Solstice Reflections 2012 is an online gathering of reflections by five lovely women on the spirit of winter. My hope is that this may offer you a momentary respite from a sometimes hectic season, allowing you to sit with your own reflections as you enter your personal winter. Click here for all posts to date.

~~~

A few things I love about this time of year:

~ when I can see individual snowflakes glittering and glowing a shiny silver beneath the light of the full moon.

~ hauling wood and keeping the woodstove going. Warmth from a woodstove is like no other source of heat. It warms you to the bone and relaxes your muscles. With it comes a feeling of gratitude for being kept safe and comfortable.

~ tea. soup.

~ playing in the snow! -- taking snow shoe meandering walks through the woods with my family. The woods all coated in white are magical, still, dreamy. Cold coupled with some 'hearty' activity is invigorating for the body, mind, and soul. And, there's nothing quite like the feeling of following snow play with a hot lunch and a dark beer.

~ kneading dough. baking bread.

~ oversized, fuzzy, warm woolen sweaters and hats.

~ listening to the song of river ice -- moaning, shifting, cracking as the river flows beneath.

~~~

Susan is a Maine photographer, digital artist, iPhoneographer, author, and online photography and Photoshop instructor. Her latest book, Photo Craft: Creative Mixed-Media and Digital Approaches to Transforming Your Photographs, co-authored with Christy Hydeck, was just released by North Light Books.

(Note from Steph: You can also find Susan and see more of her beautiful writings and images on her website.)