Winter Solstice in Southport

Andrew, Lisa and I went on a train ride down to Liverpool, and walked around town for awhile. We stopped at a pub for lunch and continued on our way, visiting the Cavern, the site where the Beatles found their fame, and on to a museum with exhibits on natural history, astronomy and outer space, and ancient history. The day was fun and interesting, and exhilerating in the cold, windy, icy weather.

The winter solstice has become a favorite holiday of mine. The tradition I was introduced to includes lighting a fire just as the sun sets, and then having dinner with friends. Well, this year, the sun set at 3:50 pm, while we were riding the train home. You can see the view from our train window, as I marked the setting sun on the shortest day of daylight for the year.

When we got home, I lit a candle (the symbol of the light being encouraged to continue in the coming year) Then Andrew, Lisa, Alan, Pat and I picked up Stephen and his carer Andy, for a visit to the local pub.

Stephen had been waiting for this event since he first heard that Lisa and Andrew were coming to England. He would tell them, "go to a pub together..." and now we did it. The pub where we went, happened to have a fireplace and a glowing fire, so we all sat around the fire and I felt like I got to have a bit of my celebration in this new place with a new group of people.

Happy Winter Solstice to all...and now the longer days begin again.

This year the solstice also marks the changing seasons in a particular way...that life is constantly changing, that it never stays static, and that for the spring to come, the winter time of year must also come ... and go. Celebrating the winter solstice, I acknowledge the inevitability of the changing seasons.

Soon I will be coming home.