It's Still Life

1) It’s still raining but I’m thankful for the occasional thin winter sunshine that encourages anemones blossoms to open.

2) I was claustrophobic, cooped-up indoors from rain rain rain, so I took a walk on a rare bright morning, and discovered a knoll of snowdrops. The wild garlic has also broken through the muddy clay soil. As a close friend said, Spring making way..

3) In Sussex, we call these ‘clappers’ — elsewhere in SE England they’re called ‘stiles’. To say that I’m thankful for clappers might be misunderstood elsewhere. They’ve often saved my knees, my hip, my clothing, and my dignity. 

4) I’m thankful for 46 very interesting and adventurous years with Peder — we celebrated our 46th anniversary this week. I told him not to buy flowers. He did anyway. They’re very pretty. 

5) I am thankful for every effort this hellebore blossom has put into staying alive despite rain, mud, slugs, and cold. It survives against all odds.

6) A friend came for a visit, and we had to defrost her car before she could open the car door. I’m thankful that I keep my car in the garage and don’t have to scrape ice from it. 

7) Thankful for a really fast lunch of asparagus and a farm-fresh poached egg. Out of the pan and on to a plate in less than 5-minutes. 

8) I am so thankful for this brilliant hack: how to quickly polished silver—it works like magic. Line a bowl with aluminium foil (shiny side up), put your silverware on the foil, sprinkle over 1 tablespoon of baking soda, and cover with boiling water. The water will go all fizzy. Wait up to 5-minutes, rinse and dry.

9) Winter can be beautiful, and finding it hidden in corners of the garden makes me thankful to see it. Rosehips.

Taken with my Canon camera.

10) Thankful to know that my crow, who’s been a bit scarce this week, is busy rebuilding an old magpie nest in one of the Apostle Trees at the end of the garden. I sit in the conservatory with a morning coffee and watch nature take hold of the day.