Happy Solstice!

This has nothing to do with my manifestation goal. It's just awesome.

I was talking over e-mail with a friend and I mentioned that I wished I celebrated more winter holidays, like Chanukkah or Kwanzaa or Festivus or Yule or Advent or something, and she suggested I celebrate Solstice. As Solstice is a celebration of light (like Santka Lucia, which I do celebrate), her family creates snow lanterns and puts candles in them. I thought, naturally, "How freakin' cool is that?!" and decided I would follow suit.

Problem: the snow is almost gone. It's been warm, deliciously so, for the past few days, which left me with a conundrum. Solution: Ice lanterns.

They were really easy to make. I just poured water in a container (here, an old sour cream or cottage cheese one) and then put a smaller container (formerly for yogurt) into the middle to make a place for the candle. I then taped them so the yogurt cups would stay in the center... then later realized that rocks are equally efficient and much easier. They froze overnight, and voila!

Isn't it pretty? I poured hot water on the outside of the containers (and inside the yogurt cups to melt the ice there... it went faster if I rubbed the ice inside but I also kinda felt like I was rubbing to avoid a vampire episiotomy) and it cracked the ice. One of the luminaries broke apart completely and this one got a huge slice out of it. I kinda like it, though. J

What it looks like without the flash; excuse my crappy camera.

The front steps of the house.

And there you have it! Ice luminaries. Happy Solstice!