Five years at Holly Tree Manor

Today marks the fifth anniversary of Holly Tree Manor. So much has happened in those years. The big life changing events that happened in those years are that I retired and my beloved Ron passed. I have more questions than ever about my life and the choices I've made. 

I'm not alone in wondering where I'd be today if I'd made different choices. What if I hadn't retired? Would I be happier at work than here alone all day? I don't think so. I was able to be with Ron and my only worry was Deuce. Thankfully, my closest cousin lives next door and was able to visit Deuce during the times I was at the hospital with Ron. 

Ron's passing aside, the last five years have been good ones. I started working when I was just sixteen years old. I wanted to save up to buy my own car, which I did even though it was against my parent's wishes. My mother always tried to hold me back. My father was more aware but he didn't know what to do with a teenage daughter. Dad was the one who said I could buy my first car - a 1969 Camaro. 

I worked all those years so I could have my own money, buy my own things, and save for the day when I could step into all I ever wanted to be - The Lady of the Manor. Truly, it was my fondest dream, and here I am. The reality looks a bit different than the dream since Ron passed, but he knew this was my dream. 

Yesterday, we marked the winter solstice. Starting today, we begin to have more daylight minutes every day until we reach the summer solstice. It's a cold (29F), clear and sunny day here. There is little work that needs to be done outside in the cold. I've completed a few indoor chores, perused a few seed sellers like Burpees and Totally Tomatoes, and now I'm blogging. Later this afternoon, I need to decide on my canning/preserving projects for the year, which will influence what I plant in the 2025 garden. 

My computer room/sunroom is flooded with sunlight. Outside the windows, the trees stand as watchful sentinels. My world is at peace. 

Thanks for coming along for the last five years. 

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor/The Hideaway

_*_*_

On a side note, I've got a new book out called Once in October. Click on the link to the book page located at my writing blog, Between the Keys. You will probably get a message that the link takes you off this blog. If that worries you, copy and paste in:

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/once-in-october-by-kc-kendricks.html

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, rural living, country lifestyle, fifth anniversary, a writer's life, winter solstice, 1969 Camaro, KC Kendricks, blogging, women's work, loss of spouse, dreams

2020 The winter solstice and the great conjunction

I slept through it. The first day of winter 2020 happened this morning at 5:02 AM, EST. I'm always happy to mark the winter solstice, the beginning of the astronomical winter, even though it's the shortest day of the year. From here on until June, the hours of daylight increase. 

I used to think of the solstices and equinoxes as a day-long event but somewhere along the line, I learned differently. Each occurs at a specific time and lasts but a moment. In the case of the winter solstice, it happens when, in my case, the northern hemisphere is tilted as far away from the sun as it gets. The sun's path appears as low in our sky as it gets. 

What sets this year apart, at least astronomically, is that on the night of December 21, 2020, there will also be a Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. The solstice and the Great Conjunction haven't happened at the same time in 800 years. What has people excited is that this will have the appearance of being "the Christmas star." Petty cool, actually. 

And it's not that Jupiter and Saturn don't have regular conjunctions - they do about every twenty years. The last one was in May of 2000. It's just the timing of this one, on the winter solstice, that has people paying attention. After this, the next Great Conjunction will happen on March 15, 2080. We won't live to see it although perhaps since nothing ever truly "dies" on the Internet, this blog entry may be found and laughed at for its lack of depth. 

If I want to see the Great Conjunction, and I think I do, I'll have to drive down the mountain and get away from the trees. Even then, with our topography, I may have to hunt for a spot. I'll have to make it quick, though. It won't be visible in the southwestern sky for very long. 

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor

Blackberry cordial

In nine days we will reach the winter solstice. Here at the manor, we're already looking forward to the earth's shift toward daylight. The weeknight evenings are dark, long, and boring. We chat endlessly about the things we want to do when magical spring, and warmer days, arrive. Daylight hours on the weekends are precious. The moments warm enough to be outside are at a premium in December. 

It's not a big leap of logic to discover the long evening chats often revolve around food. "What's for dinner" is a dangerous question to ask this time of year. Quite often one gets a snarl for a reply. It's nothing personal. We're simply tired of being cooped up, tired of television, and yes, tired of eating. 

It's winter. We eat to survive, not enjoy a meal together. I'm back to spending time on Pinterest, looking for new and interesting recipes. I stumbled across a pin of blackberry cordial, something a former colleague used to make and decided to give it a try. This is what winter boredom can cause - food experimentation. 

Making a cordial is pretty straightforward. It's fruit, sugar, and booze. Methods vary, but my old buddy followed a simplistic recipe. Put the berries in a quart mason jar, add one cup of sugar, and muddle. Then cover with vodka and allow to steep for six months. Strain to remove the pulp and drink. He started his during berry season so it was ready for Christmas. If this works for me, I'll do the same next year. A little cordial is a good prescription for a long, dark winter evening.  

My friend has been gone for over a decade now but I often think of him. My cordial will lack one crucial ingredient, the taste of his friendship, but maybe it will have the flavor of his memory. 

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor