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.

it's the holidays, so my mother-in-law is going insane, as usual

My mother-in-law is doing her usual holiday freak out. I love her but she makes the holidays way more stressful than they ever should be, usually by waiting until the last minute to do anything. She has known for over a month what she wants to make our son Leo, but as of yesterday she hadn't started yet. The adults had talked about not giving each other gifts this year, and everyone was fine with that, until yesterday. Then she realized that she can't not give her only child, David, my husband, a Christmas gift. So she called, tearful, and asked me what David wants. He gave us a gift list earlier, but my mother bought most of it and I bought what was left. So I thought for a while and mentioned a tablecloth for the kitchen table would be a nice gift that we could use. So she'll make a tablecloth but worried that she couldn't get it ready for Christmas. I gently told her that David is 39, that he won't be upset if his present isn't ready on time. I don't know why people get so stressed about gifts and wanting the holidays to be perfect. I just enjoy getting together with the family, since I don't really celebrate the religious holidays.

The solstice was two days ago. It will be good to see the rays of the sun moving back toward the Northern Hemisphere, where they belong. Sorry Poppy and John, but I'm ready for more light and heat around here.