The Winter Solstice

The shortest day of the year. My 10th grade Latin is a bit rusty (it was then too) but the word solstice comes from the Latin sol (Sun) and sistere (stand still), Winter Solstice meaning Sun standing still in winter. It’s a lovely image that I embrace – especially tonight. I am finally still.

I finished the quilts I was commissioned to do by Susan St. James as Christmas gifts for her family in memory of the son she lost – Teddy Ebersol. She’s a lovely lady and there was no way I could have refused such a sacred task but it was a bit insane to do six quilts in twelve weeks. Fortunately as the deadline loomed two good friends (Robin Brass & Karen Eckmeier) brought lunch and took up needles and thread and helped me do the last of the hand work. How kind they were and how lovely to sew together!

I packed the last one up on Wednesday morning and delivered the quilts to Susan’s to be opened Christmas morning in their Colorado home. I hope they enjoy them as much as I did.

Here is a picture of Phil holding one of the quilts up - Maggie Mae is very interested:

I took off the rest of the day and met my darling daughter-in-law in Border Books for coffee and Christmas shopping. Our good friend Richard came along to do a bit of shopping for his own and we took time for a buffet lunch in a local Indian restaurant. I couldn’t believe I wasn’t working at the computer or sewing. It was wonderful!

On the way back we passed an old barn that Richard and I have both wanted to photograph. We tried to get a good shot of it but it was hard without telephone wires or cars in the picture. We waited for traffic to clear and scooted out into the road. It was freezing.

The way the ground settled made the buildings lines wavy – just the way I imagine that life well-lived leaves us with some wavy lines but still standing.

I think I will sit still some more, nursing a bit of asthma bronchitis and think more about a life well lived...

and friends like you.