Lamplight

Mantle lights

Tiny tree lights

Give this cat an ironing board and a wet garment of clothing and she's set for days

Host/hostess gift

She guards the bathroom door

Stone Fence

Waiting for food to hit ground

I get up in the dark, I come home in the dark. I don't know what this house looks like in daylight except for on the weekends. I am grateful for the winter solstice because I know the days grow longer after its passing.

A few years ago, I read a book called The Geography of Bliss, about which countries' "happiness quotient" are highest. I will forever remember its depiction of Iceland, one of the happiest places, though during the winter, it gets about 4 hours of daylight. The author described a place in which community was formed through a sort of shared survival mentality. They gathered together, they drank, they got through it. And their lives seemed to be better for it. I think about that a lot.

This is the time of year for game nights and drinking, in other words. Which is what we are doing. And it's the time for brandy. Calvados, in this case. It's warm and apple-y. That Stone Fence pictured above is a drink I highly recommend. It's a shot or so of Calvados, topped with hard cider and some ice.

If you find yourself feeling down in the dumps in the darkness, find either a St. Bernard with a cask of brandy, or a good friend with a bottle in one hand and a deck of cards in the other, and cozy up and settle in. We can do this. A few more days and we're on the better side of winter.