Winter Solstice + Giveaway Winners!!

Happy Solstice!  Nora missed the memo about today being the shortest day and was up bright and early (far before the sun) out of sheer excitement about opening presents.  We managed to hold her off for a while with an episode of Caillou on my laptop before having to acknowledge morning and let her at her presents.

She had some wonderful gifts from some of our family members and Chris and I gave her a wooden tool bench that I got from someone off the REX.  She was just as excited as we hoped she would be (she has been telling us lately that she wants to be a carpenter when she grows up) and has been hammering all day.  We had a nice family breakfast chock full of all sorts of interesting fruit discovered in our stockings

and then a low-key day before heading to the solstice celebration at Mitchell’s.  There was story telling, drumming, singing and a fun basket full of nature things for contributing to the alter.I love that there is a community here that understands our December traditions and helps to make days like today fun and exciting for Nora.  Hopefully we’ll find a group of similarly accepting people when we move out west.  Until then, I am thankful for those around us and, though winter is just beginning,  thankful for days lengthening and being one day closer to summer.

Since today is a day of celebration and gift giving in our family, it only seems appropriate to announce our giveaway winners!  They are:

• Jeanne van Etten ceramic box:  Susan G.
• Bartlett Farm Cookbook: Sam S.
• Petticoat Row Bakery Gift Card: Susan P.
• Nantucket Massage Therapy Gift Card: Michelle H.

Thank you to everyone who entered to win and who shared my giveaway posts!  I will be contacting the winners via email this evening to get your mailing information.  If you didn’t win (or even if you did), you have another chance to win a sweet Nantucket prize by entering my “Pink or Blue” giveaway/birth pool, which requires a little skill rather than winners selected by random.org.  I will be leaving the guessing open until the 29th, so you still have time.

Happy solstice!!