Category Archives: between books

Let There be Light – –

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Jack’s Wednesday guest post is on time for a change – – –

As we head towards Christmas we will first of all encounter the winter solstice – the shortest day of the year. Of course that’s no coincidence as most Christian celebrations throughout the year align with pre-Christian festivals.

The solstice was celebrated as the point where the days will begin to lengthen and the next growing season could be anticipated. In Scotland the sun was encouraged through the lighting of bonfires and fire festivals. One example is the ‘burning of the clavie’ at Burghead which continues to this day. Of course the yule log is another link back to these ancient times as are the candles on the tree.

I grew up in Scotland where at this time of the year daylight doesn’t appear until ten in the morning and goes around four in the afternoon. In fact, in the northern isles of Orkney and Shetland the days are even shorter right now. There is a well-documented condition all over northern Europe called seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a form of depression which occurs in alignment with the winter months.

Here in SW Virginia it isn’t as bad as it is further north, but as I write this it’s dull and sleeting outside and the lights in our house are on at eleven in the morning.

Many people, including myself, have been significantly restricted throughout the year by the pandemic, but we have been able to do work in our yard to keep us occupied and sane. But with the lack of daylight and the drop in temperature that is much less possible.

I never really suffered from SAD but I have to admit that on the evening of December 21st I would be cheered by burning a few yule logs in our fire pit and beginning to see the days start to lengthen again!

Let it Snow, Man – – –

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Jack misses the mark again so the Wednesday post is a day late –

As we approach Christmas we’ve had a small production line going making miniature snowmen out of empty cans. We used canned pet food so to avoid landfill filling we try to reuse the cans for household purposes: plants we give away, small holders, etc. This year, it’s snowmen.

Wendy washes and strips the labels off the dog and cat food cans then she paints them white. I glue two or three together and use a cotton bud to dab the black paint for eyes, mouth and buttons. I cut a triangle of orange card and glue that on for the carrot nose. Wendy paints small cat food pots black and stacks them three high on a yogurt tub lid, and voila there is magic in those old tin cans we found: these become the hats. Finally, she crochets a wee scarf for the snowpeople and bands for the hats to provide the finishing touch.

Wendy says it is about recycling the cans. I say it’s a seasonal version of our tactic to keep ourselves busy and occupied during the pandemic so we don’t go completely loopy.

Once the first dozen or so were made they went out onto our front steps to the sidewalk with an invitation for passersby to help themselves to one or two. The first to take one was the Fedex guy, and we were glad he got something out of working on a Sunday. He was quickly followed by our regular neighborhood dog walkers and exercisers. We do get a kick out of one older gentleman in a dayglow orange hoodie who has never seemed to notice them. Even walkers who don’t take one tend to point and smile. His hood may be providing tunnel vision, or he could be a direct descendant of Scrooge, or perhaps he’s an art teacher and is evaluating our fumbling attempts. We don’t judge his judgment.

It truly just started as a way of using up the cans, which were beginning to take over the house. Wendy and I don’t often put up a tree, so we thought we’d make a few persons of snow for decorations in the house. Then Wendy hit on the idea of giving them away in a socially distanced way, and the production line was born. About a dozen have been given out, with a dozen left to go. If I have my way, that will be quite enough. However, I suspect….

Even when someone doesn’t take one they still smile when they see them so the spirit of Christmas is alive in a cheerful way.

Oh – and the first day they were out, it snowed – – – Wendy is convinced it was the snowmen magic. Who knows; she could be right.