“All hail to the days that merit more praise
Than all the rest of the year,
Forgetting old wrongs with carols and songs
To drive the cold winter away“

December 26th, 4:02 pm. The skies to the west are a pale yellow as the sun sets slowly into the cold Pacific. We slept late and brunch was chicken salad, a special recipe I like to make with leftovers. If you have chicken leftovers, shred them with two forks then finely chop a red pepper and some scallions and sautee them a pan with oil or butter. Add the chicken to the pan , a dash of smoked paprika, onion powder and salt and pepper to taste. Place in a bowl and mix with a bit of mayo. Serve on warm toasted bread. So tasty.

I did a shop early Monday with the sole purpose of not having to leave the house for the rest of the week. It’s warm and cozy at home and having a pantry full of good food and drink is all we need. I like to keep quick and easy ingredients in the freezer this time of year so I made sure we have pizza doughs and all the toppings for a lazy movie night.

I’ll use the rest of the leftovers to make a leek and mushroom pie. I keep just-roll pastry in my freezer for times like the Holidays. There’s leftover roast, veggies, stuffing and turkey to be used. I make it into a pie with some creme fraiche that we either eat as a meal that week or it’s frozen for winter’s day in the new year. After a hike in the forest, coming home and popping a home made pie in the oven is comfort at it’s finest.

Christmas was a quiet one this year. I prepared the feast early on Christmas Eve then spent the night playing Jenga and watching Sting’s If on a Winter’s Night live concert from Durham Castle. Christmas morning Seth and I exchanged stockings, mine filled as it is every year with my favourite Lush holiday collection bath bombs. A bath is sacred for me every evening throughout Autumn and Winter and sinking into the warm water scented with essential oils and salts suddenly makes it a spa experience.

I’ve been thinking about a few New Years resolutions and even though I’m not huge on making big promises, I do like to re-group and make a note of things I’ve said I wanted to do more of; things like spend more time hiking in nature, diving deeper into my Tarot studies, Mindfulness and Yoga. Things that bring me joy, things that cost nothing, these are my resolutions.

I celebrated Yule (winter solstice) on December 21st with a group meditation. One of my best friends lives on the Canary Islands and the other is in Washington DC so we like to choose a time where we can all connect , light some candles and cast some spells. Spells for prosperity, good health and future goals are all written down and we send each other energy and light to make our dreams come true. We like to include people in our rituals who may need help, healing or support and we spend some time focusing on their wellbeing. I did some ritual makeup with symbols emulating what I was working on. This is another resolution I’d like to stick to. Celebrating the season, equinoxes and solstices is a part of my spiritual path. I usually end my sessions with a Tarot card spread.

As I complete this entry, nightfall. Salem lays at my feet meticulously washing his face and ears. How wonderful to be blissfully unaware of the difficulties this past year has brought to so many. He reminds me to disconnect and move slowly whenever I can. It’s good for our health, physically and mentally.

Wishing you all a peaceful Cold Moon.

Love,

Jennifer