Winter Solstice, darkest day

We've finally reached the turning point in these long, dark days: Winter Solstice! 

We only get a little over eight hours of daylight now in the Northwest, and those hours are hardly light. This view out my kitchen window shows how it looks almost all day, compounded by the relentless rain. I turn the little white lights on as soon as I get up and they stay on until I go to bed.

Today the sun rose at 7:55 and will set at 4:22.

I made both of these quilts in the depths of winter. The cold blues of "Midnight Run" speak of a dark forest under moonlight, and the fiery quilt below burns with Solstice bonfires.

Throughout the Northern Hemisphere, people mark this darkest time with celebrations of light. Last week, the Lighted Boat Parade brought beautiful, shimmering light into the dark harbor. Previously black water danced with every color of the rainbow!

Here is a detail from my "Winter Solstice Spirits" quilt, with fiery orange piercing the icy grey and dark purple.

Joy gave a special Solstice yoga class this week, with candles and lines of poetry.

She offered this one from the 14th-century Persian poet Hafiz:

"I wish I could show you,

when you are lonely or in the darkness,

the astonishing light

of your own being."

After class, we went to Davenport for coffee and snacks. It was decorated with lighted stars hanging above us.

Turning to the sun, which will start coming back slowly tomorrow, I offer this card (above) that my friend Sheila sent for my birthday, which is Dec. 20. It shimmers and sparkles with such joy that it makes me want to dive right into sunny colors, like those in my quilt below titled "Light." 

And speaking of my birthday, the Feet & Forks went to see the movie "Cats" on my big day yesterday. After lunch at Green.house, we split a flourless chocolate cake drizzled with caramel sauce and garnished with whipped cream and candied nuts. Oh happy day!

Let there be light!

 Have a colorful Solstice