night of the seven suppers

I was standing in the middle of our labyrinth at the time of sunset today, the shortest day of the the year. I say "the time of sunset" because I never actually saw the sun today, but I know it was there somewhere, behind the clouds and behind the trees. It rose to the dizzy heights of 11.5 degrees (see extra). 

And now we are into the longest night of the year, the night of the Winter Solstice. A night so long that in Gaelic it is called "Oidhche nan Seachd Suipearan" - the Night of the Seven Suppers (time to eat that many between sunset tonight at 15.47 and sunrise tomorrow at 0839).

I have spent the day very quietly at home, as feels right at this time of the year. A time to rest and reflect on the year past and the year to come. I baked a loaf and finished my book, walked the labyrinth and did some washing. Laid the fire and enjoyed its warmth.

It's D's last day of college today before the Christmas break. When I was in the garden, I noticed this artwork of his in progress. He soaks the paper and then scatters charcoal powder on it and leaves it out of doors. In the past week, snow and ice have fallen on it and leaves have stuck to the surface. A big blob of ice is still melting away in the middle. One of these days he will bring the paper in and dry it. A creative collaboration between D and the elements, I guess...