They really are! Ours are now over, but at least the daffodils are “tossing their heads in sprightly dance” when we sit outside in the fresh morning air for a cup of tea (well wrapped, naturally 😂)
“‘You gave me hyacinths first a year ago; they called me the hyacinth girl. Yet when we came back, late, from the Hyacinth garden, your arms full, and your wet hair, I could not speak, and my eyes failed, I was neither living nor dead, and I knew nothing, looking into the heart of light, the silence. Oed und leer das Meer.” (Empty and desolate is the sea) - The Waste Land T. S. Eliot
Thanks Miranda for this lively post and stunning photos of snowdrop and aconites. My quote for February" There is always in February one day,at least,when one smells the yet distant,but surely coming,summer" Gertrude Jerkyll.
Thank you so much Miranda! It is a joy to hear all that is going on in your busy life! Congratulations on a second book in the offing! Wonderful! Can't wait for the first one to be available!
Our two children are adopted from Korea. Today is our son's "42nd Arrival Day" - he was 7 months old when he came to the USA! I've always collected little bits of information, images, art, and poetry from Korea and this one seems perfect for February:
Eriko, I was delighted to see you "in person" at the UNDER THE GREENWOOD TREE book Zoom discussion. I was hoping you would comment so that I could see you and wave! LOL I enjoy your insightful comments so very much! It pleases me so much that Miranda has brought so many lovely people together! My Best, Jane
Yes Miranda has brought us all together for something very special, all of us united in our love of reading📚it was so lovely to see everyone on zoom too😍
Happy birthday SOS 🥳 I love your photos Miranda and will be following the links later, especially looking forward to that brownie recipe 😋
I like this quote from The White Peacock by DH Lawrence "Winter drifts away" At last winter begins to gather her limbs, to rise, and drift with saddened garments northwards...The birds fluttered and dashed; the catkins on the hazel loosened their winter rigidity, and swung soft tassels.
My favourite quotes from the books I've read this month - apologies for the length this month includes a half term holiday so I got to reeeaaad for pleasure :):
“Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad books.”
― Mary Ann Shaffer, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
“Perhaps there is some secret sort of homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers. How delightful if that were true.”
― Mary Ann Shaffer, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
“That's what I love about reading: one tiny thing will interest you in a book, and that tiny thing will lead you to another book, and another bit there will lead you onto a third book. It's geometrically progressive - all with no end in sight, and for no other reason than sheer enjoyment.”
― Mary Ann Shaffer, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
“Hope’ is the thing with feathers – That perches in the soul – And sings the tune without the words – And never stops – at all –”
― Evie Woods, The Lost Bookshop
“If you tilt your head,’ he told me once, ‘you can hear the older books whispering their secrets.”
― Evie Woods, The Lost Bookshop
“There's never any warning that something extraordinary is about to happen, is there?”
― Eva Rice, The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets
“If I could take people out of their heads for a little while, if I could give them a dose of fantasy, that was all that mattered. You can't put a price on escape.”
All such lovely quotes, from wonderful books! The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets was my Comfort Book Club choice last February, and I adore The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Thanks for sharing!
Your video was what inspired me to read it! I’m now looking at the March video for The Secret Garden which I’ve got ready for a re- read. I’m also planning to read Beyond the Secret Garden. I’m prepping by listening to the audiobook of A Little Princess- which was another childhood favourite!
Thank you for this inspiring post Miranda. Your photographs perfectly capture the beauty of the season. In your post you mentioned that you noticed that the days were getting longer and I immediately thought of this quote:
The shortest day has passed, and whatever nastiness of weather we may look forward to in January and February, at least we notice that the days are getting longer. Minute by minute they lengthen out. It takes some weeks before we become aware of the change. It is imperceptible even as the growth of a child, as you watch it day by day, until the moment comes when with a start of delighted surprise we realize that we can stay out of doors in a twilight lasting for another quarter of a precious hour. ~V. Sackville-West, "Over winter's hump"
I loved reading this post! And your photography of late winter/early spring flowers is lovely. I wish we had snowdrops here, but at least I can enjoy my little indoor windowsill garden with blooming cyclamen and orchids. Happy almost-spring!
Dear Miranda looking at your beautiful photos I feel enveloped in a delightful Spring atmosphere! It’s pure magic to be able to see two lambs frolic together and hear their bleating calls…🐑🐑 I really look forward to reading your two books😍 I have found a lovely definition of “memories” while reading a book a friend gave me a few days ago (“Becoming” by Michelle Obama) : “Here’s a memory, which like most memories is imperfect and subjective , collected long ago like a pebble and slipped into the pocket of my mind”. I do like the idea of collecting memories like pebbles. I wish Miranda, Donna and all the dear members of this community a fabulous end of February🌱
What a lovely post! It is so wonderful to be a member of Seasons of Story. Thank you for creating it. It has brought me so much joy this past year. I wish you good health and lots of strength for all your work!😍🩷
We have so much to look forward to from you Miranda, thank you for this space. I hope you are enjoying the creative process as much as it is hard work I hope it’s enjoyable for you too! I have a book of selected poems by Emily Dickinson on my bedside table and this line from one of her poems I find delightful…
‘How happy is the little stone
That rambles in the road alone,’
These few words speak to me of independence , freedom and joy!
You give February a lovely feel, Miranda, thank you.
I'm a fan of Oliver Burkeman, through whose programme, The Death of Nuance, on Radio 4 in 2020, I first conceived of the idea of binding books for commonplacing. I'm reading his Meditations for Mortals and if, like me, you are always feeling you never quite get enough done or achieve the level of quality in your work that you should, this book helps you let go of your preoccupation with your shortcomings, and one of the chapters concludes:
'actions don't have to be things that we grind out, day after day, in order to inch ever closer to some elusive state of finally getting to qualify as adequate humans. Instead, they can just be enjoyable expressions of the fact that that's what we already are.'
Permission to be yourself and do what you enjoy - which of course includes reading for pleasure and talking about books with friends.
I have kept favorite ‘quotes and passages’ notebooks since I was very young, and they’ve been a joy to reread through the years. However, I never realized they were called Commonplace Books until I learned it from you. My latest recorded quote was included in the current issue of Victoria Magazine that came in today’s mail.
“A thing of beauty is a joy forever: its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness.” ~John Keats
Lovely post, Miranda! And thank you for the beautiful photographs too! I loved this quote from Miss Read’s Village Centenary this month:
Amy held a bowl of pink hyacinths in her hands.
‘Coals to Newcastle, I expect. I know you do well with bulbs.’
‘Not a bit of it! Mine are over, and you couldn’t have brought anything more welcome, Amy dear. Come in, out of this vile wind.’
Love it! Hyacinths are another February treat 🩷
They really are! Ours are now over, but at least the daffodils are “tossing their heads in sprightly dance” when we sit outside in the fresh morning air for a cup of tea (well wrapped, naturally 😂)
“‘You gave me hyacinths first a year ago; they called me the hyacinth girl. Yet when we came back, late, from the Hyacinth garden, your arms full, and your wet hair, I could not speak, and my eyes failed, I was neither living nor dead, and I knew nothing, looking into the heart of light, the silence. Oed und leer das Meer.” (Empty and desolate is the sea) - The Waste Land T. S. Eliot
I really enjoyed this new feature Miranda, thank you 😊
Sound like you and your Donna have had a busy fulfilling (very sweet 😋) February!
I would like to share this Japanese proverb I am familiar with,
“One kind word can warm three winter months”
My late beloved grandfather used to tell me when I was a child to be extra kind to others in winter months☺️
Such a sweet proverb! Thanks for sharing, Eriko!
Sorry meant to say “your mother Donna” apologies.
Thanks Miranda for this lively post and stunning photos of snowdrop and aconites. My quote for February" There is always in February one day,at least,when one smells the yet distant,but surely coming,summer" Gertrude Jerkyll.
That's a lovely quote, Florence - and so true! Thank you so much for sharing 💚
Thank you so much Miranda! It is a joy to hear all that is going on in your busy life! Congratulations on a second book in the offing! Wonderful! Can't wait for the first one to be available!
Our two children are adopted from Korea. Today is our son's "42nd Arrival Day" - he was 7 months old when he came to the USA! I've always collected little bits of information, images, art, and poetry from Korea and this one seems perfect for February:
There is no winter without snow,
no spring without sunshine,
and no happiness without companions.
Korean Proverb
Thank you so much, Jane! That's a lovely proverb - thank you for sharing ♥️
Happy Arrival Day to your lovely son!
I am not too familiar with Korean culture nor literature so thank you for sharing 😊
Eriko, I was delighted to see you "in person" at the UNDER THE GREENWOOD TREE book Zoom discussion. I was hoping you would comment so that I could see you and wave! LOL I enjoy your insightful comments so very much! It pleases me so much that Miranda has brought so many lovely people together! My Best, Jane
Thank you Jane!
What a lovely thing to say 😊
Yes Miranda has brought us all together for something very special, all of us united in our love of reading📚it was so lovely to see everyone on zoom too😍
Happy birthday SOS 🥳 I love your photos Miranda and will be following the links later, especially looking forward to that brownie recipe 😋
I like this quote from The White Peacock by DH Lawrence "Winter drifts away" At last winter begins to gather her limbs, to rise, and drift with saddened garments northwards...The birds fluttered and dashed; the catkins on the hazel loosened their winter rigidity, and swung soft tassels.
That's a lovely quote! Thanks for sharing, Lynne.
How beautiful!
My favourite quotes from the books I've read this month - apologies for the length this month includes a half term holiday so I got to reeeaaad for pleasure :):
“Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad books.”
― Mary Ann Shaffer, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
“Perhaps there is some secret sort of homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers. How delightful if that were true.”
― Mary Ann Shaffer, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
“That's what I love about reading: one tiny thing will interest you in a book, and that tiny thing will lead you to another book, and another bit there will lead you onto a third book. It's geometrically progressive - all with no end in sight, and for no other reason than sheer enjoyment.”
― Mary Ann Shaffer, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
“Hope’ is the thing with feathers – That perches in the soul – And sings the tune without the words – And never stops – at all –”
― Evie Woods, The Lost Bookshop
“If you tilt your head,’ he told me once, ‘you can hear the older books whispering their secrets.”
― Evie Woods, The Lost Bookshop
“There's never any warning that something extraordinary is about to happen, is there?”
― Eva Rice, The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets
“If I could take people out of their heads for a little while, if I could give them a dose of fantasy, that was all that mattered. You can't put a price on escape.”
― Eva Rice, The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets
All such lovely quotes, from wonderful books! The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets was my Comfort Book Club choice last February, and I adore The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Thanks for sharing!
Your video was what inspired me to read it! I’m now looking at the March video for The Secret Garden which I’ve got ready for a re- read. I’m also planning to read Beyond the Secret Garden. I’m prepping by listening to the audiobook of A Little Princess- which was another childhood favourite!
I forgot to add, it was so sunny and mild here in York on Saturday that I ate my lunch in the garden, without a coat, in February. It was bliss! 🌞🪻☕
Today is sunny in North Bedfordshire....warm too.
I've wandered around my garden - such a delight to see so many bright colours - crocus, daffodils and shrubs with bright green shoots. Bliss.
Your photos are so beautiful and reason to celebrate. Spring is surely not too far distant? :)
Enjoy the lovely sunshine, Jill! ☀️
Thank you for this inspiring post Miranda. Your photographs perfectly capture the beauty of the season. In your post you mentioned that you noticed that the days were getting longer and I immediately thought of this quote:
The shortest day has passed, and whatever nastiness of weather we may look forward to in January and February, at least we notice that the days are getting longer. Minute by minute they lengthen out. It takes some weeks before we become aware of the change. It is imperceptible even as the growth of a child, as you watch it day by day, until the moment comes when with a start of delighted surprise we realize that we can stay out of doors in a twilight lasting for another quarter of a precious hour. ~V. Sackville-West, "Over winter's hump"
That's a lovely quote, Enza, and very apt! Thank you for sharing.
I loved reading this post! And your photography of late winter/early spring flowers is lovely. I wish we had snowdrops here, but at least I can enjoy my little indoor windowsill garden with blooming cyclamen and orchids. Happy almost-spring!
So glad you enjoyed this, Kathleen. Your window box of flowers sounds so sweet!
Dear Miranda looking at your beautiful photos I feel enveloped in a delightful Spring atmosphere! It’s pure magic to be able to see two lambs frolic together and hear their bleating calls…🐑🐑 I really look forward to reading your two books😍 I have found a lovely definition of “memories” while reading a book a friend gave me a few days ago (“Becoming” by Michelle Obama) : “Here’s a memory, which like most memories is imperfect and subjective , collected long ago like a pebble and slipped into the pocket of my mind”. I do like the idea of collecting memories like pebbles. I wish Miranda, Donna and all the dear members of this community a fabulous end of February🌱
What a lovely quote, Laura! Thank you so much for sharing, and I hope you have a wonderful spring ahead 🌸
What a lovely post! It is so wonderful to be a member of Seasons of Story. Thank you for creating it. It has brought me so much joy this past year. I wish you good health and lots of strength for all your work!😍🩷
Thank you so much, Inga! Hope you've got a lovely spring ahead ❤️
We have so much to look forward to from you Miranda, thank you for this space. I hope you are enjoying the creative process as much as it is hard work I hope it’s enjoyable for you too! I have a book of selected poems by Emily Dickinson on my bedside table and this line from one of her poems I find delightful…
‘How happy is the little stone
That rambles in the road alone,’
These few words speak to me of independence , freedom and joy!
Thank you, Franca! I love Emily Dickinson's poetry too so thank you for sharing!
You give February a lovely feel, Miranda, thank you.
I'm a fan of Oliver Burkeman, through whose programme, The Death of Nuance, on Radio 4 in 2020, I first conceived of the idea of binding books for commonplacing. I'm reading his Meditations for Mortals and if, like me, you are always feeling you never quite get enough done or achieve the level of quality in your work that you should, this book helps you let go of your preoccupation with your shortcomings, and one of the chapters concludes:
'actions don't have to be things that we grind out, day after day, in order to inch ever closer to some elusive state of finally getting to qualify as adequate humans. Instead, they can just be enjoyable expressions of the fact that that's what we already are.'
Permission to be yourself and do what you enjoy - which of course includes reading for pleasure and talking about books with friends.
I love Oliver Burkeman's writing too, Ursula! Thank you for sharing that quote ❤️
Thank you for your beautiful photographs Miranda, we finally found a few aconites this weekend and I brought one home to press. Such a lovely post!
My quote is 'The Coming of Wisdom with Time' by Yeats
Though leaves are many, the root is one;
Through all the lying days of my youth
I swayed my leaves and flowers in the sun;
now I may wither into the truth'.
That is a lovely quote, Caroline, thank you for sharing! Glad you found some aconites 💛
Lovely post, Miranda—and beautiful pics!
I have kept favorite ‘quotes and passages’ notebooks since I was very young, and they’ve been a joy to reread through the years. However, I never realized they were called Commonplace Books until I learned it from you. My latest recorded quote was included in the current issue of Victoria Magazine that came in today’s mail.
“A thing of beauty is a joy forever: its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness.” ~John Keats
That is a favourite quote of mine too, Amy! Thank you for sharing. Love Victoria magazine 🩷