CATHERINE: Once more we enter the New Year with COVID and it’s latest variant is causing much distress to many. Of course, the star-gates are still closed so Darq cannot visit Earth, but she sends greetings and wishes all who stop by a Happy and Prosperous New Year 2022.
Here is Darq’s favorite pair of shoes, or rather boots, the ones from her Steampunk outfit of 2016:
CATHERINE: As the COVID pandemic continues, the portals between Earth and Darq’s homeworld of Wysotti are still closed. Darq and I offer Season’s Greetings and Happy Holidays to all who visit this JEWELS OF THE SKY blog. And what is more festive this time of year than to share my all time favorite holiday photo of Darq in her Ugly Sweater (with it’s lights on!) —
And also to share with you once again the LEGEND OF THE UGLY SWEATER —
The Legend of the Ugly Sweater
There was an awful present
Underneath our Christmas Tree,
Hand sewn by Aunt Tilly.
Made especially for me,
The gift that ruined my childhood,
Forced to wear it Christmas Day.
When asked if I adored it,
I’d always shout, “NO WAY!”
But now I wear it proudly,
Without shame and with no fear.
Contest after contest,
my ugly sweater wins each year!
–Unknown Author
CATHERINE: Due to Covid restrictions (darn the pandemic), Darq is remain on her homeworld. With Halloween and the Holidays ahead, she and I decided to share a picture or two appropriate for the holiday, Darq’s favorite outfits. This being October and Halloween ahead, this is her pick from October of 2013, The Wizard of Oz Witch Outfits – there were two. This headpiece was outstanding (so Darq swears) but I liked the Orange Witch Outfit.
DARQ: Hello! And Greetings for Christmas! I’m also going to wish you Paqui Yeni Tun — which is Wysotti for you having a Joyous New Year come next week.
CATHERINE: Thanks you, Darq. It’s always good to hear from you. I know your people don’t celebrate Christmas, but you do celebrate the Winter Solstice, which was a few days ago, so what’s with that tree and your fancy, colorful clothes?
DARQ: This is one of those years when our new year celebration comes on the heels of the Winter Solstice. We get to celebrate the solstice and then, starting today, we begin the seven days of Yit-kin-nii-yo-ca, which is the celebration of our new year. This tree is our new year’s celebration tree, as symbolic as your Christmas Tree.
CATHERINE: Hmmm. Looks very much like a Christmas tree to me.
DARQ: Actually, this is an small, artificial version of the real tree, called the K’poc — the Tree of Peace. K’pocs are a desert tree that grow on our tribal land. Technically, it’s a White Pepper Fern tree. It’s also our world’s Sacred Mother Tree.
CATHERINE: It’s very pretty. Is it always white and brown, desert colors?
DARQ: No, the tree is a lime-kiwi-ish green from spring until fall. After a heavy frost, its flower pods burst open, covering the tree with mounds of fluffy, white, cottony-like seeds — much like that milkweed that grows along your driveway during your fall season. Only the K’poc’s cotton puffs hold onto the tree until spring, then new leaf growth pushes all of it off the tree, scattering the seeds over the ground. The tree is quite lovely when snow and ice drape off it after a snowstorm. And yes, on rare occasions there is snow in our deserts.
CATHERINE: It’s rather a flat-looking tree. Not like our evergreens that are robustly round and full.
DARQ: Remember, it’s survival of the fittest in the desert — economy of size and girth. Many of the K’pocs are over three hundred years old, three are known to be over 2,500 years old.
CATHERINE (chuckles): Lucky you. You don’t have to decorate one of our prickly evergreens or pines.
DARQ: Ah, but your decorations are ornaments. Not ours. Every item put on the tree must have a personal meaning, be it to the tree’s owner or family or tribe, and the decorations all relate to the past year of joys and sorrows, good fortunes and not-so-good fortunes. But one standard for the tree is the topper — the sun-symbol of J’hi-inti , our god. In the center of the disk goes an owl that represents the coming new year. This new year it’s the Jeweled Owl, one that proclaims prosperity and wealth for the coming year.
CATHERINE: And that gray glob on the stub of the trunk?
DARQ: That’s the dark moon symbol. It’s a dark moon because winter is a time of more darkness than daylight, a time of contemplation and reflection on the past year.
CATHERINE: And a moon is opposite a sun?
DARQ: Exactly.
CATHERINE: And all those flowers on the tree?
DARQ: They are the Sacred Si’das Flowers, offered as a prayer and sign of hope and peace for the coming year. And, before you ask, the flowers are a golden color, but these on the tree are an artificial version, done in metallic gold. Same for the one I’m holding in my hand.
CATHERINE: Now let’s talk about your clothes. I know because of Covid-19 here on Earth that when you’ve been allowed to contact me, you have worn subdued outfits this year and — you haven’t shown off any shoes, that is until now.
DARQ (chuckles): Ah, my lovely shoes. True enough. With the pandemic you’re enduring, it didn’t seem right to flash bling. But, this is my world’s and tribe’s new year celebration, It’s a happy time to wear bright colors—
CATHERINE: You mean loud colors.
DARQ nods and grins: Think of our celebration as a festival, like a mix of your Marti Gras and Chinese New Year, sans dragons.
CATHERINE: So, with your solstice and Yit-kin-nii-yo-ca new year celebration, I take it that greeting sign bears the Jeweled Owl and a wish for Peace, Love, and Hope from your world along with a greeting for anyone on Earth reading this blog to have a happy 2021 new year?
DARQ: Exactly. And, Catherine, I understand on your world the Chinese New Year that begins Feb. 12 is the Chinese New Year of the Metal Ox, a Lucky Year, a Profitable Year, and a year for Economic Recovery, which are all going to be possible because there is a vaccine now available to stop your world’s pandemic.
CATHERINE: You’re right about the Chinese New Year, and we do have a vaccine that’s just been released. I am praying and hoping 2021 here will be a far better year. Only time will tell. Which brings me to, do you know if you’ll be coming back to visit Earth?
DARQ: A lot depends on your world’s recovery from its pandemic. But, fear not, I’ll be sending greetings now and then, and I will keep you posted.
CATHERINE: I appreciate that. I see our time is almost up. Have a wonderful new year celebration with your family and tribe.
DARQ: And may you and all those that read this blog have a Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year ahead.
Static, and the connection ends.
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NOTE TO SEWERS — All the banding on Darq’s outfit was done by copying various borders from my WordPerfect (word processor) clip art, which I then printed on a tee-shirt transfer, then ironed the transfer onto cloth that I stitched onto the brick-red, tunic. The pants are green felt with floral stickies. The shoes are glitter felt. And every do-dad I glued to the K’poc tree has meaning and relates to Darq and the Wysotti Nation that is part of the Jewels of the Sky novel’s back history.
I wish you all a Happy Christmas and the hope and prayers for a New Year that sees our nation and world back to normal.
Catherine
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Sincerely wishing you and your family a safe and happy Thanksgiving.
DARQ and CATHERINE
From Darq and Catherine —
To be notified when Darq returns, join Darq’s bulletin notice list by clicking on the above picture.
First Time visiting this blog? Take a look at the menu item of “Darq’s Beginnings” or just scroll down through the posts and see what this doll-with-a-blog has been up to.
Visit Catherine E. McLean’s author website
For writers, visit Catherine’s blog WritersCheatSheets.com
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DARQ: Hi, Catherine. As much as I wish you a Happy Easter, it isn’t the best of Easters with your world suffering the COVID-19 virus, but do enjoy your Easter Day.
CATHERINE: Thanks, Darq. I see the wreath and the three black, Wysotti funerary flowers . . .
DARQ: The virus took the life of a few of the MIB security detail that escort me. [Darq pats the head of the pink rabbit.] RR was fond of rabbits . . .
CATHERINE: He the one with the white hair and mustache?
DARQ nods: I also have to tell you— I am being recalled to my homeworld.
CATHERINE: What! Why?
DARQ somberly says: I got the virus and—
CATHERINE: You got the virus?
DARQ: Calm down. I got a very mild case—
CATHERINE: But you never said —
DARQ: Couldn’t. You know how the MIB [Men in Black] are. Security and all that. I was quarantined, got better, stayed healthy. As of yesterday, the doctors and all the tests cleared me to return home.
CATHERINE: So you’re coming back to the farm to get your things?
DARQ (shaking her head sadly): No. Sorry. I’m returning to my homeworld tomorrow.
CATHERINE: Tomorrow?
DARQ nods: Just hang onto my trunk of clothes and stuff for the time being. And, Catherine — it’s not certain when I will return to your planet. All depends on the course of the coronavirus and how quickly things for you and your people return to normal. So—
CATHERINE: We play it by ear?
DARQ smiles and nods: Hope to see you come October. Stay safe and healthy.
CATHERINE: Have a safe journey home, Darq.
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A NOTE TO SEWERS: I had planned to make Darq a yellow Easter gown for a Spring Tea, but the coronavirus has forced cancellation of group events, travel, self-quarantining, etc. And, in light of the ever-mounting death toll from the virus, it seemed best that Darq wear something more somber for Easter. Her gray tunic is a wool-suiting blend. Her slacks are black linen-rayon. No bling on the shoes. As a matter of fact, those black leather shoes she’s wearing are from a previous outfit.
It is my sincere hope that fall will see things return to normal and that Darq will return to blog anew.
Wishing you sunshine and the joy of spring flowers in bloom this Easter day.
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CATHERINE: I received this photo from Darq. Her message was brief. Seems she got all dressed up for a dinner-fund-raiser and at the very last minute, the event was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic. Her security detail, the MIBs (the Men In Black), whisked her off to a safe site where she’ll be under quarantine.
Her outfit consists of two pieces. The top is gold lame, the skirt is lace underlined with crepe satin. As to her shoes . . .
Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day may be low-key this year because of the CDC and government recommendations about “hunkering down,” staying home with family, limiting group gatherings to 10 people, practicing good hygiene habits, etc. Still, Darq and I wish all who celebrate it a —
Coronavirus information can be found at the CDC (Center for Disease Control) website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/index.html
DARQ: Wishing you the happiest of Valentine’s Days!
CATHERINE: And the same to you DARQ. We have snow and slush to deal with, but it looks like you’re in a balmier clime.
DARQ: Sure am. Oh, and we’re having a Valentine’s Hunt — you know, like an Easter egg hunt only we have to find valentine-hearts.
CATHERINE: How marvelous.
DARQ: Well, I better get picking valentine’s before anyone else comes along.
CATHERINE: Looks like you have picked up a couple on your shoes.
DARQ: Don’t be silly. Those hearts are part of the bling on my shoes!
CATHERINE chuckles, then says: They are very sparkly.
DARQ: And really comfortable shoes for trekking through these acres and acres of gardens. Now, I have valentines to pick. You have a happy Friday and a Happy Valentine’s Day!
and the long-distance connection ends . . . . . . . . . . .
What will Darq wear for St. Patrick’s Day?
Stop back and see — or follow this blog.
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A NOTE TO SEWERS:
Darq’s dress is crepe-backed satin with a lace “cape” which is fastened to the dress with old earring pieces I found in my “Junk Jar.” Darq’s shoes are glitter foam. I stuck the self-adhesive foam to the lining fabric, which is a scrap of the dress satin. Darq’s earrings spell out “LOVE.”
Happy Valentine’s Day!
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JEWELS OF THE SKY 
