Considering Peace and Light

and upending tradition

Today I am thinking about the first day of winter . About the juncos enjoying the stray chicken feed on the snow outside our window. I have enjoyed dropping off Christmas cards in neighbours mail boxes as I walked Gracie the hound earlier today.

Sending cards off by post a week ago has also been a satisfying and comforting seasonal ritual . A simple way to convey that I was thinking of others in this season.

I have my sparkly lights and candles ..and some seasonal choral music in the background.

I reflect on my own early Christmas days when gifts seemed to mysteriously appear under a well tinseled tree and the day chaotic yet fun with aunts,uncles cousins to dine and play with.

a clip of little me appreciating an apple from my stocking :-)

My own child is grown and celebrating her own kind of Christmas with her partner across the ocean. My memories of her early Childhood Christmases were so much parental- magic- enhanced .. and I believe her recollections of those times were sweet as were mine.

Our tree is non existent this year-after several years of shrinking in size until the last incarnation was tabletop. There is the two of us this Christmas and of course our fur family members to warm up by the fire.

It is not lonely and it is not stressful.

We will most likely watch A Christmas Carol with Alastair Sim for the zillionth time and I would be ok with A Charlie Brown Christmas too. We will eat a few chocolates and snacks and dine for two days on takeaway Nepalese Food.

There was a time when the huge communal dinner and trimmings was a necessary ritual - as was the gift giving.

Christmas as a day of excess and expectation is no more for me. There were years when at least one of us was in tears for unmet hopes,stress, . .or the pressure of performance for others.

I do love that rituals and traditions can shift and change. -As can expectations.

A few links for your pleasure ..

A bounty of beauty in the art from Mrs Bertimus

Mother Winter

I also think you will enjoy Katherine May’s take on Keeping the Long Midwinter

The state of the world right now gives pause . Can we find “Peace on earth and Goodwill to all men(and women and children) ?

I participated in this online drawing event last Sunday. It was awesome and moving.

Sarah Dyer illustrator who organized this beautiful and timely fundraiser -All money was donated to @doctorswithoutborders and Rivers of Mercy - aid for G4za. (Photo reference images from @hiddenpalestine .) The artists who participated (over 100) “ flooding IG with beautiful images afterwards to remind everyone to keep going, keeping shouting, keep asking for a ceasefire. 🕊️🕊️🕊️” As an artist it offered me another kind of way to process my feelings in solidarity with so many other artists worldwide and to participate in creative activism . Sometimes you have to do something.

Al Hassaina Mosque (مسجد الحساينة) overlooking Gaza’s Mediterranean from a photo reference in the past -now gone.

Thank you for being here

Keep on making art

Find your moments of light

Peace to all

Heather