Christmas and After...

The cards all addressed and mailed to cats, family, and friends, the presents sent, no more trips to the post office.  Time now to turn to those kitties and friends for whom I have only email addresses these days (and new ones I have received cards from)...

But basically, I can relax and listen to the radio Christmas songs for a week.  Thats about as many days as I can take.  I really do like Christmas Carols on the stereo, but repetitiveness wears me out fast. 

I miss the days of my youth when "Christmas Season" was just "the couple weeks before the day".

I am saving all the cards I/we have received so far to open them on the Winter Solstice Day at 12:11 pm EST.  I personally LIKE the moment of the first lengthening of days.  That what all the winter holidays center around, after all.  It's probably the oldest human holiday.  And it is a natural one.  One day is the shortest day of the year, the next is the first longer one.  I like that.  Every day past then leads me to the Spring planting season, and that is a highlight of my year.

I am already searching through the garden catalogs for the replacements of old seeds, the idea of some new ones, and the thrill of seeing the new plants grow and thrive. 

I look forward to the first flower seeds I can plant outside in February (snow peas) and the first flowers I can plant inside  at the same time (who grow germinate and grow slowly).  Thing speed up after that.  But it's the best time of year.  Harvest is great, but the starting is better.  All that hope, you know?