"Cry havoc, and let loose the therapy dogs of war!"

To celebrate the Solstice, a dull and damp day, I put tinsel on the tree. It's splendidly shiny now. By mistake, I came home with four cards of tinsel. If the day continues dank, I might open another one. The Solstice doesn't actually occur until 1 a.m. tonight. The earliest sunset was two weeks earlier, and we've already gained three more minutes at the end of the day, so welcome, sun! Even though we can't see you today, welcome.

I recommend a daily dose of "Sherman's Lagoon" to anyone who's ever loved the ocean. The fan group is over here. You'll have to go to the website for pictures, because we don't copy here at Shards. Over on the book blog, that's a different story. But not here, so no cartoons. Only my own pics. This one has been enhanced with water color effects, thanks to Picasa.

Celebration will continue later with "Left, Right and Center" at 6:30, a perfect opening to a Friday evening.

A poem excerpt for Christmas, from an unattributedsource:

And at night we win to the ancient inn,

Where the child in the frost is furled;

We follow the feet where all souls meet

At the inn at the end of the world.

The gods lie dead where the leaves lie red,

For the flame of the sun is flown;

The gods lie cold where the leaves lie gold,

Ans a Child comes forth alone.

G.K. Chesterton,

"A Child of the Snows"