The Jamaica Inn has updated photo albums and blog. The Snow here in Vegas, the Yule Crafts, the Pups watching the light show from the car, the tree, all of it, is updated.
I have been "checking resources, part 2" where I went through the house and threw out the garbage and validated the treasures! (Thanks to the Sage One!)
I woke up sick and feeling really bad this morning, was sick all day. Coughing, sore throat, upset stomache, cramps, the works. Around 8pm tonight, I realized I was sick from the fire place! I fell asleep on the couch and left the gas fireplace going all night!
I have the heat on 72 but I am freezing. It's so cold outside!! So I am turning up the heat in the bedrooms so I won't be cold at night. Carbon Monoxide poisoning is not such a good thing!
Ok so here's the deal with this year - Holiday 2008 - which is so different than past years. This year, I am celebrating Yule/Solstice, Friday through Sunday, here in Las Vegas, with a traditional Ceremonial Service on Saturday night (including bonfire and drums) and an early morning Sun Ceremony on Sunday morning - yes folks, that's the importance of this year's Yule/Solstice, it falls on a SUNday. Imagine that, the Solstice being celebrated on the very Roman Calendar Day celebrating the Sun. Who new those Ancient Romans & Greeks had any idea what they were doing...... Wink!
Then I am headed to the Family (aka The Fam) Christmas Eve through New Years. So I am making mom her favorite Salmon dinner (for those who remember the Broadway & Redondo days in Long Beach, it's the cashews and the asperagus one). I am then, on Christmas Day, driving from Tujunga to Long Beach and spending a few hours with my Sister - yup capitol "S" - and her kids who are visitng from Chicago. Archie and Loki are not welcome so I am setting them up comfy in the back of the Durango because they are goin campin that day! (boo-hoo..... )
Basically, it's the first time I have celebrated Christmas in nearly 10 years, and it's the first Solstice my Mom didn't get to spend with me. She likes the convenience of a hedonist daughter celebrating on Dec 21 and the conventional daughter who celebrates on Dec 25. Keeps a happy and peaceful family. Yep, lookin forward to The Fam. Maybe I'll convince Mom to go to the movies....
In the mean time, I have been making crafts like crazy for this weekend's activities. First we have, a Yule Log which was the joint creation of both Paul & I. 
Paul brought the wood over to the house way back in March/April, within the first 3 months of living here. The log has been sitting on the side of the house for nearly a year 10-11 months. Paul hacked up the top for me to allow candles to sit level. We clipped branches of the bottom of the Yule Tree and I added some mistletoe.
This is our Yule Log for the house. We lit the log tonight First Night, and will light it each night until Sunday Morning. It's the one ritual we both agree to. Slight modifications to suit each other's belief, but on the whole, pretty well the same beliefs.
Next, we have the edible Yule Log. 
I was surfing one night in preparation to build the Solstice Altar, and I came across this recipe for a Yule Log using cake mix and store bought icing and a zip lock baggie. Of course, being fascinated by baggies, I had to to try it! This is the first stage, pre decorations.
So I mix the Devils Food cake and the Yellow Cake mix in separate bowls. I layer the Dark batter in a Loaf Pan and then spoon the yellow in the center, use a knife to swirl it around. Repeat until I got the top - 350 oven for 60 minutes. Well, the cake exploded in the oven - but that was a GOOD thing. See the little knobs on the the log? That's the "lava" from the spill over. After the disaster with the Apple Coffee Cake, Onagh now uses a baking sheet under all cake and pie pans! So the batter overflowed the loaf pan as it baked, and then it .... baked. I tore up the lava, eating most of it of course, and then made three root knobs on the log. Tah Dah!
The remaining yellow batter was going to be cup cakes. Then I found a disposable 8x8 cake pan and decided another cake was better! 
Oh yes, the Apple Coffee Cake. 
That was some thing I put together on Wednesday night. So I had these apples that I HAVE to use or they will go bad. I decided to make the BisQuick Coffee Cake Crumble and add apples. Let's get really creative and soak the apples in REALLY expensive Nicaraguan Rum!
So I am making the crumble right, and decide hey, a little rum here would be cool! Right. Now it takes like a Rum Cake with Apples! It's potent. Paul says it's really good, but I think it is too over powering.
And last but not least, the altar, newly set for Solstice. First "official" altar (IE not whipped up in front of the fire place) in the House! Yea! And the happy result is that after Yule I can take it down and I have FINALLY decorated the Room - Game, Dinning, Great, whatever name you call it - after only 11 months in the house!! Whoo Hoo
The Pine Cone on the Altar is from our Beltane at May Magick in Angeles National Forest.
This is now the view coming into the house from the Garage. Much better than the blank space that is nothing but storage limbo! 
You can see from this photo that I have plans for the PS2 when I get home from Long Beach!
This next photo is just curious. It looks like a woman lying on the couch! The purse is the head, the brown blanket is the arms & torso, lying with a pillow underneath, the light blanket is the legs with a pillow. That was all by accident, but very cool.
So it's a busy time for me. I am so happy I have been able to enjoy this time to do the fun crafts I have been wanting to do for years and never had the time or energy!
I have decided to stay in Vegas and look for Contract Work nationwide. It will be easier and more comfortable to have this beautiful house to come home to, and enjoy. McCarran Airport will be easy to fly in and out of, and I will go back to the 35 hour week - Consultant Hours. Fun Times.
Other than that, I am planning a trip to someplace tropical with drinks that have fruit and umbrellas in them..... I'm feeling Spring or a Birthday Celebration!
Ok Everyone!! Happy Solstice, Happy New Year!
