancement of good new ideas is hampered by the conservatism and careerism of scientists. "A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light," he wrote, "but rather because its opponents eventually die, and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it." In 2010, Leo, there'll be a similar principle at work in your sphere. Influences that have been impeding the emergence of excellence will burn out, dissipate, or lose their mojo. As a result, you'll be able to express and take advantage of innovations that have previously been quashed.
Now take a look at the pix they chose for the final 50, and tell me that it's not just sour grapes. I really do think my pic is better than a lot of the ones they chose. Is it me? Am I just being a brat? Is my taste that different from theirs? They have a different judge each month, and they're all photo pros.
*sigh*
I think I'm giving up on entering this. It just hurts too much when they choose a pic taken in a car wash over my pretty tree.
- Mood: disappointed
One of my coworkers said that she hopes the swan learned her lesson, and I said that I truly doubt she will remember any of this come next year. *g*
- Mood:
relieved - Music:Neil Young, "Harvest Moon"
- Mood: angry
I've been pretty much a slug all weekend, except for an outing yesterday to meet friends for a late lunch and a trip to the grocery store this morning, so when it started to snow early this afternoon, I thought I'd get out and get some pictures. By the time I had changed into appropriate clothing, the snow had turned into rain. I went out anyway, because I really needed the walk.
The temperature must have been at or just below freezing, because it turned out to be freezing rain. For those of you not from the great white north, freezing rain falls as liquid water but freezes on contact with the ground (and your car, your coat, etc.). I had put on my Yak Trax (thanks, mom!) and my hooded wool cloak, so I braved the rain and trudged along. The sidewalks weren't too bad, but I did notice the cars traveling much more slowly than usual.
I was just getting warmed up by the time I got to the far edge of the cemetery, so I kept on going. I made it all the way down to the park, where I found frozen roses still clinging on, and a few other intrepid souls out in the rain.
( frozen world )
The weather dude says this will turn into plain rain overnight, which gives me hope for getting into my car in the morning. Right now, it's coated with ice.
I'm glad I didn't drive anywhere this afternoon!
I didn't know much of my dad's family as well as I knew my mom's, as they lived farther away and didn't have many family gatherings. A lot of us have reconnected lately on Facebook, and Peggy suggested that we do something to commemorate Bob on his birthday. I suggested Noon as a time we could all think of him and honor him, and it touches me that many of his nieces & nephews were thinking about a man they never knew on his birthday. And now you are, too.
All of my dad's siblings are gone now, and I'd like to think they're all together, having a fine party (they were half Irish, after all). Here's to you, Uncle Bob, and all of the men and women who gave their lives so that we could be free. Sláinte!
chalkhorse) did a Brushwood calendar on Lulu as a fundraiser. I did not know that Lulu did calendars. If I did one, would anyone be interested in buying one? The cost is $12.49 per unit, so I would probably price them at around $15. I'm not looking to make a mint. I just want to be able to offer them to people who are interested, because I can't afford to just have them printed. I like this print-on-demand thingy.
If enough people are into it, I'll go ahead and put one together. Let me know!
- Mood:
curious - Music:Fleetwood Mac, "Gold Dust Woman" (love this song!)
It was a lovely, sunny day, and I took a nice walk at lunchtime. Tomorrow is supposed to be very cold and windy, so I figured I'd better take advantage while I could. A lot of the snow melted, leaving swaths of bare grass on the slope behind the office. What snow was left sparkled in the sun.
I'm very glad that I no longer live in western NY: they're getting hit hard by lake effect snow today. I remember that well; we lived about a mile from Lake Ontario when I was in high school, and the snow is just unbelievable. As the joke goes, they have four seasons: winter, almost winter, cold, and construction. It's really not as bad here, as much as I complain come February.
Happy birthday,
leenah! My sis-in-law's b'day was yesterday, and her name is close to yours (Lanah). I should remember both your birthdays by now, but fortunately I have Facebook & LJ to remind me. *g*I've been thinking all day about that spiral in the sky over Norway. No matter what explanation they come up with, they'll never convince me that it wasn't aliens. I've seen too many episodes of Doctor Who to not know this. It had to be a portal to another dimension. It wasn't really a Russian rocket. No, sir.
Winter is nearly two weeks away, but since when has that ever stopped Mother Nature? We got our first snowstorm this morning, and it dumped a good six inches of the white stuff on us.
By the time I made it out, it had turned to little ice pellets that stung when they hit my cheeks. They were just starting to shovel out my complex, but the cemetery had cleared their section of sidewalk, so it wasn't too bad.
By the time I got my photos processed, the plow guy had gotten here, so I went out to clear off and move my car. It had pretty much stopped precipitating by then. I sipped hot cocoa while uploading the pix, and I have various scarves, gloves, and socks draped over various pieces of furniture to dry. I'm in for the duration.
( winter wonderland )
The roads are slick and messy, and I'm really glad I didn't have to work today. I hope those of you who have to go out in this make it home safely!
moar funny pictures
Oh, and this is the one I made:
moar funny pictures
- Mood: amused
I'm supposed to be off today, but with the weather forecast for tomorrow calling for snow, sleet, and driving rain, I decided to switch days off this week. Which is really too bad, because today's a rather nice day for December, and I had a bunch of things I'd planned to do. Oh, well.
Down at Heritage Park, there was a thin skin of ice over part of the pond, and the gulls were jockeying for space while trying not to fall through. By the time I left, there was very little ice left, and the gulls were all crammed onto it. You can see geese in the background, floating on the water that hadn't frozen over. Also, one of the swans seems to be missing. I'm shocked that they're still there; usually by this time, they've been trundled off to the zoo for the winter. I wonder if they just couldn't catch the other one?
Today is voting day here in Massachusetts, in the primary for Senator (to fill the late Ted Kennedy's seat). After careful consideration, I've decided to vote for Capuano. He seems to me to be the best chance of having a real liberal in the Senate who won't cave to corporate or special interests. I would like to have voted for Martha Coakley, as having a woman senator would be nice, but a couple of things she's said and done just didn't sit right with me. I think she will probably win, but I don't think she's the best choice. Also, she sounds like she's from Minnesota. What's up with that? The western MA accent isn't quite that flat. She should sound like perseph12; instead, she sounds like my cousin Jan. *g*
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Page Summary
- lizziebelle : SnowFire [+10]
- afterall89 : winter [+0]
- lizziebelle : Solstice [+5]
- lizziebelle : snowpocalypse bust [+10]
- lizziebelle : still waiting [+0]
- lizziebelle : the snowpocalypse approaches [+1]
- lizziebelle : family pictures [+3]
- lizziebelle : Grampa [+3]
- lizziebelle : not giving up just yet [+6]
- lizziebelle : maybe there's hope after all [+2]
- lizziebelle : bummed [+14]
- lizziebelle : happy ending [+5]
- lizziebelle : horrified [+15]
- lizziebelle : the rain will fall [+4]
- lizziebelle : Uncle Bob [+1]
- lizziebelle : calendars? [+2]
- lizziebelle : (no subject) [+2]
- lizziebelle : snow day [+1]
- lizziebelle : lolz [+7]
- lizziebelle : calm before the storm [+1]
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