The earlier part of the evening was Blossoms of Light, which I bailed on; but RDC and I went to Drums and Scarf's house for glögg (I drank one full glass of mulled wine, minus the bit I dribbled on my sweater because I'm a lush) and chili and Solstice. RDC brought mix CDs for Drums and the across-the-street neighbor, whom I guess I'll call Howard, and I brought star-shaped cream-cheese cookie-cutter cookies (wrapped in star tissue paper). Most of the attendees were neighbors, which was really good. Scarf knocked on every door in the neighborhood this summer and fall, ensuring that everyone was registered and planning to vote, which is how she met a lot of them.
Scarf is intensely cool (worked in Antarctica, has been to every continent but Africa, travels with her dog), intensely committed (it's awfully brave in my book to knock on people's doors, though clearly I am more sympathetic about it if you do so for political rather than religious reasons), and overall intense. After she sketched what the Solstice ritual would be, I smiled to the woman standing next to me. "Scarf has the biggest heart I have ever met," said she, and after only two meetings I agree it is quite sizeable.
I didn't stay very long, just an hour and a half. Bless Scarf for not pressing me to stay but--after ensuring I had participated in the rites--just thanking me for coming. I stayed long enough to light a candle (for Emlet) and to write a wish (for my sister) for the coming year and tie it to their tree.