Eve

Tonight I answered the question, "In what ways are you strange?" and thought I'd share my answer here. This is what I wrote:

I'm a single work-at-home lesbian college student and mom of three kids whom I homeschool, and I drive a 17-year-old multicolored car with 260,000 miles and over 40 bumper stickers on it. I'm an eclectic nontheistic Taoist Pagan with Buddhist leanings and I attend a UU church every other Sunday (and lead the children's religious education program). I had an amicable divorce and my ex and I remained friends for a couple years afterward. There are currently 3 dogs and 17 cats in my house (10 of the cats are fosters). I volunteer at the animal shelter on a daily basis, and I'll be graduating with my Bachelor's degree 16 years after I graduated from high school. All the AP gentle parenting stuff, though with all the online support and the kids growing older, it doesn't really seem strange anymore. I can sometimes hear people's thoughts before they speak, I sometimes dream of future events before they happen, I often know who's calling on the phone without caller ID, and I've had contact with bodiless spirits. I'm learning and loving Tarot. I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up. I love being a single mom and don't feel that my lot in life is unfair. My hair grows abnormally fast. There's more, but this is getting really long.


Tonight is the eve of the winter solstice, Yule. Tonight we sang carols and read solstice stories while watching the sunset, then came home and the little ones watched Little Bear's winter solstice, while Marian wrapped presents, and I made our Favorites dinner. After dinner we finished watching Night at the Museum (that we started yesterday), and then each opened one small gift while having our hot chocolate. I read them some wintery books and sent them to bed.

Tomorrow we'll eat breakfast in the car while watching the sunrise (with lots of singing and storytelling) if the roads aren't too bad. Otherwise we'll sing to the sun from the porch. Then stockings and gifts, then the making of gingerbread house and people, then lunch at Chili's. Naptime, some family rituals, and a lot of playing it by ear will follow.


Some Yuletide Carols:
GOD REST YE MERRY PAGANFOLK

Oh rest ye merry, paganfolk,
Let nothing you dismay.
Remember that the Sun returns
Upon this Solstice day.
The growing dark is ending now
And Spring is on its way.

Oh, tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy!
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy.

Mother Nature rest ye merry, too,
And keep you safe from harm.
Remember that we live within
The circle of Her arms,
And may Her love give years to come
A very special charm.

Oh, tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy!
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy!


SHARE THE LIGHT
Tune: The First Noel

On this Winter holiday, let us stop and recall
That this season is holy to one and to all.
Unto some a Son is born, unto us comes a Sun,
And we know, if they don't that all paths are one.

Chorus:
Share the light, share the light!
Share the light, share the Light!
All paths are one on this holy night!

Be it Chanukah or Yule,
Christmas time or Solstice night,
All celebrate the eternal light.
Lighted tree or burning log,
Or eight candle flames.
All paths are one, whatever their names.


DECK THE HALLS
Traditional

Deck the halls with boughs of holly
Fa la la la la la la la la
Tis the season to be jolly
Fa la la la la la la la la
Don we now our gay apparel
Fa la la la la la la la la
Troll the ancient Yuletide carols
Fa la la la la la la la la

See the blazing Yule before us
Fa la la la la la la la la
Strike the harp and join the chorus
Fa la la la la la la la la
Follow me in merry measure
Fa la la la la la la la la
While I tell of Yuletide treasure
Fa la la la la la la la la

Fast away the old year passes
Fa la la la la la la la la
Hail the new, ye lads and lasses
Fa la la la la la la la la
Sing we joyous all together
Fa la la la la la la la la
Heedless of the wind and weather
Fa la la la la la la la la



Deck the Halls precedes Christianity, but the other two are borrowed tunes. I figure it's a nice trade when pagans share their decorations and Christians share their melodies. We have more carols that we sing, some original and some borrowed tunes, but the rest aren't easily accessible to copy and paste.

Happy Winter Solstice! I'll try to remember to take pictures tomorrow, but if I don't it because I was too caught up in the here and now to worry about capturing images for the future.