Imbolc time

according to the traditional wheel of the year it was Imbolc on August 1st. According to planetary alignments, the true moment of Imbolc is August 7th... since I have been following the wheel of the year, I always tried to celebrate on the day.. and I stressed if I missed it... but now, I tend to believe that these days don't fall on any one day,.. the changing of the seasons happens gradually, seeping into the days with signs from Nature...

a bee snuggling in an Imbolc plum blossomyes, the bees know that it is time to visit my garden.. the very first blossoms are opening. I must look back to last year to see if they were blooming at the same time.

a time when you can sit outside in the sunshine, sipping champagne, knowing that later that day, you will be gathering kindling to light a fire
Yesterday we had breakfast at my friend Peter's. We sat out on his deck, looking out over his gorgeous garden, which is showing signs of Imbolc. The snowdrops and bluebells are in flower. The magpies are beginning to gather bits to make their nests, the early jonquils are in perfumed glory.

even fresh fruit reminds of spring to come
sitting out in the sun, warming ourselves as we chatted and laughed..knowing that tomorrow the cold August wind could be blowing. That is what Imbolc is... half winter-half spring. a time when part of you wants to get out in the garden and the other wants to stay snuggling in front of the fire, not quite wanting to wake from the winter slumber.. but the blood is beginning to flow. and there is no stopping it. the wheel turns constantly.

my gluten free bread looked golden in the Imbolc sunshineInglewood is a little higher in the mountains than Peter's home, so my garden is a little behind Peter's garden, where bulbs bloom profusely right now.

the dill is in its brillian green.. and I have no idea why I planted it in the first place. I don't particularly like dill.. but it is a good companion plant for carrots and the good bugs love it! so I let it self seed with wild abandon.

and dad's rock orchid.. or rock lily as he called it, is sending a little flower up..this is a native rock orchid.. dad found it on my uncles property many years ago and it has moved with me to various homes, over time... each year, it sends up flower stalks of the most exquisite white waxy flower... and even though dad has been gone for many years now.. each time this blooms it reminds me of him.. it reminds me that it doesn't matter what happens in life.. the wheel turns regardless. And to function, we need to turn with that wheel and not fight it... welcome to Imbolc time at Woodford
there is another post up at my cancer blog.. and I am thinking of working through the Artists Way. I loved it the first time and I think Imbolc is the perfect time to get my creativity flowing again (if anyone is interested, maybe I could set up a blog.)