I remember quite fondly all the spirit that came along with this season. It placed an excitement in my stomach that would last a whole month. I can still muster some, but its different. It came in all the details, never one big thing. The music, the food, the snow, the decorations, the gifts... And while the entire month was fun, it was always about anticipation. Leading up to the big day. What better way to harvest anticipation than giving someone a calendar. My grandparents used to send me advent calendars. Some years they were the kind with candy, other years, just pictures. But it was always fun each day to see what was behind the new door.
I am older now, and I see the season differently. Certain things that I went along with as a child, I do not go along with now. Yet it is still a special time. I do not want to lose that. So instead I change it to something that I can feel good about. It is a slow process to hijack a holiday, but every year I try to do a little more.
The day after Thanksgiving, an idea popped into mind, and the next morning I set to work at it. Three days later I completed my Solstice Advent Calendar. It was a lot of work, but I am quite happy with it. A significant part of having an advent calendar is the surprise, so it wouldn't be well utilized by me. I presented it to my roommate for her seasonal enjoyment.
