A certain slant of light

Well it's the shortest day today, so we're on our way back to the light, yay!
I've been running around doing things for Christmas and seeing people.
Had a fun night with the Writers' Group on Tuesday night, Judith read a great poem about how she gets this Christmas card every year from a couple she met on holiday twenty years ago.She only exchanged addresses with them to swap photos on her return. She binned their address after that, but they've faithfully sent a card every year since saying something like "Jean & Ted (Tenerife)".

Yesterday I had lunch with friends, including Judith. She's nicknamed us "The Coven", the cheeky bugger. I pointed out that quilters groups said they get together to bitch and stich, and asked what writers got together for? We settled on "Write and Snipe"

Been to the farm shop today and bought root veg etc for Christmas, got Brussels still on the stalk, and local tatties, a lovely glossy red cabbage just out the field, and parsnips and some big leeks, which will go into ham hock soup. Also got some locally smoked trout and some lovely salad potatoes and beetroot. Going to roast the beets and make a hot salad for dinner with potatoes, beets, pecans, rocket and the flaked trout. I like eating simply before Christmas.

After the farm shop I took the dog to my favourite beach, no-one on it except us and a few oyster-catchers. We had to walk through the woods to get there and the sun was already low and slanting through the trunks, one side of each tree was completly light up, while the other side was in deep shade. The red bark of the Scots Pines was simply glowing. I like to get away on my own for a bit, it's a good antidote to seeing so many people.

I've attached a picture of the beach, though it was taken in the summer,but it will give you the idea. The big lump of rock is the Bass Rock, volcanic plug and summer home to thousnads of gannets, when it looks like one of these giant snow shaker/ globe thingies.

We're lucky in that we have clear blue skies and no fog, though this cold front is contributing to the fog chaos at London Heathrow, so glad I'm not travelling far this Christmas.

So my 50th year is all but over. It's been a good one. I'm lucky to have good family and friends and I look forward to caring for some of them in the next few days with warmth, light and good food.

Wherever you may be I wish you peace and light. And if Christmas is tough for you, then just remember, "This too will pass".