Back when I used to host large family gatherings I dealt with much the same. I completely understand your need for rest at the close.
Misfitmorgan's Journal - That Summer Dust
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misfitmorgan
Herd Master
Sigh....fencing.....the bane of all farmers.
Yule is a germanic/nordic pagan tradition. I'm german and prussian(so germanic) and DH is norwegian(so nordic) so we choose to celebrate yule. We do not get into wicca, heathenism, or any of those other types of things. We simply do yule.
So we burn a yule log which is ash with evergreen boughs over it and red, green, white bows decorating it. We douse the fire with ale or cider and dust it with flour. While the yule log burns we go wassailing aka toasting the trees. You make wassail which is sort of a mulled cider, then you dip pieces of toast in it and hang them on apple trees in hopes of a good harvest next season. Then we had pork which is traditional...aka ham....then 12th cake.
Yule is celebrated on winter solstice which is the longest night of the year. We use the evening and time around the yule log fire to discuss our hopes/plans for the coming year and our future, farm goals, etc. Celebrating yule is very fun and almost feels magical, it really makes me think of my ancestors and how important these things were to them before Christianity wiped most of it out.
Most things we associate with the "season" or Christmas are actually taken from yule.
Yule log of course
Christmas tree(this was a yule tree originally)
evergreen (wreaths, swags)
holly
mistletoe esp hung in doorways
poinsettias
cinnamon
cloves (esp clove studded fruit)
eggnog
mulled/spiced cider/wine
fruits (fruitcake)
nuts (like the mixes of shell on nuts that come out for the holidays)
red, green, gold, and white were/are the colors of yule
exchanging presents (that was a yule tradition)
The best one of all......honoring the Germanic Pagan God of Yule....Wodan(Odin), who became father Christmas, then St Nicholas, and we now know of as Santa Claus. The thought of santa flying thru the air with reindeer comes from "the wild hunt" another yule related thing.
It's all really interesting if you ever read up on it and exactly how much of Christmas tradition was actually taken from Yule. We don't tell most people we celebrate a pagan holiday because they generally immediately think we are out worshiping satan and trying to cast spells which has zero to do with celebrating traditional yule.
I'm not sure on the Pyr, i called the lady but she had moved to the next person on her list i guess. If that lady doesnt take her she will call me. I understand i did forget to call yesterday and if we dont get her it wasnt ment to be. The reason i forgot to call was we were at those same peoples house again, DH took the salamander over there because their water had froze, we spent most of the night trying to get it running again and then took them to our house for showers/baths and dinner. So i'm ok with us losing the Pyr when we were doing something important for people who needed it.
Glad you got caught up, i've been doing that same with everyone elses journal! I hope it proves to be a good year, i couldnt handle another one like 2017.
I know how you feel GB, i'm still worn out from ours and it was a smaller affair then normal this year.
Weekends plans are......
Saturday, clean house, shampoo carpets, hopefully clean pig pens, then go to my moms for my birthday dinner. Should be fun my sister in law and nieces and nephew are up from downstate(they missed Christmas here)
Sunday, kill either one or both of the barrows and get them processed and into freezer camp, then make ground pork until my arm falls off. Those local people will be helping and we will give them some pork.
Monday, go to those peoples house and help clean, scrub it, disinfect, then set off roach bombs i hope. Shall see how that goes, i havnt brought up the roach bomb part yet...baby steps. We are sort of doing an exchange, you help us with the pigs you get some pork and we will trade getting your house in order.
Tuesday....back to work.
Typically this is not something we will do....clean someones house for them. We are making an exception because of the kids there and when they moved in the previous owners were hoarders and after long enough you just kind of give up on ever getting it done. If you read my journal you know how i would know this first hand. They hit that point several months ago and need a boost to get geared back up. So we will do it this once and hope it gives them that boost, if not..well we did try.
greybeard
Herd Master
Baymule
Herd Master
Christianity took over a lot of pagan customs. I don't consider yule the way you described it as pagan as much as I consider it appreciating nature and harvest, changing of the seasons and like you said, plans for the next seasons. I can understand your reluctance to discuss Yule on an open forum. I take you as you are, you take me as I am, we are friends and that's all that matters.
It is really kind of y'all to help the family clean up their act. They are your neighbors and you will likely be dealing with them for some time so might as well pitch in and help them. Are they renting or did they buy the house? They sound like good people, hopefully a little boost will get them back on track.
It is really kind of y'all to help the family clean up their act. They are your neighbors and you will likely be dealing with them for some time so might as well pitch in and help them. Are they renting or did they buy the house? They sound like good people, hopefully a little boost will get them back on track.
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misfitmorgan
Herd Master
That is a pretty detailed website, it is geared towards wicca though.
That's mostly why we do it appreciating whatever nature is going to provide this year and hoping for a good harvest next year. It sort of goes with thanksgiving, you are thankful for the harvest you had...Yule you are hoping for the next harvest to be good. I'm very glad we are friends Bay! I'm glad all of you are my friends.
They are not actually our neighbors, they were county "neighbors" at our old farm. DH actually works with the male and has recently become his boss at work. DH and the other male get along really well, myself and the female get along well enough(don't know her to well yet), their daughter adores us and loves our dogs. DH has always been a man very keen on trading for things and they are like minded. Trade labor for food, or labor for goods, or goods for goods. We traded them their labor to help process pigs for about 50lbs of pork, we traded them a baby mini pig and a meat pig for a table saw earlier this year, this spring they will be helping us put in fence in trade for a few meals, some beer, and DH's homemade wine.
The part that bothers DH and I is they seem wary like people have helped them before and then thought that this couple owed them. People probly have but i hate to think all their previous experiences were like that. Hopefully with time they will trust that we are not one day going to look at them and tell them they owe us xyz because we helped them.
So of the planned weekend work schedule we got the following done
Friday - Those people ended up staying at our house until about 10pm when they decided they wanted to go home, so DH took them home. I honestly wouldnt have minded them staying for longer. I got home from work and the female had done the dishes, picked up the floor and vacuumed, plus let the dogs in and out all day.
Saturday - Got the house cleaned and made it to my mom's for my birthday dinner. Man the place was packed, i think more so because my sister in law and nieces/nephews were up but it was still nice. We had a good time and we actually discussed my brother for the first time since he died and no one cried.
Sunday - We did get both barrows processed and into freezer camp. Ground pork isnt made yet as it was to warm to grind, i believe that is tonight project. Those people did come help with the entire process. Then we sat down to a dinner of pork roast, potatoes, carrots and gravy...those barrows taste mighty good.
Monday - Those people called to reschedule the house cleaning to next weekend...since we didnt find that out until noon and it was my birthday...DH and i took the day off and did nothing that you could call work. We did play with mushroom stuff for about an hour though.
Today I'm back at work. Still need to clean pig pens and shampoo carpets.
Baymule
Herd Master
Always work to do! I am so happy that now the work is on your own place. Hopefully in time, these people will realize that you mean them no harm and they will trust y'all. I also like the barter system. We do a lot of trading back and forth in our neighborhood, nobody keeps score.
greybeard
Herd Master
Yep. And other pagan practices.
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misfitmorgan
Herd Master
For sure! It does feel a lot better to know some landlord cant come in and make trouble for us for no reason.
True
So the lady with the Pyr called last night. The other person flaked out on her. So she offered me the Pyr, DH and i discussed it a bit and i didnt get a for sure answer out of him last night. The current owners will bring her to our house too.
Wehner Homestead
Herd Master
I hope it works out. I loved my Pyrs and can't wait to add another!
Baymule
Herd Master
Have you ever had a GP? They are fantastic dogs. We have two and love them madly. GP's are a different dog, to be sure. Awesome dogs. I hope you can get her.
