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"She seemed to come suddenly upon happiness as if she had surprised a butterfly in the Winter woods"
(edith wharton)


Sunday 10 August 2008

snow in Woodford, gratitude, bliss and feeling blessed and melancholy comes to visit.

this afternoon it snowed here in Woodford. Yes, while I was snuggling in bed, under my vintage eiderdown with my thick socks on my feet, reading Heidi, I looked out the window and it was snowing... it was bitterly cold and I could not get warm. But the snow gently fell outside, and I sighed, a sigh of pure and utter content and bliss... what more could a girl want? ooh yes, a lovely hot cup of tea that was delivered to my bedside by my gorgeous prince... he does pamper me so much and I am truly blessed that he is in my life... but of course, he is blessed too, because I am in his!! So, I just lay there looking out the window at the snow and the little birds flitting in the bare branches of the pussy willow, feeling totally at peace....


Heidi was one of my favourite childhood books. Inside the front cover, this edition is signed: 'to dear Robyn, with love, Mummy and Daddy. 1967.' it is a gorgeous copy, with colour plates and black and white drawings, some of which had been coloured in by me when i was little. I loved Heidi so much that when I was little, I announced that when I had my first baby, I was going to call it Heidi. there is something about childhood books and the memories they bring..

today, Sunday was a melancholy kind of day for me... but being in bed under that gorgeous eiderdown somehow calmed me a little... just lately I have been excavating many childhood memories... last weekend I went through all my dad's slides of when I was young and discovered memories that I had totally forgotten about.. fun times, loving times and all of this is really helping me to excavate my wild woman, my authentic self.
later this afternoon, I drew the curtains to keep the warmth in. I am so very grateful for and blessed by those curtains, they are vintage and came all the way from the UK... I close them and they stop the cold night from entering into my peaceful haven ... so...I grabbed a handful of old magazines, some scissors and my soul journal/Book of Shadows and I cut away to my hearts content.... sitting in front of the fire, snipping away (all the while, feeling totally bad for cutting up the magazines... I don't know why I feel like that, but I do... I feel like I am defacing something precious and sacred, but I still do it any way... sometimes I hear Daisy's voice saying 'oh I could never bring myself to cut up my Country Living'... and here I am cutting and tearing with gay abandon), sticking stuff in, making pretty things to look at when Ms. Melancholy comes to visit. When I feel blue, I open up my Soul Journal and just look through - at pretty things, at things that make my soul sing and I look at how far I have come..

20 comments:

Amanda and Tim said...

Oh I just LOVED Heidi when I first read it but I was in my late teens by then and wonderd why I had never read it before!! And I too cut up my Country Living magazines because T and I made manifestation collages every once in a while and the pictures in CL magazines are so much like the life we dream of. But I do feel sad when I cut them up too... weird, huh?!

Enjoy the snow and being snuggled up inside!

Peggy said...

thats my dream of a perfect day. Snow, warm socks, nice fire, good book and a cuppa tea. Sounds like you had a wonderful weekend.

Tess Kincaid said...

Enjoy your lovely snow and eiderdown day!

Kim Campbell said...

Snow! I love snow!

smilnsigh said...

You have written the most delicious description of being cold.

I know that doesn't sound, as if it makes sense. But snuggled in bed under eiderdown puff with thick socks on feet and reading Heidi and having been brought a warm cuppa' by your husband... Yes, it's a delicious description. It could make anyone wish for winter. :-)

Well, almost wish for... :-)

And I also love how you were cutting up magazines, with gay abandon. Because you choose to do so. Isn't that what being true to your own self, is about?

I would not {so far} cut up my old 'Victoria' magazines. But that's me. And how I feel.

And we each do what feels right to us! Yes! Well, in my humble opinion, that is.

Gentle hugs,
Miss Mari-Nanci
'Smilnsigh' blog

Laurie said...

Its nice to be all snuggly warm when its snowing ~ I haven't seen snow in such a long time!
I love to cut from old magazines, it took me several years to work up the courage, but then how nice it is to have one book (or several) of all your favorite pictures instead of too many magazines strewn about.
I haven't felt like blogging lately, maybe I need to start cutting and pasting to get those juices flowing again!
Hugs))

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

What a lovely place you have here! Edward and I shall return!

Happy you for planning a trip to Cornwall! It shall not disappoint! I went to Tintagel for my 40th birthday and it was as magical as I had always imagined it to be!

Anonymous said...

I love your blog, love it, love it, love it, and I will be dropping by here often.

Take Care
Love Melanie

http://housewivesdaily.myfreeforum.org/index.html

Anonymous said...

I cant beleive it snowed over there!!! We had a mild warm day here and its so lovely to feel a bit warmer at last! loved your post!

peppylady (Dora) said...

Snow I real never think of Australia getting snow.
We had a break for the summer heat over the weekend but according to the weather people it shall be back next weekend.

Your soul must needed a melancholy day. I have them also but in all honesty I feel guilty when it happens.

Amy said...

I empathise with you there, it's been atrocious weather here, non stop rain and wind - freezing cold, no snow though not cold enough for that but perfect weather for a good book and a warm bed :-)

amelia said...

What a wonderful feeling when it snows like that.
Maybe you can understand how much I love our winters now!

Suzie Ridler said...

I can just imagine the coldness outside and you being inside snipping away and tearing to your heart's content Robyn. It's a beautiful image to me!

My Mom loved the Heidi books too, she could really relate to them, I think I should get a copy from the library.

Maybe you can use some of those images for the crazy dreamboard this month?

Sorrow said...

Snow?
and hot tea...
blue can be a pretty color
from time to time..
(((Robyn)))
sending warmth and a little yellow to mix with the blue.

Anonymous said...

It is so strange to read that is winter at your end of the world. We are nearing Autumn at the moment. You soul journey book sounds so great. I would love to see how it looks, but that is very private off course ; ) I have been reading a lot too and have the books by Sara Ban Breathnach too. I don't know how to start in Simple Abundance though, because it's already August. Do you have an idea ???
Have a great day !!

Ruth said...

This is so beautiful Robyn - you sound so snug and cosy in your winter nest. Do you normally get snow I wonder? Oh and by the way - I loved Heidi too, but I have quite forgotten the story - I must re-read it!

linda may said...

G'day Robyn,
Just read your last 2 posts. Lovely. Did you get to go sledding in the snow at Katoomba.
Re; your last post; red is my favorite color, I have red Jumpers and shirts and a red rug and lounge. I hope your friend feels better soon. I would be thrilled if someone bought me such a thoughtful gift when I was sick.I always think that the times there are more bugs floating around us is when we have to adjust for the seasons to change. I don't know if that is right or not, but it feels like it to me.
Isn't it funny how we keep little things that we loved from our childhoods. I have my treasured memory bits and pieces too. One of my faves is a book of the little mermaid which has beautiful pictures that were made from fabric and covered in plastic ripply sheets so they looked like they moved.
Sorry about the length of this comment I found lots to comment on. Love Linda.

Fire Byrd said...

so very evocative, and sad in equal measure. Thinking about you lots dear friend.
xx

laoi gaul~williams said...

oh robyn it all sounds so wonderful, thinking of your quilt and vintage curtains is giving me images of how i want my new home to be :)

Bimbimbie said...

I have the book Heidi Grows Up, given to me by my Grandad Christmas 1967. Read and re-read over the years.
Lucky you getting snow while tucked up reading. Smiles *!*