You know how sometimes you go outside into the cold, and one eye just tears and tears a river?
There was a man talking to himself on the streetcar this morning. Obviously demented, he was talking a blue streak about football teams and paying rent, and I smiled to myself, cuz after months of solitary biking it was actually great to be on the streetcar with the commuter paper in my lap, surrounded by babies and crazies and to be able to actually style my hair and not have it smushed by a helmet. But then the crazy dude started talking shit about jews and my smile retracted a bit.
The annual Chinese food on Xmas Eve tradition has just expanded as we merged some groups of people. Email me if you would like to join. Also, back by popular demand, the annual Orphans, Jews, and Broken Homes Xmas Day Decompression is taking place chez nous. I assume people will not be too hungry, but we will nonetheless be making a big pot of butternut squash soup and serving some snacks.
Tonight, being the longest night of the year, means it is the Solstice parade in Kensington Market aka the Festival of Lights. The first time I stumbled onto it was about 7 years ago.There was a small crowd holding lanterns and marching through the market, stopping periodically as people or life-sized puppets emerged from the crowd and performed different pieces. My sister Jackie and I joined the group in time to see the maiden-crone dance that ends with the sun chasing the moon out of the circle. I seem to recall children dancing around a maypole, and then a big bonfire at the park. It is way more crowded the past few years, but packed with fun.
This year, it is about letting go of the things you can't control, like the crowding at the parade, the rantings of a crazy person, your family dynamic, and that disgusting poo vein in shrimp. But life is good. The nights are getting shorter. I will see you at the bonfire. Bring on the sun!
