I Wish for Spring

I don't like to wish my life away, but I wish for Spring.  I wish for warm air as I open my back door and step into a new morning.  I wish for a scent of promise and optimism in the morning breeze as I hang out my laundry, a wish for that feeling of contentment as the sun arcs the sky like a splendid white gold ball.  I wish to sit outside on my bench with a cup of tea and a magazine and close my eyes to feel that warmth on my face, and to open my eyes to a blue, cloudless sky.

I long for days when colourful flowers open their tender buds and share their colourful beauty, and I wish for the days that are cerulean blue and forever posted in my memory like hazy snapshots that makes me feel deeply happy whenever I remember them.

I look around my little home, my tiny, crochet strewn home and I feel grateful for it's warmth and cosy interior on this cold Winter day; the sky is the colour of dirty dishwater and even the skeletal trees that stand like sentinels on the riverbank seem sullen and miserable.  I buy a bunch of Spring flowers and they instantly cheer me, remind me that Spring is just a whisper away, that already we are flying into February at the speed of sound and the first month of our new year is almost over.

 

We take walks in our nearby countryside, the air is cold and bites your skin, and there are icy puddles for jumping in.  There is a weak sun, and at a lone farmhouse someone is burning wood; fingers of blue grey smoke curl up into the still air and hang like fine gauzy ribbons along the valley.

We wander through enchanted forests and hear birdsong from the treetops. Now and then something small and unseen flits between the branches, we sense movement and life, but see nothing.

 

We come across a gaggle of geese on one of our jaunts, their bright orange feet a cheery contrast to their snow white bodies and the hard white frosty ground.

 

We admire the frostbitten seedheads, wintery sculptures that line the side of the river before turning towards the cafe to warm our hands around fat mugs of hot tea.

Winter is making the most of the crisp outdoors, and cosying up indoors with gentle projects and crocheted blankets.

There are lots of things to cherish and enjoy in the Winter...but oh, I wish for Spring.

J x

Hello

Hello!

Remember me?

Many moons ago I used to write a little Blog (*gigglesnort) but have recently fell off the rails and not written at all.

I thought it high time I popped in to say Hello, wish you a very belated Happy New Year and to let you know that yes, I'm still here.  And how about you - are you well?  Did you have a nice Christmas?  Goodness me it's been a while hasn't it!

It's nice to be back although I'm up to my eyeballs in all things new.  My little girl started Big School last week and I have gently been acclimatising myself to 5 full days of being practically child free.  I confess to finding it a derailing experience, yet in some ways it is ridiculously exciting to find myself with just me for company, to have all this time at my disposal to do with what I will...bliss yes, but in many ways I do miss that dear little ball of energy and am practically dizzy with excitement when it's time to go and fetch her home.

So..although I have all this extra time, I'm still getting used to it and can't say I'm getting anything extra done.  However, I have been busy on a commission which I've really enjoyed doing - it's been a while since anything like this bobbed along...

Surprisingly, from showing this picture on my Facebook Page yesterday, I've had rather a bit of interest from people...so this morning I have been beavering away to create a New Page on my website...

...which makes the whole process heaps easier for everyone.  You are most welcome to take a look if you like by clicking here.

As an antidote to work related things, I have made a New Year Goal to start walking more this year.  Before I had my little girl, we would walk all over the place, disappearing for hours on end up mountains and the like.  It was glorious.  Now she is older we have discovered after several short(ish) excursions that she too enjoys walking, as long as it includes falling down small ravines, jumping in mud and leaping about in streams.

We like all that, so off we went last Saturday on a little 3 mile jaunt not far from our house.

We didn't realise that there was a gale force wind blowing at the top of the hill, the poor wee slip of a thing nearly took off, it's a miracle we managed to grab her before she sailed over the hills to Manchester.

But still, it was a lovely way to spend the afternoon and we look forward to more walks as the weather improves.  Have any of you noticed that the evenings are slowly, ever so slowly getting lighter earlier?  Isn't it just the best thing ever?  It fills me with such excitement, makes me think of all the nice things waiting just around the corner; drifts of snowdrops and crocus, warm evenings sat in the garden, trips to the coast, camping....ahhhhh...lovely!

Anyway, it's time I was off - a cup of tea calls me before I have to head up the hill to collect the exuberant Small, I hope you all have a smashing weekend and look forward to catching up with you and your blogs again soon.

With much love
Julia x x x