{"items":["5f6a8f01365dca00175e6fb5","5f6a8f01365dca00175e6fb6","5f6a8f01365dca00175e6fb7","5f6a8f01365dca00175e6fb8","5f6a8f01365dca00175e6fb9","5f6a8f01365dca00175e6fba","5f6a8f01365dca00175e6fbb","5f6a8f01365dca00175e6fbc","5f6a8f01365dca00175e6fbd","5f6a8f01365dca00175e6fbe"],"styles":{"galleryType":"Columns","groupSize":1,"showArrows":true,"cubeImages":true,"cubeType":"max","cubeRatio":1.7777777777777777,"isVertical":true,"gallerySize":30,"collageAmount":0,"collageDensity":0,"groupTypes":"1","oneRow":false,"imageMargin":22,"galleryMargin":0,"scatter":0,"chooseBestGroup":true,"smartCrop":false,"hasThumbnails":false,"enableScroll":true,"isGrid":true,"isSlider":false,"isColumns":false,"isSlideshow":false,"cropOnlyFill":false,"fixedColumns":0,"enableInfiniteScroll":true,"isRTL":false,"minItemSize":50,"rotatingGroupTypes":"","rotatingCropRatios":"","columnWidths":"","gallerySliderImageRatio":1.7777777777777777,"numberOfImagesPerRow":3,"numberOfImagesPerCol":1,"groupsPerStrip":0,"borderRadius":0,"boxShadow":0,"gridStyle":0,"mobilePanorama":false,"placeGroupsLtr":false,"viewMode":"preview","thumbnailSpacings":4,"galleryThumbnailsAlignment":"bottom","isMasonry":false,"isAutoSlideshow":false,"slideshowLoop":false,"autoSlideshowInterval":4,"bottomInfoHeight":0,"titlePlacement":["SHOW_ON_THE_RIGHT","SHOW_BELOW"],"galleryTextAlign":"center","scrollSnap":false,"itemClick":"nothing","fullscreen":true,"videoPlay":"hover","scrollAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","slideAnimation":"SCROLL","scrollDirection":0,"scrollDuration":400,"overlayAnimation":"FADE_IN","arrowsPosition":0,"arrowsSize":23,"watermarkOpacity":40,"watermarkSize":40,"useWatermark":true,"watermarkDock":{"top":"auto","left":"auto","right":0,"bottom":0,"transform":"translate3d(0,0,0)"},"loadMoreAmount":"all","defaultShowInfoExpand":1,"allowLinkExpand":true,"expandInfoPosition":0,"allowFullscreenExpand":true,"fullscreenLoop":false,"galleryAlignExpand":"left","addToCartBorderWidth":1,"addToCartButtonText":"","slideshowInfoSize":200,"playButtonForAutoSlideShow":false,"allowSlideshowCounter":false,"hoveringBehaviour":"NEVER_SHOW","thumbnailSize":120,"magicLayoutSeed":1,"imageHoverAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","imagePlacementAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","calculateTextBoxWidthMode":"PERCENT","textBoxHeight":60,"textBoxWidth":200,"textBoxWidthPercent":75,"textImageSpace":10,"textBoxBorderRadius":0,"textBoxBorderWidth":0,"loadMoreButtonText":"","loadMoreButtonBorderWidth":1,"loadMoreButtonBorderRadius":0,"imageInfoType":"ATTACHED_BACKGROUND","itemBorderWidth":0,"itemBorderRadius":0,"itemEnableShadow":false,"itemShadowBlur":20,"itemShadowDirection":135,"itemShadowSize":10,"imageLoadingMode":"BLUR","expandAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","imageQuality":90,"usmToggle":false,"usm_a":0,"usm_r":0,"usm_t":0,"videoSound":false,"videoSpeed":"1","videoLoop":true,"gallerySizeType":"px","gallerySizePx":1000,"allowTitle":true,"allowContextMenu":true,"textsHorizontalPadding":-30,"itemBorderColor":{"themeName":"color_12","value":"rgba(114,198,229,0)"},"showVideoPlayButton":true,"galleryLayout":2,"calculateTextBoxHeightMode":"MANUAL","targetItemSize":1000,"selectedLayout":"2|bottom|1|max|true|0|true","layoutsVersion":2,"selectedLayoutV2":2,"isSlideshowFont":true,"externalInfoHeight":60,"externalInfoWidth":0.75},"container":{"width":220,"galleryWidth":242,"galleryHeight":0,"scrollBase":0,"height":null}}
Winter Solstice
There is something about the dark and cold . There is something about the deep stillness . There is magic here in these hours before light , on the morning of Solstice and the opening curtain of Winter's turn on stage .
AHHhh- and on this short day , in which our everyday living doings and beings will be in dark, my dog/ animal ally wakes me up at 5:25 am . Seriously ? Are we not supposed to sleep in these days ?
{Actually , I was stirring anyway -- the call of a day nudging me to come and play . }
There is something about candle light . Brings us back to connect with our ancestors and invites us to remember that We are ancestors . We create our lives in ways that will be carried into future ages . So as we light our candles and our christmas trees , and gently flip a little switch so our candles in the windows glow in the darkness , we bring the light , just as those before us .
Let us do it in great reverence , today and all days .
Ohh , indeed ! It is not as warm and fuzzy and gentle sometimes . We stumble on the way . We hurt . We have scenarios playing in our heads , and to do lists that require energy we may not feel we have right now . And year end stuff -- the papers and renewals and .... did that bill just go up again ? Never mind that around this time of year I seem to have dental work needed .... Billy Joel's soma " Pressure " just popped into my sugar plum head .
Its scary . Its weird and its disconcerting . Whatever the " ITS " are for you .. Lets all remember we are not alone .
One of THE MOST KEY THINGS is to connect .
Winter is about communal gatherings . Sharing . Supporting . Winter also , in Chinese medicine , about bones { oh yea and teeth} We sure can feel the cold deep in our bones . Because its about bones and moving deep within the marrows of our being .
Care for ourselves and each other .
Especially this year , at a beginning of a new decade . and its a pretty big one , 2020 , sprawled out with arms open !
How shall we perceive this ? How shall we greet this new year ? How shall we honor the YULE TIDE happenings and the RETURN ON THE LIGHT ?
By RETURNING TO OUR OWN LIGHT . and keep moving into the heartsease of feeling and being. Being and knowing in this newness . Dealing with the tough stuff with the ease and grace of brushing our hair out of our face as a large wind blinds us . Our tough stuff is temporary . Our hair won't stay in our faces - our hats won't wlays blow away m, and eventually the winds die down to breezes . warm ones ....
As i write , the day comes . With no horns and announcements or events on facebook . The day doesn't have an instagram story . And yet . it comes . and yeah , it is real .
The day comes in a subtle moment , without hesitation . with pure being and light .
Lets be grateful . I sit in my warm home with my candles and electricity lighting my way . Grateful . and the moment you open to grateful , you are filled with it . great filled . and you feel something -- yup the something that GRINCH felt . Why do we love Grinch ? Cuz we are grinches too . every single one of us in one way or another - maybe not often , but we are reminded that there is something greater than all the " stuff " ... thanks Grinch .
" stuff " only has a capital "S" if we write it that way .
Spirit , has a capital " S " . Go there . Capitalize your Spirit , Love, Truth , Joy , Light . and even the big stuff willl become small in comparison .
Welcome day , Welcome light .
Let us let our hearts sing and glow in the night .
Let us run and dance , and then be still .
Let us drop our pretenses and strong will .
Let us join hands and face the face the fears
With courageous hearts and grateful tears .
Let us ring the bells of hope through the halls !
For Peace and Love and Joy to all .

