Thursday, December 22, 2011

solstice

So last night at about 9:30 PM Pacific time was the winter solstice. Although that is the official start of winter, to me winter started in early December and ends about February 1st when I see the first blooms on fruit trees around here. But we are supposed to have a hard freeze tonight, which may damage my orange trees. That was one thing that I insisted on when we put in our backyard, that we have some orange trees. I had never lived anywhere that citrus would grow until I moved to California.

Leo decided that he wanted to change his hairstyle with his last haircut, and he got it "buzzed" or cut very short as one of his friends has. It took a day or two to get used to. He liked to run his fingers through it and wants me to do the same. I'm glad to see him expressing his own opinions about his hair. Before he was born I told myself that hair isn't important and I would always let a child choose his or her own hairstyle. I guess my years of Catholic schools with mandatory short hair helped me realize that hair doesn't really matter.

We're having a low key Christmas. Just the three of us and Christopher's parents over for dinner. The "extended" family, which just adds Christopher's aunt and stepgrandmother got together last weekend. I miss my grandmother's large family get togethers when I was a kid - easily 20 people or more. Five just isn't the same.

My 92 year old great aunt died last weekend. No one was surprised. But of course, family drama had to occur. My great aunt left everything to Heather, a great niece who had lived with her and helped care for her the last several years. One of Heather's aunts accused Heather of "brainwashing" my great aunt to get her house and estate. No, she was there providing help, where were you? There is only one surviving sibling of any of my grandparents, and she is 90.

1 comment:

  1. You're supposed to get some kerosene fired smokers and put them out in the backyard with the trees to keep them warm! HAHAHAHA Hope they aren't hurt by the frost!

    I guess my dad chose my hairstyle until I was old enough to tell a barber what I wanted - probably ten or twelve. Who knows. After 1970, I was a long haired hippie freak according to dad!

    Our Christmas was a little lower key this year, having lost dad in August. There were only nine of us this year, we used to have 14 or 15 at least, and I think 20 is the record.

    I'm so sorry about your great aunt. It's terrible timing. It's also awful that family wants to make it worse by making accusations like that. I guess I'd try to chalk it up to the grief warping sensibilities.

    Merry Christmas, Burch, to you, Leo, and Christopher!

    Peace <3
    Jay

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