I like to know exactly how many minutes of daylight are available. (From Syracuse Post-Standard)
My dear wife Karen and I sat eating our Chinese food for an early dinner treat on Saturday night. Dark had gathered outside our windows. Between bites, I told her how I was glad I’d decided to take the trip when I did, because thick fog had greeted me to and from the dozen or so miles to the less-than-neighborhood place I’d picked because I was jones-ing for their wonton soup. The last remnants of daylight had helped guide me home.
We ate and talked, settled in for the night.
The clock read 4:53 p.m.
It feels like at least 8, I declared to Karen. Hell, it seems like it’s 10, I ventured.
She knew what I meant.
That’s always how I feel on Dec. 21, the day that marks the Winter Solstice in our northern hemisphere.
My internal clock is off-kilter.
There’s a certain amount of mojo surrounding this annual occasion. It grips me hard. Out of all 365, this is the day that will offer the least daylight. I can feel my body yearning for more. It’s a dark place. On the other hand, I know the steady march toward the longer days of warmth starts here. I’m optimistic of what’s ahead.
Yes, it’s the pivot point to me, even though officially it’s the first day of winter, and I know there are months of cold and snow to come.
I will continue to regularly read the sunrise/sunset charts provided by the big daily. I covet each additional minute between the two.
Let there be more light.
Did the Winter Solstice on Saturday leave you feeling a bit funky? Are you a daily counter of daylight minutes?
Mark Bialczak 
damn, now bro, you got me hungry for some Chinese food. 😀
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LoMein or fried rice? I went with LoMein this time, TMB.
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Well it depends… I like Mai Feng Lo Mein, but more as an entrée with shrimp, and white rice as a side. I avoid fried foods when I can.
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yes, and yes. and i always feel happy knowing at least one more minute of daylight has come back each day.
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It gives us something to smile about every day throughout the rest of the winter, doesn’t it, Beth?
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yes, and when i went out to breakfast with my quantum physics friend i tried to make him tell me exactly how many more minutes we would have each day. he told me it is not the same amount each day, it varies as the days go by, but at least i could be assured we were heading in that direction. i was hoping for him to say something like 10 minutes a day…. take the number of days divided by minutes….bla, bla. guess it doesn’t work exactly that way )
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You expect eggs and a bagel and all of a sudden you get quantum physics and no easy formula to figure out our extra minutes. Argh, Beth.
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It helps me thrive, grow and bloom. 😉
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I highly agree! I love sunlight!
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I don’t tend to notice it, but then we have the warmth here, and what feels like more sunlight. I am looking at approximately 6 more weeks of “Winter” before the temps climb back to the 80s. Of course today is pretty mild 71 currently.
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You have much better weather, certainly, Kim. Enjoy it. I think you’re right, more warmth feels like more sunlight. I also think that the further south you go, there IS more daylight at this time of the year.
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Hmm, that may be true Mark. Another trip to Google. Have a wonderful Christmas!
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You have a wonderful Christmas, too, Kim!
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I just got home from getting all the “staples”…I hopefully won’t have to leave the house until Thursday. 🙂
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It’s all uphill from now on. We have turned the corner. Can you imagine what it was like before electricity!
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Yes, everybody had to burn more candles at this time of the year and keep that fire crackling to see at night. On we go toward more daylight, Rachel.
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I am with you on this, I said the same thing to my husband.
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Yes, let’s move forward. The more north we are, the darker it is now.
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ohhh the winter solstice. I was driving 12 hours that day and it felt so long with darkness dropping on us early. I am still wanting to be asleep by 8 days later. 😦
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But it keeps getting better until June 21, Anja.
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I was just about to say, “It’s all uphill from here… until June 21st.” The time/daylight ratio definitely has an effect on us, and I think this is the first year I’ve actually noticed it.
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I think it goes back to the days when cavemen hid in the cave and got all grumpy, Chris.
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Hahaha. That makes a lot of sense. 🙂 if I don’t talk to you in the next couple days, I hope you have a wonderful Christmas.
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Merry Christmas, good sir! Enjoy the holiday.
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