Location: Latvian National Museum of Art, Riga, Latvia
For solstice, rain, rain, rain, and record warmth. We like getting wet in the woods today, but there is very little light. Today, Friday, feels like the launch of a long holiday weekend before Christmas, with time to spend celebrating with our grown children, their partners, friends. At home, my daughters wander in and out and the wrapping paper is strewn about, and craft materials, red felt and a sewing kit are cluttering the counter. I have no rush in me, no pressure. I begin to feel the quiet growing inside. I’m content in the low light, the short hours of daylight, the messy wet sloppiness of the woods feels just right. For the winter solstice, I find this painting: “Winter,” that reminds me of this in between weather, freezing melting freezing melting under the cloudy sky. My husband and I like acoustic Christmas music in these few days before Christmas, especially at night. I like to turn off the lights at bedtime and turn it on and fall asleep to it. Here is one station to stream online all night. And then, I wake up, and hear the lovely sounds of Christmas music, and fall back asleep in a restful, peaceful, hopeful mood. Peace and hope are called for in these strange days of political turmoil. Tonight, I will let my all night listening begin.