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| My granddaughter chose this card — by my good friend Sandy, who keeps me well supplied — to send to her cousin in Italy. She chose it because she recognized our current reality here where it’s been raining and raining and raining. . . .
In an hour or so, I’ll be donning raincoat, boots, and umbrella, to walk through the downpour to a cozy bakery/tearoom where I’m meeting a new friend to talk about a book we’ve both just read (Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo — I posted about it on my book blog last week). Well worth a soaking, although I’m hoping the dial’s been turned down to “Light Shower” by then, as opposed to the current “Deluge”. . . . |
The plants in their pots out on the terrace don’t seem to mind, though. The temperature’s been mild, even creeping up to 11 or 12 degrees Celsius occasionally.
So while I go off to make sure I have all the impervious layers I need, I’ll leave you to check out the promise of spring just outside my door. . . . Above, the Brunnera. . . .
Below, a
HostaHellebore bud just ready to open. . . .
Daffodils spearing upward. . . .
And cheery cyclamen. . .
We don’t keep the fountain on through the winter, and you can see the rains keep it very full — I like the reflection and the city birds seem to appreciate an occasional drink or a careful dip. . . .
I didn’t take a photo of the Sarcococca. Instead, I’ve been snipping a bit every few days to bring inside. The flowers are tiny — rose-tipped, white and dainty. And a surprisingly robust fragrance. I pop a stem into my little Coalport china vase and the perfume envelops me. . . .
Okay, I have to head out soon. Debating whether I should pack a small towel 😉
What about you? Tolerable weather your way? Signs of spring, of hope? Small pleasures to share?
(By the way, I posted again yesterday on my Reading Blog — between the two January posts, so many good books already this year.)
Bravo for nurturing the connection between cousins across continents. As a transplant with a kid I can tell you it is very, very important, especially for the one who sees nana only a few days a year, who never attends the birthday parties, etc.
We had a deluge here last week by the name of Gloria; no damage in our village but plenty of mud, and now dumpsters full of mud-soaked belongings, in town. So sad. Too much, too fast. And we also have very warm weather. The wild almond trees are in bloom already, a good month ahead of schedule. Unpleasant things that usually sleep during the cold are also busy making babies. No more details, but let's call it Borgia redux. You are lucky you live up high.
Stay dry! It's an excuse to drink coffee/tea.
Oh, I’m glad the deluge caused no damage worse than mud—must have brought worried memories about last year’s…I’m not sure our weather is much warmer than usual—January/February are generally changeable and we’ve had some snow and a decent bit of frost. Apparently we have sunshine and ice coming this weekend. Good for killing those bugs!
It was rainy earlier today but after 2 ish in the afternoon the sun came out! It was nice to feel the warmth on my face.
Hope you enjoyed you book chat and tea.
We seem to be getting a patch or two of dry weather and some patches of blue sky by late afternoon as well—delectable, right? And yes, thx, the book chat was great!
I just opened my email and was rewarded with notification of this lovely post. That card 😉 is still one of my favourites. That and the one of Wiston standing in water up to the near top of his boots that says 'enough already' . I'm afraid another spate in years past of days and days of rain inspired both images. And here we are again. Sigh.
It's such a great idea to encourage kids to send mail. I wonder if the lack of sending and receiving mail makes the arrival of a letter just that much more special. I have a friend who regularly sends me a handwritten note and a tea bag. I think if's such a thoughtful tradition we have going.
Your garden photos of the hope for spring warm my heart. It is a treasured time of year to watch plants unfurl and come back to life don't you think?
Imagine building your new garden, plant by plant!
Similar temperatures here – today 11 C, which is truly disconcerting. A dollop of snow up north at the start of the week didn't reach down here in Edinburgh where I'm escaping the renovation work for a bit .
I wonder if that card will become a treasured keepsake though into granddaughter's adult life. You never know.
Your drawing of the Sarcococca is very lovely in both line and colour wash.
PS – I'm pretty sure your hosta is a helleborus.
I know what you mean about unusual weather patterns but unlike you, we’ve had frost and snow, and are likely to have more of that. Perhaps you will yet?
And of course that’s a hellebore. Not sure what my fingers were thinking!
I was running errands yesterday when I saw some yellow forsythia blossoms poking over a wall. In january! As much as I detest the cold and the darkness of this time of the year, I found that pretty scary. My heart longs for spring with some sun and warmth, but my brain (and my guts)tell me that we need much more rain to fill up the lake after last year's draught and that a winter without any frost cannot be a good sign.
I love the mirror images on the water of your fountain. That is a beautiful photograph.
Forsythia is bloom—wow! I checked mine yesterday to see if I might bring some inside to force, but the branches were still very bare…. re weather, see my response to Linda, above…
No signs of spring unless you count shop windows, always about 2 months ahead. Instead, we have minus-double digits (but at least that means sun) or drizzly 1C. A friend recently moved to Montréal and is spending the winter in Mexico. She bought a ticket to return April 1, telling me she would be arriving in spring; this is optimistic! We will have some 8C days by then but it can just as easily snow.
Ha! I hope your friend’s hopes aren’t dashed, but I remember shivering at an outdoor concert in Ottawa mid-May one year…
That picture of the cyclamen, perfection.
Thank you! Got down on my knees for that😉
HI Frances
Thanks you for your excellent, fun and inspiring blog.
I read the Salt Path because of you and it was great! (Sad and inspiring)–
Something in this post made me ask this question as it is an issue in my life–
with new friends or old, how does one handle the friend who constantly is interacting with their cell phone (including at dinner) and as a result turning their attention to the cell phone (and not for just fact checking). My friend is 70, I am 69 and I expect this behavior of 30 y/o's but not 70 y/o's. I would like to know what others think and do? (not suggesting that the new friend did this!)–
Actually a trainer who is 30 said that at restaurants his friends all put their cell phones on the table and the first one who reaches for it pays for the meal!
Mary
You are so welcome, and I’m glad you’ve enjoyed some of my reading recommendations—The Salt Path was so good and I’ve given it as a gift since.
I will make your cell-phone etiquette issue the subject of a post very soon and see what suggestions we garner.
Belatedly, it's been stormy here this weekend but it's calm outside now. Spring is imperceptibly approaching – the evenings are staying lightish until 5, and the snowdrops and daffodils are bursting forth. It could all be deceptive and the winter could return with a vengeance to take us by surprise hereabouts but hope is springing