Dear Curiosity Journal,
Winter Solstice week is upon us, which means I’m back on my party planning agenda. I’m cleaning, organizing, collecting, shopping, setting up, making lists, and checking them twice. These deep winter days are short, so we make the most of the daylight hours. I’ve almost finished setting up the crafts in the pack shed (evergreen wreaths, yule logs, solstice lanterns, mushroom ornaments, bird feeders, and elf/fairy houses. I’ve recruited my fellow board members, family, and friends to help me collect dogwood, mullein, evergreens, and other natural materials to add to the crafting table, and they’ve been dropping items off in the barn. I just love to see everything come together. Today I made mullein torches by taking dried mullein stalks and dipping them in recycled wax. I’ve made these in the past, and once you get them lit, they will burn for quite a while. The torches are a symbol of carrying our light through the darkest days of the year and also serve a practical purpose of lighting the path to the yule altar and solstice spiral. I can’t wait for folks to gather and celebrate together on Saturday. We hope to see you there from 3 PM to 6 PM. The Winter Solstice Celebration is a free community event open to the public. Donations area appreciated 
~Joy
