winter solstice

 i have moved away from traditional christmas 
to an awareness and need for a
solstice celebration
 but of course there is the last
day
of 
school
to get through before
the holiday.
 so we resorted to video
the morning group: the polar express
the afternoon: santa claus conquers the martians
my belly hurt from laughing!
 as we watched, the rain/sleet/ice
came down and began another storm.
 so on saturday afternoon
we had some icing
 pretty 
very lovely 
 really amazing
 hollyhock seeds
 icy slippery elm for aimee
because that's what we've been 
talking about.
and then night fell
and fell.
and the electricity went out,
taken down by some iced trees
who gave up last night.
 at my house there's no backup heat
except this
 which ate wood
all
night
long.
yawn.
 more ice today.
st lawrence county is under 
a state of emergency.
and hannah is coming home.
my nephew's family, too.
but not yet
 the grandmother maple
in the back yard
is still holding her limbs,
the white pine, is not.
i dug into one of these piles
(this one has hosta under it)
and dug out another day's wood.
but this afternoon
a miracle:
electricity again!
i am eager to move off grid 
these storms will then be far less difficult.