In which the Solstice is past and the New Year looms: time for more stories

As always in December, I look out the windows and scowl at what I see.  Not the rain, of course.  

I refuse to complain about weather that doesn't require a shovel.  

But it's very DARK.  

Sunrise for us on Solstice happens at 7:55am, and sunset occurs at 4:21pm.  Do the math and discover that our shortest day is 8 hours and 25 minutes long--and it is 7 hours and 34 minutes shorter than our longest day.

That's a lot of Dark.

Days--and nights--like these call for a storyteller.  Fortunately, I am one of those.

Telling stories on the radio

I have told the origin of my "gift of stories" tradition many times on this blog.  HERE is a link, if you want to read that.  

As I always do in December, I will post stories to the blog for the next week, Some are folktales.  Some are literary stories.  Some have been gifted by other storytellers, other's I've lifted without permission.  (You know what they say about pirates....)  

The 2009 stories begin HERE.

2010 stories begin HERE.

2011 stories begin HERE.

2012 stories begin HERE.

2013 stories begin HERE.

2014 stories begin HERE.

And the 2015 stories begin...tomorrow!

Please share these stories.  Tell them to your friend, forward the page to your parents or your children, print them out for your colleagues.  

"With mirth and good cheer

to end the whole year,

And drive the cold winter away!"