Winter

Winter.....We recognize it's value, that it is necessary in the cycle of things. But why?  Maybe I need to remember the value winter brings... I know the plants need this dormant period to build their energy for all that is called upon them in the spring.  Birds use this time to travel the world, finding winter homes better suited to their slight forms--
If we are not athletic we don't change our cycle; we don't treat a winter's day as anything more than a drearier time of the year.  We continue to work, go to school, use our energy up yearning for the sun.  We may read an extra book.
But, do we adapt to the cycle of winter?  I know I don't.  I don't find snow strewn paths to walk.  I seldom monitor nature to learn about the dormancy period in it's lifecycle. 
Perhaps I could take time to see the rosehips that grow from the spent rose blossoms, or maybe watch the birds that are spending more time at my bird bath after they eaten.  There's a definate desire to feel the crackle of the leaves on a pathway......if I would ever do it.
I love to 'pay attention' to the days getting longer, to notice when we have 15 extra minutes of light.  It is the season of writing for me.  With winter come ideas to develop.  This past fall I got what I thought of as a good idea, and I roped the family members that are writers into joining the project.
Then there is my book list; I think there are definate winter books, spring books, sum--you get the idea.  My favorite classical winter book is Little Women;  it is time for me to pick it up again.  But it is also time for me to treat winter as something I could join into -- the walk with nature, maybe a book club.  But mostly I think I need to use this dormancy period for what it is:  preparation for spring.

Testing....testing......all in fun

For me winter is a time for staying warm, family and games.  We love puzzles and word games.  I created one for you this week.  The references are either movie, novel or song, some are obvious, some I tried to make a bit obscure.  So, ten questions, ten answers, all with bird references, of a sort.


1.  Alfred Hitchcock famous movie        _ _ _   _ _ _ _ _
2.  Nature's marchers?                             _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
3.  Yearly Trek                                        _ _ _ _ _ _   _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
4.  Faithful to Professor Dumbledore     _ _ _ _ _ _ _
5.  Final movie of Bruce Lee's son         _ _ _   _ _ _ _
6.  Alcatraz bird of choice                      _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
7.  Jonathan Livingston,                         _ _ _ _ _ _ _
    bird by Diamond
8.  He flew too close to the sun              _ _ _ _ _ _
9.  Don't think it would really fly          _ _ _ _   _ _   _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
     up your nose 
10. Judy Garland dreamed of one         _ _ _ _   _ _ _ _
      over the rainbow


Ok, so it is all in fun.  I am not going to give you any hints

S
o........

     S
       c
         r
           o
              l
                l

     d
       o
         w
             n

                      h
                          e
                             r
                               e

for the  a
              n
                s
                  w
                     e
                       r
                        s.................................................



1.     The Birds  (no points for this one..........easy peasy!)

2.     Penguins

3.     Winged Migration

4.     Phoenix

5.     The Crow

6.     Canaries

7.     Seagull

8.     Icarus            (remember, he made his own wings and held them together with wax)

9     Bird of Paradise    (showing my age with this song of the 60's)

10.   Blue Bird      (I wanted to be more obscure and do a biblical reference, but the dove never
                               flew over the rainbow, which was God's promise -- so blue bird it is.)

So, give me a response post so I know how everyone did!!

                                                       There was a time when I loved life.

 Amazing that mom thinks that it doesn't matter that I don't have so much of my own stuff, or that what I do have is crammed in corners, laying on the floor in heaps, as she jokes about my recent frivolous purchases.  (I reminded her that when she used to get out and shop she would come home with items that had nothing more valuable than the aesthetic feel it could provide.)  She commented to my son that I would probably not notice it if he cleaned my stuff out of the garage, it had been so long I probably wouldn't even notice.

Amazing to think it doesn't occur to anyone that I hate not having my own car.  This thing that I drive around is what dad chose because he liked the last car he owned so much.....mom could get in and out with minimal fuss.

Amazing, as well, that she thinks I spend my money on frivolous stuff, junk if you will... (self preservation ?) just because I don't have areas that I have staked as things that I could organize and decorate myself has never stopped me from accumulating the silly.

...and amazing to think that I still feel like I am living on the fringe, utilizing someone else's space even though she truly doesn't mind that my things get left on the dining room table or stacked in the corner, and after all this time, I have not managed to organize the space I do have.

She recently made the comment that her house doesn't feel like her home anymore (missing dad).  I understand the feeling, its been so long since I have had the freedom of privacy, or the freedom to decorate a wall the way I would like, to display the paintings I have done.

Why have I needed permission to set the kitchen up the way I wanted?  Because she still uses it occasionally, and doesn't know where I or Dawn or Darcie puts things.  It is still her kitchen, I am just the chief cook and bottle washer.

Why did I stop painting? As far as the paintings go, I have nowhere to display any of them, and it doesn't feel okay to 'create' then toss them around to be ruined.  People don't realize that we sometime allow the minor comments or observations affect what we do.  Guess I let the comment 'don't know what you are going to do with all of those....' bother me.  They could have been Christmas presents.  But they are not painted, because I allowed the comment to influence me.

I am amazed that I have allowed myself to feel this way.  No one would mind if I claimed my life back, staked an area to reflect my personality, actually said, no it isn't okay that my stuff gets lost, ruined or neglected.  After all, don't we control our own lives?