A lacemaker and a florist

Yesterday the sun and the breeze whispered light and shade through the brand new leaves. Today is cloudy and grey but the trees are still trying out their new leaves, still whispering and sighing. Gentle rustlings of early Summer. I hope the sun comes back tomorrow to join in again, for a day to be spent drawing in town.

Above: a lacemaker who is also a florist. Doesn't that sound like a fairytale job description?! :)

Green rustlings to your weekend :)

The tent of thought where I shelter

Do your thoughts shelter you or make you almost homeless from yourself?
May your thoughts (and mine) be kind and sheltering. May they be gentle like candlelight rather than harsh like neon light.

"I place on the altar of the morning:

The quiet loyalty of breath,

The tent of thought where I shelter,

And all beauty drawn to the eye"

lines taken from

A Morning Offering by John O'Donohue.

There is great drying out

This weather this week. Mornings of blue skies and sunshine and early walks, hanging clothes out to dry - fresh breezes no rain. Evening walks also with the lengthening days, busy birds, robins hopping a bit closer each day, bringing the washing in, carrying scents of sun and wind.

Top photo: Lace made by hand by Belle Fleur de Lis 
So delicate and beautiful, many many stitches like lots of little brush strokes. Thank you L!

Moon as big as the sun. Earth so small. (Celestial events)

A seat for sky watching, solar eclipses, new moons and a Spring equinox. Although it was too cloudy to see the solar eclipse this morning, the day got eerily darker for about 15 minutes.  Birds went quiet and retired to the trees. I wondered if the daffodils even stopped growing for a moment. Or held their breath. Shadow of our moon moving across the earth,  a reminder that we are so small on a small planet spinning around the huge universe. And then when the light started to return, a reminder of gratefulness and appreciation for the sun.

Today also a new moon and the Spring Equinox - yesterday this corner of purple stars.

Rain, Snow and Daffodils

   

March days have arrived with a little bit of capriciousness. With rain and snow flurries and cloud and wind and sun. And more wind. Chancing on little moments of warmth in those patches of sun. More and more yellow being painted into each day. Twice I was unable to resist bunches of sunshine (otherwise known as daffodils) from the local grocery shop for only a few euro. Little surprises of dabs of paint (crocuses and snowdrops and blossom) under trees and on trees. And best of all, birdsong concerts accompanying each evening now.

Hearts. And cups.

There is a day in the middle of February that is set aside for hearts. Though, if we choose, every day can be a day for hearts. Little hearts, big hearts. An elderly man who I often pass on my walk (we only ever nod and smile at each other as we meet), stopped me this morning, laughing how we always pass each other at some point on the walk. He told me I always had a smile for him (I didn't know that!) and it made him happy. Him telling me that cheered my day. He told me his name so that the next time we pass each other on our walks we would know each other.

For Valentine's Day, my A4 print, "We're Always Connected by Underground Wires," available in my small on-line shop.

And, speaking of connections, I had a lovely cup-of-tea-interview with A Butterfly in my hair blog. This is how many cups of tea I drank while being interviewed! It is nice to be connected with so many tea drinkers :)

PS. Did you know St. Valentine is buried in Dublin?

Take a seat

Take a seat. Or pull up a chair.
Just show up. Every morning. Or every evening. Or in the afternoon.
Do you have a chair to sit? To be. A seat for a few moments of meditation, a few minutes of reflection. Or reverie. A seat to watch the sunrise or sunset.

February has blown in with the North wind. I heard a weather forecaster describe the north wind as a "clean" wind. Clean and fresh and cold she has ushered February in.