Winter Goodbye

On a dark evening late last December J-Baby and I spent an hour together rolling beeswax candles for our winter mantel.  Christmas rolled around, and in the hustle and bustle we forgot to light the candles.  We then intended to light them as we brought in the New Year, but we were deep into a game of Colosseum and once again the candles remained unlit.  Every now and then J-Baby would ask when we would light the candles, however, our winter evenings were spent at basketball practices and ball games.  As Spring approached I decided that we would have a fitting send off to both winter and the candles that had graced our mantle throughout the entire season.

We moved the candles to our dining room table and placed them upon a runner made of sturdy paper (to protect the table cloth ~ rolled beeswax candles do tend to drip).  We lit them while singing Winter Goodbye, and then moved into singing some of our favorite circle and bedtime songs from days past.  I had intended for us to stay with the candles until they went out, but it was getting late and J-Baby was rubbing his eyes, so we blew them out one by one and I led the boys to their beds in darkness.

I've lit them again, these candles that were our winter companions.  In their place on the mantel is a pink pitcher full of sunflowers and irises.  Hello Spring!