Nature

Snow, Snow and More Snow

/ still a dreamer

And an antidote! If you are anywhere in the Northeast, you are getting slammed about now. It’s been snowing here since last night around 8:30 – going into 20 hours straight so far – and hopefully letting up sometime after midnight. From the looks of it, my neighborhood has had 14″ so far. But it sure is pretty.

The girls next door were out in the backyard building forts and having a snowball fight. The people next door – well, I just looked and see the young son standing out on the (slanted) porch roof shoveling snow down off it – now that’s a little scary!

But when I’ve really had enough of the snow, I have an antidote … hot chocolate! A friend gave this to me as part of a fabulous bag of Christmas goodies, and the bottle is so sweet, I almost don’t want to open it. But I’ll get over it!

Looking out my living room window and across the side portion of my wraparound front porch, it’s snow just as far as the eye can see. The plow comes through every now and then, but not so often. I suspect overnight, when the snow starts to let up, they will make more headway.

This isn’t a day to work, but I’ve tried and gotten some stuff done. I think it’s time to do some stuff for me – drawing? writing? Sounding good …

Stay warm everyone and happy digging out tomorrow!

Bones

/ still a dreamer

Although I wrote this poem December 4 and had made a few edits, I intended to tighten it up further and submit it before the deadline to children’s book author David Harrison’s blog. He has a poetry contest each month, writing to a specific topic. December’s was “Bones.” I’m guessing with the holidays, my intentions got lost in the shuffle as I missed the deadline, so I’m posting it here. If interested, David’s topic for January is “Time.”

BONES

In violet, indigo and dusky blue,
they shadow their bones
across silver snow
in the sharp morning sun.

They bare their essence
and nod in silence
to admiring passersby.

Standing tall
in their most primitive selves
they are visions
of grace and pride.

I am Oak.
I am Ash.
I am Poplar.

Soon enough
Spring will come
cloaking their branches in
effusive greens,
in camouflage,
and playful disarray.

But for winter …

I am my bones.

Jeanne Balsam
December 2009

Winter Solstice

/ still a dreamer

Today is the Winter Solstice — the longest night in the year and the official beginning of Winter. Tomorrow there will be a gradual return to more daylight as each day passes.

But today is Solstice. A day of reflection, of peace, of quiet gratitude for the beauty of this Earth. Celebration of the Solstice had its origins in ancient times when people feared that their light source, the sun, who they worshipped as a god, was dying, leaving them without warmth and abundance. They developed rituals to bring back the light which culminated on the Solstice, gathering greenery, lighting bonfires, and reveling with music and dance.

Although the world is dark and especially cold, at least in the Northern Hemisphere, it is a wonderful time to look at the moon and sky and be thankful for all we have. It is a wonderful time to reflect, to forgive, and look to the year to come. Peace.

Fall – Just 2 Days Later

/ still a dreamer / 2 Comments

Autumn is on her own schedule. She seems to pay no mind to temperatures, to incoming storms; she just pulls out her paints and brushes, and in her own time gently strokes the trees with gold, oranges, crimson and amber. Here, just 2 days later, is the same tree that appears in my last post.

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