How'd it go? This morning was sunny! For most of the year I make myself like the weather whatever it is doing but must be said in this darkest month a morning's sunshine makes a difference.

I decided on a rather basic solstice celebration, which is shining up my kitchen. I shine it up for visitors every month or so, but since I came back here the cleaning has been basic. I looked around it and thought "buy flowers? no." A memory came of how other cultures super-clean their houses for new year, and I can't be bothered to do all that, but yes kitchen, stove, surfaces and floor.

Loneliness is hard this time of year. Seems like friends with families forget me in all the frantic shopping, wrapping and cooking. They pop up again half-way through January. They do that mid-summer also, and both times I feel it.

It's loneliness by comparison to all the franticness. At other seasons being alone and quiet is a luxury experience.

Well, I am here and wish you well this morning! I got one Happy Solstice good wishes today, which shows that I'm not the only one feeling resistant to santa.

I have a beautiful DVD that I bought on my travels called "Stormy Weather". It's about a French psychotherapist and an Icelandic woman with mental health problems. The photography of Iceland is startling, and there is a neutral ending which I like where the Icelandic woman is back in her community in the same situation as when she became ill, but we understand more deeply what is happening for both of them.

Saidso