Tag: pine tree

A season of change

As I look out across the open field, I notice a crow resting on a snow-covered branch. Their black feathers are drawn close against the cold, eastern wind. The air is so still it feels as though the world has fallen asleep. The moment invites me to pause and reflect on all that has changed this past year. We have settled into our new home by the sea. And here, in our forest dwelling, things have shifted too. The place beyond the pine tree has been given new caretakers and we find ourselves back on the hillside around the guardian oak. We are happy to be rooted again in the oak’s steady presence. Following the gentle rhythm of winter, we let our days unfold in gentle rituals. Reading by the window, knitting a scarf, drawing quiet creatures in the afternoon light. As I watch the crow take flight, I am reminded that you do not need to know what this year will bring. Let the wind blow as it may and trust yourself to be able to adjust your wings. You will find yourself where you are supposed to be.

Drops of light

As the fog slowly lifts from the river dale, we soak up a few hazy rays of sun. Around us the blue tits are flying to and fro between the trees. Looking up I notice a bit of Traveller’s-Joy climbing up the branches of one of them. Come, let’s take a look! When we get closer, I realise they aren’t the fruits of a clematis at all. Instead they’re branches covered in frost with their ends dipped in frozen water drops. The soft light makes them glisten like tiny diamonds. The silken threads of a spider web hang in the tree like a frosted garland. We cherish these beautiful gifts of nature, as we celebrate the arrival of midwinter by the pine tree. It makes me reflect on the values I want to pass on to our little one, especially in a culture that seems to be oriented towards gold. Whenever I feel lost, I find inspiration in Sharon Blackie’s The Enchanted Life. She writes about the everyday magic that comes from deepening our connection to the natural world. Be present and you can find wonder where ever you go.

Wandering

The world around the pine tree is quiet on this midwinter morning. A clear sky after endless days of heavy rain. Slowly I set out down the hill, breathing in the fresh air. It’s only a few steps before I notice the Traveller´s-Joy climbing over the hedgerow, it’s long feathers swaying gently in the wind. The forest path leads me further down the hill to the the cemetery, where my mum lies buried underneath the grand magnolia tree. The dark-brown leaves have gathered on one big heap, blanketing her trunk. New buds appear on the bear branches, covered in a coat of fuzzy silver hairs, protecting them from the cold that might still come. Nearer to the river, I listen to the sparrows calling out to each other. Add some wild lavender and I find myself thinking – isn’t this bliss? I learned that walking is one of the best things to do to find your way back to health. Sometimes I chant, sometimes I just listen to the rhythmn of my footsteps… thump, thump, thump. Every step makes me feel a little bit stronger.

Beyond the pine tree

The town is still asleep and the dark sits quietly around us. It’s cosy up here by the candlelight, a small body pressed against me snoring softly. Looking out the window I can see the Huguenot tower lighting up the dark forest. It is the same view that you see from the beautiful oakside, just from a different hill. It’s our first visit to this little dependance by the mystical pine tree. Out there in the garden is an old abandoned hut, enveloped in the dawn. I haven’t been inside yet, let alone to write. I’m not even writing in my art journal, I’m just scribbling on the back of a piece of paper that I found in a drawer. Life with a newborn is funny that way. Some part of me thinks back longingly to the creative dreams I had for this place. But then I remember what Stephen King said in his memoir On Writing: ““(…) put your desk in the corner, and every time you sit down there to write, remind yourself why it isn’t in the middle of the room. Life isn’t a support system for art. It’s the other way around.”