WINTER SUNDAY

A cold night had me out of bed filling my hot water bottle in the early hours and even though I was warm and snug in bed with my “hottie” on my chilly feet I was unable to go back to sleep. I made myself a pot of tea and sat in the bedroom chair wrapped in a fur rug ,a sheepskin on my feet and the cat Moth adding her special warmth.

It had been raining,again, but now it was dry and clear, a small street lamp at the bottom of the garden showed the damp grass clearly and as I watched ,frost began to form. Soon every blade of grass and every twiggy shrub was a mass of sparkles each one diffusing the light of the street lamp in a dozen directions and turning our sere winter garden into a place of magic and mystery.....perfectly lovely.

The sunshine and sparkle did not even survive breakfast,all too soon a steady drizzle of small rain drained the little colour there was in the landscape and the gloom gathered rapidly as the afternoon progressed.

I had been out briefly on an errand and such was the damp and chill that I was glad to be home again in my warm kitchen preparing the evening meal.

Around four thirty had occasion to look out of the window across to the shelter belt,that was when I noticed that in spite of the cloud and drizzle,in spite of the fact that I was in a well lit room ,it was still light enough to see the faces of people on the other side of the road. I looked again at the clock four forty and still not dark,the year has turned,the nights are drawing out again and soon I shall be able to take a ride around the park after tea.

I have felt light of heart since making this observation,of course there is still much of winter still to come but for now the arrival of spring is inevitable....let us pray that it remains so.