It may be mid-February but there are definite signs of Spring down here in our little corner of the world. The cherry blossom has started to sprinkle its colour and the iris are poking their heads out of the soil. Although we have had quite a wet week (much needed), when the sun has been out, the temperatures have pulled off the winter clothes – even the citrus trees have had their protective covers removed. And with the stress of getting Salome to her new home in Long Island and Callum eventually getting over his jet-lag Down Under dissipating, I’m settling back into the daily routine. Denis and I have been planting and planning which needless to say ends up with Denis shaking his head and redesigning my unrealistic ambitions.
With season’s change just around the corner, Mumo and I decided to attack the yet to be unpacked boxes of linen, curtains and suchlike. We found all sorts of random ‘Collins’ artifacts from beautiful Thai silk cushion covers (I have purloined a few) to her mother’s wedding pillowcases, now frayed with age. Sheets, curtains and duvet covers were reorganised into labelled containers and a lot ‘recycled’ (i.e. put in the garage because something will need protecting) or just thrown away. So much of family history lay in those boxes but sometimes we need to get rid of the past to allow new ones to be filled. As my precious Pip said when she came over for a natter this morning. “You’ll never wear 5 inch heels again, Sophi so you might as well sell them”, ” the 1980’s and ’90’s are vintage now” as I showed her my groaning shoe collection; “they’re just taking up wardrobe space which you could use for something else”. Like new shoes perhaps. She’s right of course, even if I could still balance in them, Rouffiac isn’t exactly nightlife central although some of those heels would be great for planting seedlings in the garden.
Throwing away the old can be a cathartic experience even if you have to bring it all out into the open first. As I finish one chapter and start the next tap tap tapping away all things The Book, I feel almost liberated. Running the other day, I was watching a stream flow alongside the path wondering where it was going when I noticed part of it had been blocked by a log. On one side of the log the water was covered in scum and old branches whilst the other side was clear and trickling along. As I moved the log (I’m a curious sort), the channel began to clear immediately and join the rest of the stream. That’s karma I thought to myself as Arry dived in and bounced along with the flotsam and jetsam now floating happily in the transparent waters. There’ll still be quite a few obstacles to move as we go forward with the seasons but the water is getting clearer…..
“I was still water, held by my surroundings. I am now a river, carving my own path.” (Scott Stabile)
Widow plus woofs 