Winter Solstice Morning

I just had to write.

I'm at a lovely inn about two thirds of the way home and decided to trek outside in the cold to see if I could catch a glimpse of the sunrise. It's a crisp -30 degrees Celsius (a random conversion site gives me -22F).

Standing alone in the parking lot, I was too early for the sunrise but was greeted by silence, a dim glow to the East, a crescent moon high in the sky and get this ... a shooting star.

How freakin' cool is that.

Happy Solstice Morning.

Merry Merry

pole dancing Santa

It's five am and we're just about ready to leave for New Brunswick to spend Christmas at Mom & Dad's. It's special this year 'cause not only are we going, but so are Sis, Bro-in-Law and his Mom.

So now that we've packed our jingtinglers and stuffed our flimfongers, it's time to grab our hoohoobers and head out the door (with many apologies to Dr. Seuss)!

Sending you love, warmth and peace, wishing you a Merry Merry Christmas ...

Steph
xox

Solstice Reflections - A Checkpoint

With only a few days left before the end of my Solstice Reflections experiment, I thought it would be neat to check in and reflect on how things are going.

What's worked to date:

• establishing a writing routine - writing a post the night before, reviewing it one last time the next morning before posting
• writing about what happened that day, pulling from current experiences and observations
• that being said, having a few posts researched and written ahead of time to pull from on nights I was busy or tired helped too!
• listening to my intuition - if a post didn't feel natural or right, I looked for something else that rang true
• creating ritual, lighting a candle and being still for a few moments before writing
• letting go of perfection

Challenges:

• breaking my writing routine - I felt a need to scramble to catch up, writing two posts in one day to fall back into schedule
• neglecting ritual and focus - this seems to be happening more now as Christmas preparations come to a climax; I find I don't get as much out of writing when I'm distracted and feeling in a rush to post, the reflection part is missing
• letting go of perfection

The experiment has been good to date, but not always easy. Although the subject of spiritual reflection is very rewarding to explore, delving into it daily can be draining. Also, combined with Holiday preparations my reflections risked becoming yet another item on the list to check off.

But overall I'm happy. Not only am I meeting a commitment I made to myself (although there are still a few days left!), I am also welcoming and exploring a renewed connection to my Higher Power - a connection I believe could only have happened through deliberate reflection. Reflection spurred by the Winter Solstice.

The Inaugural Trek

We got our new snowshoes out this morning and spent over an hour trekking through the woods at a park less than a five-minute drive away. How convenient is that?!

A few pics ...

D lacin' up

Steph's girly snowshoes

silent snow

Nature's latticework

berries

Saturday Gratefuls

I'm posting my Grateful Friday gratefuls on Saturday again, but better late than never right? Here are a few things for which I am grateful today:

• my health
• D, Cassie, other loved ones and friends
• my job
• my home
• fat swirling snowflakes and glittering snowdiamonds
• houses decked in coloured lights
• hunkering at home in front of a fire, wrapped in a homemade blanket
• Saturday morning conversations with D over a pot of coffee - sometimes two!
• living walking distance to shops, bakeries, restaurants and cafés
• the smell of dinner cooking as I write
• warm mitts and wool socks
• a new funky hair colour
• a renewed connection to my Higher Power

Till the next time ...

A Tale of Two Trees

Boy & girl meet and fall in love. {swoon}

Boy & girl decide to move in together. {yay}

Boy & girl celebrate first Christmas together in new home, bringing holiday treasures and traditions together. {aaawwww}

Boy and girl decorate first "joint" tree. Boy likes Star Wars & the Simpson clan. Girl likes winter fairies and porcelain birds. {eep!}

Girl puts up a second Christmas tree in the dining room. {aaahhh...}

Saturday Gratefuls

I have so many things for which I am grateful this week. Here are a few ...

• my cozy home, slowly but surely getting decked out for the Holidays
• camping out on the sofabed in the living room last night with D and Cassie, falling asleep by the glow and sound of a crackling fire in the fireplace
• not one, but two Christmas/Winter trees!
• an evening of jazz presented by Ottawa's Impressions in Jazz Orchestra, inspired by a famous 1938 Benny Goodman concert at Carnegie Hall - I was so giddy when they performed Sing, Sing, Sing I thought I was going to burst!
• winning my very first blog giveaway at Wonderings and Wanderings (merci Jeanine!)
• dinner with a dear friend spent gabbing, giggling and pondering modern-day questions & quandaries
• a few good book finds at St. Vincent de Paul's thrift store
• tickets to tomorrow's reading of A Christmas Carol by local CBC personalities - set in a church and combined with a Christmas singalong it's a beautiful way to welcome the Holiday season

Blessed am I.

Birthday Wishes

(photo by Bonnie Findley, Ottawa)


HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIS!!!

Wishing you a great day - see you soon!

Steph
xox

A Solstice Experiment

For the past few weeks I've been mulling over a creative project linked to the Winter Solstice - a countdown complete with quotes, prompts, questions and reflections. Truth be told, the idea of countdown to the Solstice has been percolating in this pretty little head of mine for the past three years; only now do I feel ready to experiment with the creation of a new blog: Solstice Reflections.

Now don't get me wrong, I am very much a Christmas person - Christmas decorations a plenty, Christmas books, Christmas CDs that stack up to about a foot. I love Christmas gatherings, A Charlie Brown Christmas and when the Grinch's heart grows three sizes that day it makes me weep.

I've come to realize though, that the Winter Solstice holds more spiritual significance for me. I feel a deep connection to the Divine through Mother Nature, her cycles and December's transition from darkness to light.

Although I will continue posting here at the Urban Living Experiment, I invite you to join me as I experiment with a journey of creative expression and spiritual reflection at Solstice Reflections - a December travel blog for the soul if you wish. :)

Hope to see you there.