Siren Tides

I was going to do stuff today, other than visiting Aunty Duck and going to the pool and doing chores, but to be honest. I’m stuffed. Four hours sleep isn’t enough, really. I can cope on it… but I need to go to bed soon I got some things to do tomorrow, though!

So have a flower. I’m off to snooze. <3 I love you all! Yes, even you the stranger lurking over the corner.

I should have some more photos up tomorrow of the ornaments I’ve been working on, a lot of paper lanterns, some origami pine trees that the kittens love to search and destroy.

For now, though. I leave you with a photo I took back in April, I believe. From a train. It’s not really a polaroid, I took it with my digital camera, but I like it. And it shows you how dry it gets here.

So all this talk of Christmas is a, making me mildly nauseas and b, making me want to craft. Given that I am Pagan and in Australia, it’s really closer to Midsummer than it’ll ever be to Yule when Christmas comes around, so I have sort of bi-polar holiday decorating sprees. My mind sort of goes like this: Midsummer! Suns, war, flowers, fey! Christmas, Winter, snowflakes, snowmen, tinsel!

Despite the very obvious fact that I have never seen a white Christmas outside of movies and pictures.

And if I live here all my days, I probably never will see one. So the winter theme is marvellously ironic. Whoo! (Who else sees the hilarity in singing “White Christmas” in Australia, in December, in 30+°^C heat?)

Anyway, as most of my family is probably likely to look at me like a loon if I try to explain to them why Midsummer would be a more fitting holiday (some Catholics have no sense of humour) and I make most of my holiday ornaments, I propose a compromise. Which no one but me will suspect. Make Christmas/Midsummer ornaments! Sunny themes amongst the wintery ones.

Does anyone else make their own ornaments? Would anyone be interested in seeing what I come up with/tutorials I find helpful?

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, we will remember them.

Lest We forget.

Solemn the drums thrill: Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres,
There is music in the midst of desolation
And glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow,
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again,
They sit no more at familiar tables of home,
They have no lot in our labour of the daytime,
They sleep beyond England’s foam.

But where our desires and hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the night.

As the stars shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain,
As the stars that are stary in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.

I was planning to go to bed by 2 am last night, which, for me, is early, but as it turns out. I didn’t. Which means I missed Cath, like, completely. Argh. it’s awful missing rp partners with busy as hell schedules. D: It really doesn’t help that she’s in the UK, either.

Anyway, I didn’t go to bed last night when I wanted too not because I did the usual and got distracted, but because my little sister got sick. Poor doll, she was still sick today – though I think she’s getting better. Mum thinks it might have been the heat, we’re getting weather near 40°C at the moment, which is something like 105°F, I think. Or, in translation: REALLY. FUCKING. HOT.

Amen.

Dear heat, please go pick on somewhere else.

No Love, the winter lover.

P.S. If you are like this right through February again, I might seriously consider penguin hunting.