Tuesday 24 March 2009

Around the bend

Anne Shirley thinks there is something wonderful waiting for her just around a bend in the road. I'm thinking along the same lines, although I'm fairly certain Anne is more positive in her expectations than I am. What if this summer is going to be the most wonderful I've ever had?

I moved to a new flat over the weekend, and that marked a definite up-turn in my mood. Not only was the whole moving-process nerve-wrecking, but there is so much more air and light in the new flat that I can't help feeling lighter myself! Also we've been blessed with so much sun lately that I feel like I've been soaking in it.

Tuesday 17 March 2009

Rainy days and Mondays

They always do get me down. My summer job situation, which I thought was quite good two days ago, suffered inflation and is now as uncertain as ever, and this piece of bad news came with horrible, wet weather. (Well, we did glimpse the sun just before its setting, so we might get more lucky tomorrow as far as the weather's concerned.) I feel melancholy and rather hopeless, and it seems that I will be destitute soon and forced to throw my hands up.

On the positive note-- No, I can't think of anything positive just now. I must be downcast for a while.

Sunday 15 March 2009

Giving up coffee, day 19

Yesterday I was possibly most sorely tempted by coffee. My sister had her birthday on Friday, and yesterday we had some delicious chocolate cake in her honour. You know, the best coffee is always had with some chocolate cake... But I defeated the temptation!

Soon we're going to go and collect the keys to our new flat. I'm excited! I'm so looking forward to moving. Last night the Neighbours did their best to entertain us with a piece of family-fighting (again).

Wednesday 11 March 2009

Skiing

The long-awaited, fondly thought-of mid-term break began last Saturday. I got up early, swallowed some oatmeal porridge, and bolted into the silent, snowy woods for a ski.



I hadn't been on skis for years, so at first I felt strange and unsteady. I was a bit disappointed in the absence of sunlight, but perhaps it was just as well: if it had been sunny, I probably would have gone snowblind in fifteen minutes.



I used to love skiing downhill, gathering speed and feeling the wind on my face. But, as I said, it had been a long time since I was last on skis...



... and as a result, I fell over twice. First time intentionally, because the speed was more than I had bargained for, second time un-, because...well, I think I simply lost faith and gave up. It was marvellous, though, and there was enough snow to guarantee a soft landing.



I had read on the news that a lone bear had woken up early and gone roaming about the woods. I didn't run into it, but what I did run into was a solitary hut, in the middle of nowhere... The abode of a mad recluse?



However, no recluse, mad or otherwise, intercepted me en route, and I made it back to my parents' house - the minute the sun showed its brilliant face. Our dog, Pella, was basking in the light and warmth, clearly not making much of darting around the forest on two wooden boards.



I left my skies out in the garden and went inside, rosy-cheeked and happy, to enjoy a large cup of hot chocolate. A morning well spent!

Tuesday 3 March 2009

Winter sunlight

I still catch myself wondering at times: is this really true? Can we be blessed with such a glorious winter after the most wet and dismal autumn I can remember? And I look outside, pinch myself, and revel in the soft, white sight. It really is true!

Last Sunday we (my sister and I) went to enjoy the bounteuous sunlight sent to us from the high heavens - and beautiful it was!








Sunday 1 March 2009

Spring is in the air

We've been treated to a dazzling amount of light today. The sky seems so high above, the air is cool and clear, and the (apparently) ever-lasting snow cover sparkles under the rays of the sun. On a day like this, one should go out to nature and laugh out loud in reckless joy of living!

To celebrate Spring I organized the window sill anew...



...bought a yellow primrose...



...and put the loveliest cook-book in the world on display (Christmas gift from miss P).



(I did this quite some time ago, but it was to honour Spring. I'd just forgot about the pictures.)