Wednesday 20 January 2010

Rhythm of Life...

Last weekend we spent a happy few hours in the garden clearing all the dead wood and generally tidying up after the snow had melted - underneath the carpet of dead foliage and leaves I was amazed to see hundreds and hundreds of tiny green shoots poking their fragile heads through the frozen soil..in a few weeks there will be a carpet of snowdrops heralding the very early signs of spring on its way.




It made me think; this is the first year we have really observed the highs and lows of a complete year and the variations of all the seasons - usually we are hopping on planes and busily swapping winter for summer or vice versa and the year slips by seasonally intermingled. There is a natural order and rhythm, especially in this corner of the northern hemisphere - whoever decided (another post!) that Christmas would be at the end of December had obviously done their homework! Brilliant! A festival of food, light and celebration after the harvest and before the days start to get longer, a cheerful interlude in the midst of dark days and a respite after all the work of gathering in stores for winter. For me, it feels a bit like when you're coming down with a cold or infection of some sort - usually you feel tired and lethargic; the body's natural signal to slow down and rest. I don't think we pay enough attention to the rhythms of nature - winter is a natural hiatus when everything slows down, a perfect time to cosy up by a warm fire with a good book, the seed catalogues (or whatever takes your fancy) and indulge in a bit of reflection, make plans and recharge the batteries.



I have a current pet-hate (forgive me Wii owners of the world). The advertising agencies and technology producers would have us believe that our time is best spent, year round, closeted in our homes, enjoying any outdoor sport you care to name via a remote control and the television - they spend millions on ads portraying large happy families having a wonderful time indulging in various sporting activities from the comfort of their own sofa....don't get me wrong, I'm all for families spending time together but I really believe that in our 'have it all immediately' culture, we are losing out....

Are we disgruntled by our inability to control what's happening outside? After all, we are able to listen to exactly what we want, when we want; watch anything at any time of the day or night; go shopping for our heart's desire around the clock (without leaving our bed!) I have been surprised by the media's reaction to the recent frozen conditions here in the UK - endless debate about the Met Office not predicting the exact amount of snow or the lack of grit to spread on roads - there does seem to be a general impatience that seasonal conditions impede our highly ordered lives....



I'm not suggesting for a moment that we all switch off the power & take up candle-making - just pay a little more attention to what nature is trying to tell us....a time for everything and everything in it's natural order....enjoy the moment.........s




8 comments:

  1. That last piece of stained glass is utterly beautiful. Where is it from?

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  2. Mise hi....I'm sorry, I haven't got my blog etiquette up to scratch yet! I know I should be crediting all the photos....! It's actually just a google image....will try and find out more and let you know....warm wishes, Susie x

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  3. Susie, so well said. We are becoming a race of Insiders, & I'm sure if the Seasons could be artifically manipulated most people would want it to be 'Perfect one day, perfect the next'.
    Millie ^_^

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  4. Hear, hear, Susie. We just had a conversation today with the children about the importance of outside experiences to develop their imagination. We agreed we should all float on our backs in the pool for at least five minutes, anytime we can, and just stare at the sky and drink it in and let our brains rest, rest, rest. Meredy xo.
    p.s. these images are just beautiful, thank you for sharing them.

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  5. Absolutely agree Susie - hate all those Wii ads and not only because I don't understand how they all work... ! Gorgeous photographs and don't forget to take some when the snowdrops show their little heads... love S xx

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  6. Well put Susie
    You know I have been longing for summer and now it is here I find I am spending way too much time inside.. I really need to get out and enjoy all that fresh air... Today was 40c so it was inside with aircon... but then... it's not really summer that way is it??

    I have to say I am dreading winter this year and think I would prefer to follow the sun and hop on a plane to Europe... very tempting...

    thanks for this beautiful post xx Julie

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  7. Dear Susie,
    I love the seasons. That's why I couldn't live somewhere that is hot all the time...or cold for that matter.
    We should all be getting out more. Modern technology has a lot to answer for. Beautiful images. XXXX

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  8. Susie...Amen to that, you are so right and I love the photos that accompanied it all. I just has a stroll around our garden and caught sight of all the bulbs beginning to shoot thru the ground. There are so many of them, I can't wait to see what little surprises spring will bring forth. The birds must be excited too as they are singing to their hearts content at the moment. I have been thinking of you and the departure of your darling GG and that I will not be far behind you on that front. The joy and heartache of motherhood as you see your young things spread their wings...
    Jeanne xox

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