This time of year is really special I think, and in my mind I always picture Summer Solstice as being the top of a big sunny hill after a slow climb up out of winter and spring. Climbing, climbing until the summit is reached and the long day stretches out as far as it can possibly go. Arriving at the Longest Day of the year seems to me like something worth celebrating.
For some reason, the rest of my family do not share my love of Solstice. Year after year I try my best to rouse some shared excitement for these important days in December and June, and year after year I end up feeling as if I am a total nutcase for caring so much about it.
It's the Longest Day, we must celebrate it, it's special and important don't you know. Blank looks, a little bit of mild eye rolling. Yeah, yeah, if you say so, they say. Well yes, I DO say so, and we WILL make it a special day.
Yesterday, after a day of grey clouds and spitty rain, by early evening it was miraculously glorious. We packed up some food and as soon as J came home from work, we all jumped in the car and headed up to Connievan. I felt sure this would be a great place to spend the end of the longest day, to sit in the glow of the evening and soak up the sun's rays right through till dark.
Re-homing Connievan to this little green corner of the Yorkshire Dales is one of the best decisions we've made in ages and is already providing us with a great deal of family happiness. The Little People no longer complain when I ask them to pack a few essentials for a night away here. In fact, they seem positively happy about going, which makes me very happy indeed.
Yesterday, something wonderful happened. For the first time, both Little People found other Little People to play with. Little Lady was first, confidently introducing herself and Little B to a gang of three girls who were busy doing cartwheels across the grass. Little Man took a while longer to find his confidence, but eventualy he and his scooter struck up a friendship with two boys and their scooters, and I couldn't have been happier. For them of course, cos finding new friends to play with totally made their evening, but also for J and I who suddenly had some unexpected peace and quiet to sit and just reeeeelax with each other.
I adore my Rice melamine tumbers and much prefer them to wine glasses when we are at Connievan. I always have the pink one for my Sauvignon Blanc, but oooo I have my beady eyes on this one now, so pretty!
The evening passed incredibly quickly, and before I knew it, it was almost ten o'clock. The Little People asked if we could go for a walk, they wanted to climb the hill behind the campsite. My heart squeezed a little and I thought what a perfectly perfect activity for Summer Solstice that would be. To climb a grassy hill as the light fades, to appreciate the beauty of the summer landscape on the longest day of the year, well yes, count me right in. I'm coming!
It was truly lovely. Slugs somehow got into LL's crocs and LM took a tumble into a stinging nettle patch, but we'll overlook those little mishaps shall we? It was lovely, really it was.
The moon was rising up behind the hill as we climbed back down, but it was still daylight at 10.30pm. A magical end to a long and beautiful day.
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Edit to add :: thanks to Gill for pointing me to this beautifully written article on the BBC website
Your posts are very relaxing. I love our caravan also. We raised our children with lots of camping holidays here in Australia.They learned how to make friends..just say "hello"
I agree with Jen Y,when the children grow they give great joy when they remind you of all the fun things they did.
Posted by: Lisbeth Wallace | July 10, 2013 at 04:02 AM
It takes a very special kinda lady to see the beauty and sacredness in life's treasures... especially the treasures we are given for free - like a solstice. I'm the same way about our Winter Solstice here - we even have a small ceremonial bonfire and a special meal. Thank you for sharing your family traditions with the world -especially because they are so beautiful like you.
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
Posted by: Angy Braine | June 28, 2013 at 09:06 AM
I am also nutters about the solstice, but did not get to celebrate this year. Thank you for your post, I felt like I celebrated with you and yours.
Posted by: Kim W | June 24, 2013 at 09:54 PM
Ohhhh such a lovely uplifting post! Thanks Lucy!!X
Posted by: Rachel Ridley | June 24, 2013 at 09:46 PM
A good thing to celebrate the longest day. You indeed had a beautiful day, thanks for scharing. The weather, here in the Netherlands was very bad on friday, lots of rain so we stayed in whole day( except for the small dogwalks).
Groetjs
Annemieke
Posted by: annemieke | June 24, 2013 at 10:15 AM
What a magical day! I have always loved the long light evenings we have in summer, so I have mixed feelings about the summer solstice. It's great to have such a long day, but I always feel a bit sad too, because the days start getting shorter again.
Posted by: OkeCrafter | June 23, 2013 at 10:44 PM
Ohhh! You can tell your family you're as crazy as any Swede then. The Midsummer celebration - as we call it, is our most important holiday of the year. It beats all the other holidays. So keep it up Lucy! Nine million Swedes can't be wrong ;-)
Posted by: Maria | June 23, 2013 at 08:33 PM
Oh Lucy, you're not crazy, not crazy in the least!! I too adore celebrating these special times of the year, they mean so much to me. I was planning an outdoor picnic and bonfire with my family, but we got rained out. I'm glad you had such lovely weather and a lovely time! I feel like I got to have a bit of my day by reading your post and seeing your pictures! Happy Summer Solstice to you!!
xoxo,
Raili
Posted by: Raili | June 23, 2013 at 08:14 PM
Hey, the moon was fat and full here in Miami too! It was the end of a long, hot, breezy day. I'm glad we're connected by the rhythm of life. Happy Solstice!
Posted by: EL | June 23, 2013 at 07:27 PM
Sounds lovely Lucy and while you celebrated your summer solstice, it was our winter solstice! So strange that!
Posted by: Bonnie | June 23, 2013 at 07:09 PM
Slugs in crocs - urgh!!! Little Lady has my sympathy. And she'll certainly remember this solstice :)
Posted by: Jan | June 23, 2013 at 06:55 PM
Aaaah, just wonderful.
Carol xx
Posted by: Carol | June 23, 2013 at 06:45 PM
A truly fabulous solstice memory, perhaps next time they'll all be so excited to do something wonderful with you to celebrate.
Posted by: Julie | June 23, 2013 at 03:39 PM
I too think the longest day of the year has special meaning. When I was growing up, my dad always mentioned the longest day and the shortest day. I've always remembered that as he was a quiet man who wasn't one to speak much at all.
My guess is that even though the children roll their eyes and think you're odd right now, they WILL remember what you've said about the seasons as they become adults...and think about you very fondly when they do.
Posted by: Elizabeth | June 23, 2013 at 02:38 PM
I'm so happy that you persevered with wanting to celebrate solstice! I fully understand the eyerolling on this one! I may have been on the receiving end myself once or twice. Love that you had such a nice time and that the little ones found new friends!
Posted by: paula | June 23, 2013 at 01:26 PM
I know how you feel about the Solstice. I, too imagine it as a hill, or peaks and troughs. We are on the slope downwards now which is always a little sad but especially as we haven't really had summer yet!
In the olden days they did celebrate Midsummers eve, in Shakespeare's time it was an opportunity to endulge in revelry and mischievous, which I always think is a shame we have lost it now! Maybe we could bring it back...
Posted by: Vicky | June 23, 2013 at 01:05 PM
Hi Lucy, I think you had a perfect Summer Solstice and Yes!!!Absolutely!!!Most definitely!!!These special days should be celebrated!!!After all, they only happen once a year!!!!Spring Day is another day I love to celebrate!!!! Hope your week ahead is filled with fun and happiness!!!
Love
AMarie
Posted by: Anna-Marie Field | June 23, 2013 at 10:35 AM
Brilliant Solstice! How great that the Little People are being introduced to this 'event' at such a young age - whether they like it or not!!) You'll see, they will trot this out in years to come as one of their best memories.
Love your beakers - and thank you for the quick trip into Rice-Land, I've had a nice browse with my morning cuppa. Hope the rest of your Connievan stay was as enjoyable. Lx
Posted by: Lynne Gill | June 23, 2013 at 09:42 AM
That sounds like the best day...... Beautiful sunshine too.
Your posts always warm my heart
Posted by: Sophie | June 23, 2013 at 09:24 AM
Sounds great-very prefect and beautiful day. I miss UK; we lived 5 years in London but i love countryside.
Posted by: daffy | June 23, 2013 at 09:04 AM
I think it's great that you want to make the solstice a memorable time for your family. We took our DIL and two littlest grandsons on a sternwheeler trip on Thursday - pix on blog. What a fun time, the boys got to steer the ship! Enjoy your camp. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)
Posted by: Teresa Kasner | June 23, 2013 at 07:42 AM
Connievan's new spot looks lovely, and to have that beautiful hill to walk up is very special and just the mission for a Summer solstice.We had our Winter solstice on Friday and I love the thought of the days starting to get longer from now on. I had a chuckle when I saw the link to the melamine cup. Who would have thought they made them in such Lucy-style? We are in line for a "supermoon" tonight and I will be the one hustling everyone out to look- no doubt there will be a few moans...
Posted by: Carolyn | June 23, 2013 at 07:39 AM
Dear Lucy
So glad you had such a lovely celebration for the Summer solstice. We here in South Africa celebrated the Winter Solstice. My mom gets as excited as you do about the Solstice. We can now start looking forward to longer days, although winter is here to stay for a while
Posted by: Lauren | June 23, 2013 at 06:45 AM
Ahhh, those long long evenings - how I miss them.... Here in Africa we have awesome sunsets but they last 20 mins or so and then total blackness envelops everything! By 8pm (even in Summer) it is completely dark. Happy Summer Solstice!!! xxx
Posted by: Laura Miller | June 23, 2013 at 06:40 AM
A perfect day!
Posted by: Inge | June 23, 2013 at 06:13 AM