Carrying the light

[dolorosa_12]

This was a weekend of warmth, and light, and quiet, and home.

Until last year, Matthias and I never did any Christmas decorations in our house — we've always spent Christmas either in Germany with his family, or in Australia with mine, so there never seemed to be much point. But last year, his parents, sister, brother-in-law, and young niece and nephew travelled here to Cambridge, and I bought a tiny Christmas tree, and some cheap decorations and lights. I'm very glad I did so, because of course this year nobody's travelling anywhere, and it was nice to have all those decorations here and ready to go.

So today, we decorated the tree, lit some tealight candles, and revelled in the warm light.

Yesterday we made the trek out to the street on the other side of town which houses all the international grocery stores (there's a Korean supermarket, two Chinese supermarkets, a Middle Eastern supermarket, an organic shop where you can buy refills of dried herbs and spices, multiple Italian delis, and a Polish/Romanian supermarket, plus lots of other specialist shops). I wanted to stock up on things like tahini, fish sauce, sriracha, and sesame oil, which you can't buy in large bottles anywhere else in Cambridge, and I also brought all my half-empty spice jars and refilled them. All in all, it was a productive, but expensive trip.

Today has been filled with yoga, and lounging around in my wing chair watching the biathlon, and reading. I'm almost finished with my reread of the Dark Is Rising sequence, and am struck again what a beautiful, and melancholy series of books it is. It's so suited to this time of year, even though two books are set very emphatically during the summer, and one in the spring. I've slowed down a bit because I've hit Silver on the Tree, and I don't want to get to that ending, which I have read and reread so many times, and to which I will never be reconciled.

I hope your weekends were filled with exactly the kind of light, and warmth that you needed.

Comments

[bruttimabuoni]

That sounds like such a productive shopping trip. I could do with some of those shops within relatively easy reach, it's been all deliveries here.

Glad you have decorations. I'm eking out putting mine up and enjoying each additional set of lights or sparkles.

[dolorosa_12]

I'm very lucky to have them all in the one place, although with lockdown restrictions it does make shopping trips a bit fraught (all the shops are very small, with restrictions on numbers).

I think a lot of people put more effort into Christmas decorations this year, or put them up early. They do lift the spirits!

[corvidology]

I'd be looking forward to putting up our Christmas decorations but thanks to MG's feelings on the subject we never took down the tree from last year.

I'm envious of your shopping trip. We're lucky enough to have most of those things here but I'd have to drive several miles between each one.

[dolorosa_12]

Oh wow, a Christmas tree up all year round! At least you now don't have to go through the whole process of unearthing the decorations, detangling strings of lights, etc.

For whatever reason, Cambridge has all those international supermarkets located on a single street. It's very convenient if you live in that part of town (although houses there are among the most expensive) — you can obviously just pop into individual shops whenever you need specific things. Because it's half an hour's walk away from where I live, I tend to go there every three months or so and stock up.

[goldrusts]

That sounds like a lovely weekend, simultaneously relaxing and productive. That's the sort of shopping trip my boyfriend would enjoy, he loves cooking and loves all his different herbs etc

Hopefully we're putting our tree up this coming weekend

[dolorosa_12]

It was exactly the right mixture of relaxing and productive, which was great! And yes, those shops are wonderful, and I'm very lucky to have easy access to them.

I hope you enjoy decorating your Christmas tree!

[iberiandoctor]

I've just gotten a lovely Christmas card from my college, and am imagining the old place in the heart of winter, with all of you hanging in there and keeping the fires burning. Sending you and Matthias all our best, here from your part of the hemisphere!

And the thought of reading The Dark is Rising in these winter days sounds both chilling and uplifting! It's been decades since I read it, and I find the verses rise from my hindbrain even so. And despite the ending, I will never not think hear in my head All shall find the Light at last, silver on the tree and feel in my bones that the light will overcome the darkness, in the end <3

[dolorosa_12]

I'm impressed that your college sends you Christmas cards. Mine just sends me emails begging for donations!

The verses from The Dark Is Rising are similarly imprinted on my brain — they're very incantatory. And yes, the series is the perfect thing to read at this time of year (at least if you're in the northern hemisphere), and as a reminder that light, and hope return.

Sending you and Matthias all our best, here from your part of the hemisphere!

Thank you, and the same to you!

[pauraque]

Our governor sent out a message encouraging people who normally put up lights to put them up early this year, especially in the windows, to remind people that the light will come again. I thought it was a very sweet idea and a wise reminder of why lights are traditional for winter holidays in multiple cultures.

[dolorosa_12]

That's so lovely and heartwarming. And yes, the prevalence of winter holidays involving lights seems to be something of a universal across religions and cultures. I grew up in Australia, which doesn't really have long, dark winters, and so it wasn't until I moved to the northern hemisphere that I really understood the importance of those oases of light, and warmth, shored up against the dark.

[lirazel]

What a wonderful weekend! I'm so glad it was a good one!

[dolorosa_12]

Thank you! It was a great way to spend the time.

[lokifan]

Lovely <3

Oh that ending. Yeah.

[dolorosa_12]

I will never be reconciled to it! I've never encountered another book whose ending so utterly undermined the point the book (and series) was trying to make!