The snow that fell last night isn’t deep but the world sure looks like winter now. I’m a little sad to see
Winter’s Arrival
but also grateful for the wonderful bonus mild days without snow that we had during November.
This week I put up our tiny Christmas tree, put a wreath on our front door, and decorated the fireplace mantle with lights and tinsel.
I find that the colorful lights brighten the short dimmer days that we see this time of year. Our Christmas display is quite modest and small, and I believe that a big part of my enjoyment in it, is that it is modest and small. In the evenings when the light outside dims, the colorful lights on the mantle and tree fill me with joy.
“And as with prayer, which is a dipping of oneself toward the light, there is a consequence of attentiveness to the grass itself, and the sky itself, and to the floating bird. I too leave the fret and enclosure of my own life. I too dip myself toward the immeasurable.”
― Winter Hours: Prose, Prose Poems, and Poems
Yesterday we had a lovely family game day with our kids and grandchildren. On game day I always prepare an easy lunch of sandwiches, salad, and fruit. After lunch we play card games and board games together. We usually start by playing the card game, Spoons. When all of us play it gets pretty hectic and loud with lots of laughter. I love it! Then we play the card game Zar, a really fast-paced card game a bit similar to Uno. And often we play cooperative games. Yesterday, my youngest daughter introduced us to a new board game called Tsuro. It was a lovely laughter filled day.
Weekly Photography Challenge
I’ve been working on my 52Frames weekly challenge. This week the challenge was Common Object. I began by photographing a broom and dust pan, and then went on to photograph a bag of apples, bottle of Cognac, scrub brush, plastic watering can, jar of honey, fork, street light, bird feeders, a mug filled with pencils, colored gel pens, and my watercolor paint palette.
As I looked at this weird collection of photos this morning, I saw a common thread that ran through most of the images. The things I chose to photograph are things that I love, or things that have meaning for me. Even how I crop the photos says a lot about what matters to me. In the photo above of our Christmas tree, I left the bright window that was somewhat distracting to me in the final image because of the basket below the window that showed my bird books. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve photographed this street light that I can see from my office window. And I never get tired of photographing it. There is something about it that I love. It reminds me of the Narnia stories that my children loved.
The more I think about it more I believe that true art is almost always personal. It is the way that we bring out what is inside us.
“Listen. Your life is happening. You are happening. Think back on your journey. The music of your life…”
― The Sacred Journey: A Memoir of Early Days
How are you feeling about winter’s arrival my friends? And what is calling you today?
May you walk in beauty.
Shall we dance?
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