Monday, December 22, 2014

Comes the Winter, & I am an Elf

“I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says "Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.”

"You can't get too much winter in the winter". - Robert Frost

Like many another scion of Celtic forebears, I celebrate the arrival of the Winter Solstice; like many another gardener, I rejoice in the coming of the coldest, darkest days of the year. To be sure, I complain about the cold, lament the lack of sunlight, and crave the warm sunny days of summer still to come.

Perhaps it’s the first mellifluous notes of a half-remembered lullaby? Or the acrid scent of your Grandpa’s cigar? Maybe
the thwack of rubber thongs on sticky bitumen in summer? Or
filaments of dust dancing in the dappled afternoon sunshine?
Hazy, lazy memories of childhood. They jostle and tease. Sepia-toned and rose-tinted.

Getting depressed during winter? Odds are you've heard of seasonal affective disorder, or you've experienced it for yourself. Fittingly abbreviated "SAD," this periodic melancholy is most often seen in the nature's coldest season while your body catches a case of winter-tide doldrums.

"In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer." - Albert Camus. So, I suppose the celebration of Solstice each winter and the acknowledgment of substantial tasks to perform are a kind of reminder of the whole cycle. Role is never completed; there is always something needing attention; and at every turn there are rewards – joys, gifts – that make it easier to get off one's lazy behind. Most days, anyway.

This year must definitely be a sign for all things new.. With my original dislike for wreaths and now being converted, the same has happened in the way of tinsel. Tinsel used to scream tacky to me years ago, but this year I really really fancied some for the bedroom. And with some rice lights tucked up in it, I absolutely love it! Christmas, we are ready for you!

With Christmas only a hand countdown away (Say What?) I am feeling pleasantly chuffed that everything is sorted (all except for few!) and most presents were purchased months before. Admittedly, next on the list is wrapping - which if you ask me, the first few are always fun and have attention to detail.Then the rest? It becomes a chore. So at the weekend, I carted all the presents upstairs along with boxes of wrapping and sellotape and a big mug of tea and headed to the spare bedroom to get fully festive. And feel like an elf for the afternoon.

And because we all know how much we enjoy our own bed, and any form of cozy and snug bedding, I felt it was only right to jump into that sipping on hot tea whilst staring out the window.

I couldn't agree more with Robert Byrne's quote "Winter is nature's way of saying, 'Up yours.' - Anonymous

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