That equal parts day...

This Sunday, in addition to being a day we honor our Fathers (more on that later), we honor the Sun.  All kind of fitting if you ask me, as we gather so much light and guidance from the Sun it's a lot like a father figure to some of us.

Good times!

So what does one to do honor the Sun on Litha?  Well, if you're like me you bake and have friends over.

My sister was over, and it was fantastic - low key, relaxing, hilarious (as it always is - we're terrible jokers), and above all it was peaceful.

---
The most important thing that happened yesterday was the rain. I worry about my garden every year - is it fed enough, is it getting enough light, that it's watered enough.  I worry that the squirrels are eating it all, rooting up the plants they don't chew on (I lost a planter full of daffodils that way) and generally wrecking havoc on my poor garden. I worry too much, but it's what I love and I worry about what I love.

So when I kept looking outside at the drying soil (knowing full well only the surface looked that bad) I wavered on whether to water or not. I decided against it, and spent time inside laughing and enjoying the company of my sister. We watched the birds play in the dust on the edge of the planters and we watched the flocking birds scare away the squirrels who got too close. I set out bird feed for my helpful protector robins - I'd much rather have robins than squirrels.

Then the sky darkened and the rain came hard. It was a deluge, and I saw the water rushing over everything in such a way that it made me smile.  I love big weather (didn't coin that phrase, but I love it) - "big weather" has always drawn me close.  That power, that wrath, that care and concern... there is so much present in storms that they are more interesting to me than some people I know. So the storm that hit us on Sunday brought with it tearing winds and stinging rain, and the sort of cleansing change you always feel on the solstice.

It was wonderful and I hope that the solstice was everything it should be for you as well.