Winter

Winter

Monday, January 6, 2014

Monday January Morning


I wanted you to know, that the flower pictures I am posting are from this summer. I don't have a single flower anywhere around here just lots of shades of brown and naked trees. I talked to my daughter yesterday, and she said one of her friends lives some where that it is so cold at their house that it is warmer on Mars. I laughed and laughed but I thought of it all day. That is just cold.


It is January. I am always happy to have a new month in which to read "The Book of Stillmeadow." As I was looking for pictures of summer flowers to send you today. I ran across this passage. " The summer flowers are a memory now, the house still looks loved with the green arrangements in ironstone of a shining copper bowl."  This time of year, I find I walk in the grocery store and stand and drink in the sight of flowers and their smell. I think it would be so hard to live in a land without flowers.


Gladys Taber writes of January like this: " We all need to spend some time alone; people who cannot bear their  own  company for a time have thin souls." I think one of the things I had to learn in 2013 was how to spend time alone. I think my soul had grown thin and now, I have come to welcome the peace and even look forward to those times, because of the quietness and tranquility it brings to my soul and quiets my mind.


Little did I know when I was taking pictures in the summer that I was really capturing bits of summer in morning glories for the days of January to give me joy.  Gladys goes on to add about January, "  The deep part of winter gives most of us a little more time alone. The natural rhythm of time has changed from that of summer. But instead of dreading the dark winter days, we ought to savor them for what they can give. Now there should be a time to reread old books, to absorb some philosophy, to play a whole symphony without hurrying.


I went out early the other morning, and there was Jupiter , shining so brightly. I wanted to grab binoculars to see if perchance I could see Europa, one of it's moons. I find that there are surprises to see in winter that I don't notice in summer. The  trees are without leaves and I watched a Blue Jay try to open a pecan. He had a terrible time and would drop in on the ground and have to fly down and pick it up. As I watched him and I had been having the same problem in the house holding onto things, as my daughter remarked, " It must be a heavy gravity day." So I thought that as I watched. He did finally get to eat his pecan.

 
On Monday, I need to be up and getting some things accomplished instead of sitting here writing away the day. The dryer is running and clanking, because my first load is always jeans. The kitchen is clean from round one of breakfast. I have wool soaking in the sink so I can use my dye pot  a bit later. The sound of the heater coming on fills me with joy because I am happy to have heat. I have gone outside and walked around and looked at things a couple of times. I always enjoy walking into a warm house. I think that today, what I am thankful for are the things that are mundane. Those are the things I most long for when life gets crazy. There is peace for me in the daily routine things of home.

Have a lovely Monday,

~Kim~

"Stilled now be every anxious care;
See God's great goodness everywhere;
Leave all to Him in perfect rest;
He will do all things for the best.
(From the German.)

21 comments:

Vintage Gal said...

What a lovely post and how true. Winter is actually a rebirth of all things in the Spring ~ stay well my friend

Kim said...

Thanks for sharing your flowers with us. No flowers here....haha And I especially happy to see you end with sunflowers, my favorite. I am back to work today, trying to establish the "new normal schedule"

TexWisGirl said...

lovely morning glories. :) i heard that on the news last night - the comparison to mars being warmer than some places in the states. brrr.

Nellie said...

Your flowers do bring back memories of warmer times! I have the laundry underway here, too, plus the dishwasher is doing its job.:-) Colder than it has been in over 20 years, though! We are staying in where it is warm. xo Nellie

Debbie said...

my gardens are a bed of white and it's just beautiful!! it's nice to see flowers/color in the dead of winter!! my orchid is in full bloom, i love that it blooms in winter!!

cards4ubylouise and other treasures said...

Lovely flowers, kinda warmed me up. I bought a bouquet of carnations and they are so pretty to look at right now and they smell wonderful. About the only good thing about winter is there are no mosquitos and bugs!! (hahaha) I am thinking there is not a perfect place to live, One place might have something another place hasen't but then that place may be in tornado alley and visa versa or have more earthquakes, or hurricanes or whatever. I guess I will take the cold and the 4 seasons....each season has it's own beauty. I will look forward to the crocusses and tulips blooming though.

From Beyond My Kitchen Window said...

I always take a look at the flowers in the grocery store too. I especially love when the tulips arrive. It is going down to single digits tonight. Brrrrrrr...

Christine said...

Hi Kim! Just wanted to wish you a blessed new year. (I've been on a blogging break.)
Knowing that God knows the way is a comfort indeed.
God bless!

Pom Pom said...

I agree! I love the humming ordinary days very much. I'm glad you like Gladys. She has such a way with words and conveyed good spirits.
It was freezing in my classroom today. It's nice and warm at home.

Thistle Cove Farm said...

I adore Gladys Tabor and it's cold here...it's so cold I'm trembling with the exertion of being outdoors today. I'm looking forward to warmer, ordinary days. Tonight it's supposed to be 20 to 30 degrees below zero wind chill and I'll have to take a pill so I won't fret all night about the animals.
sorry, nattering on, aren't I?

Alica said...

I can't imagine a world without flowers either, Kim. That would be awful! When spring arrives and things start turning green, and the perennials start peeping through the ground, it energizes me! I hope your Monday was great!

Gail said...

I can hear peace in your voice.

Beautiful words and photos I needed today. Thank you.

Gumbo Lily said...

I love quiet alone-time. And I must agree with Gladys that there are good things about winter that we should savor. I like it that everyone is inside early. We eat an early supper and there is plenty of time to watch a movie, read a book, do some embroidery, or just talk to each other.

I enjoyed your flowers very much.

Dog Trot Farm said...

Gladys Taber's words I find so calming...I have often wondered about her dear home Sillmeadow. How lovely it would be to walk the floors where Gladys and Jill lived, tour it's grounds and just take in all that we have read...Your flower photos made me smile...

Bonnie K said...

I really enjoyed your thoughtful post. I especially liked the heavy gravity story. I have never read Gladys Tabor before. I will look into it. Thanks for sharing.

Kathy ... aka Nana said...

Your pictures of flowers brought a little color and joy to my cold, white day. I can always count on your blog to give my day such a nice start.

Buttons Thoughts said...

Oh yes it feels like Mars here today:) Oh I love seeing your beautiful flowers I am so happy you captured them before they were gone, I think all who are in the middle of "Mars" need to see that someday the flowers will come back and all will be warm.
I am not getting a lot done either it is funny that those tasks seem to pile up on their own and you do not even notice while you are writing:) . Keep showing the beauty in your photos and words I am loving them. HUGs B

Hamaree Rasoi said...

Simply beautiful looking pics. So vibrant to look at.
Deepa

Julia said...

Hi Kim, your flowers are really nice for this time of year. I've picked up my seed Catalogue at the feed store yesterday. I still haven't had time to brows through it yet.

My daughter's flight to Toronto was cancelled at the last minute and she is missing her connection to Scotland and had booked a hotel in Toronto so that too is wasted money.

She has to make new booking to somewhere in the UK.
So she is spending some more time visiting us.

Take care,
Hugs,
JB

GretchenJoanna said...

hahaha -- I must try to remember that sometimes it's just a heavy gravity day. We have more of those around here every year.

Will and Tracy said...

I want to re-read books and enjoy the winter but I guess from my previous life I always feel guilty when I am reading during the daytime and at night I am so tired and in pain so I don't have the attention span to read. I need to get rid of the guilt. Old bodies need reading and rest time!!!