Christmas has come and gone and this year seemed a little surreal as first one and then the other of us had a rather unpleasant stomach bug we caught from our little grandson. Yuck. It seemed to put the lid on this year for us, and we are both looking forward to a rather better 2015.
I know that many of you are ardent followers of the series Outlander, so I thought you might be interested in the following which I "lifted" from our local newspaper as we just passed the Winter Solstice on Sunday.
The week before and the week after the Winter Solstice, 21st December, were named "Halcyon days" in the belief that in this fortnight the waves and wind would be calmed so that kingfishers could breed in their watery nests.
Halcyon is Greek for kingfisher.
December 21st is also St Thomas's Day when old women in East Anglia went "a-Thomasing", asking for sixpences. They were optimists because a tanner (6 old pennies) was then quite a lot of money.
The 21st December itself truly stood for optimism, the feeling that things would only get better as the days lengthened.Christmas is a Christian festival tacked on to a much older pagan one that celebrated the turning of the year when the days began to lengthen once again. The people who developed Stonehenge and Avebury were better aware of the true significance of the winter solstice than were the Christians who came long after them.
Neither Christians nor Druids have ever understood the true meaning of Stonehenge and its relations. Although the builders had an inaccurate understanding of the workings of the universe around them, they were at least trying to find out more about them in an honest and straightforward fashion.
In the Western Isles of Scotland are the prehistoric standing stones at Callanish. Facing them are five undisturbed rocks with a "fissure" in the middle rock. These rocks were a sacred spot long before the Callanish standing stones were built 4,000 years ago.
As the sun's path drops lower in the sky towards the winter solstice, the shadow on the five rocks and the light beam between the fissure extends further and further north.
The extreme sliver of sunlight falling on the ground at midwinter would have triggered ritual to nourish the dying sun or sun god. Whilst Stonehenge has always been geared to the sun, Callanish when completed was related to the moon. Although they don't still have their 'lintels' like the stones at Stonehenge, they are every bit as spectacular and unlike Stonehenge are entirely 'open to visitors', so you can go and touch them and walk round them. (Direct flights from Norwich to Stornoway!)
I am now on Book No 5 of Outlander and am completely immersed in the books despite their verbosity. Just wish the TV series would come over the pond!
In the New Year I hope to get back to normal re my blog, and I have several topics I should like to share with you. Although 2014 hasn't been the best of years healthwise, TTWD has continued to draw Dan and I closer together, and often each week brings something new to discover about each other. After all these years, this is nothing short of miraculous and wonderful.
We are very definitely in our Halcyon Days!
Dan and I would like to wish you all a Very Happy New Year, and hope that 2015 is filled with love, peace and joy.
I have been flying round for the past week or two like the proverbial blue-arsed fly. So this is really a hotch-potch. Just little bits and pieces.
I met up with Jan from https://dancinroses.blogspot on Wednesday. (She is such a hoot!) The weather was lousy to say the least, but we had a supremely wonderful day.
Let me tell you, Jan has lost a stone and a half in weight and I didn't recognise her at first. She looks absolutely FABULOUS! I am green with envy!
I had intended to do some Christmas shopping, but just bought myself some clothes and not a single Christmas present. (Yes, of course I bought some new knickers. A girl can never have too many pairs!)
We had a delicious lunch. I had a starter and a main, and Jan had a main and a pudding; and we had a large latte each.
In one of the stores I encountered a small problem with a lady who decided to ram a pushchair with a toddler in it into the backs of my knees, and then when I turned round in pained surprise she proceeded to have a go at me for not appearing to know which direction I was walking. I was too taken aback to think up a retort. Jan said it was classic "Pushchair rage". LOL!
Another little activity that has been going on in the Starsong household this week has been my "Week of Spankings". A type of challenge in a way. But not what you think.
A week ago I had my birthday. I said to Dan in horror that I couldn't possibly manage all that number of spanks in one go, especially since I only had his spanks on his behalf only a month ago. So it was agreed that I should get ten spanks a day for a week. (There were extras tacked on to the last day to make up the ten, before you say anything!) These spanks were to be of the type that you most definitely feel. No shillying and shallying about with warm ups. No "Is that okay, can you feel it, does it hurt?" type of spanks. I would accept whatever implement was chosen and accept any calibre of spanks that came my way. Ha! Moi? Hmmm....
The first day I was spanked with his hand. It stung, but it wasn't too bad, although I think I had seven all in the same spot on one side and only three the other. I suddenly realised that ten is nothing at all. Good grief. Anyone can take ten spanks.
The second day I was upended in such a way that I was practically doing a handstand on the floor. This time my sit spots received attention.
"Ow, ow ow! Golly I hate that spatula."
"I'm not using the spatula. I'm using my hand."
"But you used your hand yesterday."
"That was my right hand. I'm using my left today. I'll be using the spatula tomorrow."
See? Men's logic? No, I don't understand either.
The third day, the spatula make its appearance. Hateful, horrible thing. I think I shall send it to Katie! She needs a new one. This one has only had one careful owner! When I suggested how much I hated it I counted several 'extras'. When I happened to mention them, I got several more!
Men's logic again!
The fifth day got missed as it was "baby minding day" and I have to be up at the crack of dawn and after that it completely slipped Dan's mind. We are both too exhausted and need stiff gins by the time 'mother collects youngster' in the evening!
The sixth day was the Rose paddle. Because he had to make up for the previous day, Dan went berserk with it - or so it seemed to me. I lost count after the first five because it hurt and I couldn't concentrate. I told him that I should just hate it if he made me count my spanks like some people. I should probably still be being spanked now as I just cannot think and say "Ow!" at the same time.
The final day was today. The salad server, which hasn't made an appearance in centuries, was found and brought out for the grand finale. Sadly I was bent over the footboard (which I hate because it stretches everything) and Dan added lots of extras. He concentrated specifically on my sit spots. After each one or two swats I sprang upright doing my Jack-in-a-box impersonation. In fact I perfected it. How do you all stay down?! I just cannot! It sears the skin! Fries it! Dan started to laugh at me. I thought, "This is where I pout and either join in and laugh, or I start to cry." Luckily I laughed, and Dan stopped, parked the implement in my butt crease (he has a horrid habit of doing that) and then we both fell about laughing.
We laughed even more when I looked at the two perfectly round bright scarlet patches he had created. When I sat down for breakfast (on a cushion I hasten to add) it wasn't exactly painful, but it felt very 'burny' and itchy. I studied my bottom again when I got out of the shower but there wasn't a single sign of redness. All gone. Just a tingle left for a couple of hours, and then that was gone too.
Dan has commented that I have been on a high all week. Not a sign of my usual attitude. What? Moi? You've got to be joking!
I think the spankings were the equivalent of "happy pills". They kept my spirits up even when stressed. I can heartily recommend this "week of spankings" tactic next time you have a birthday if you feel you don't want to tackle the whole lot in one go.
The other thing is that I didn't have to remind Dan once that he had said he would spank me every morning for a week. He remembered just fine, even though initially he was not too sure about it all. In fact by the end of the week the spanks were definitely rather more plentiful that I think they should've been. I wonder if he could've secretly enjoyed them?
Finally, the last thing I want to mention is that tomorrow (Saturday 6th December) is St Knickerless Day on Ana's Advent Calendar. You can find it on https://governingana.wordpress.com and this year I have written a little "ghost story" especially for Christmas!
It doesn't have a single spank in it, but I do hope it will lift the hairs on the back of your necks a little. I wanted to do something a bit different.
I will be picking a name (from all those who comment) out of a hat (a large mixing bowl) and the lucky winner will be the recipient of a pair of Ami's special knickers
together with a little 'secret something'. Similar to these!
I do hope you will all support me especially as Ana works so hard on the Advent Calendar each year. It would be nice if you might sample a few of the other days. There are recipes, stories, funny incidents. All very enjoyable. You might even read about an elf or two!
See you all tomorrow!
