That period between Christmas and New Year is an odd time, isn't it? I never know what day it is, and 'normal life', for many of us anyway, seems to be put on hold. There's always leftover food that needs using up, demanding creative ways to make it interesting. Having done a big shop before Christmas, I tried to avoid shopping again for as long as I could. There's a peculiar satisfaction in using up every last carrot! I was aiming to get into good habits ahead of the New Year (having let exercise slide in favour of eating for the last few weeks) so I did a few quite long (for me) walks. It's something I want to continue. I'm very much at the age where it seems to be 'use it or lose it' in every direction!
To make things even odder, we had a few days of really very mild weather, foggy and damp but unseasonably warm. I was throwing open windows in my apartment! Unheard of at this time of year but, compared with my previous house, it's really easy to keep warm here, in a newer and better insulated flat with other warm flats above and below. I'm glad of it but not yet used to it, and often find I can't accurately judge the outside temperature so I go out either under or over-dressed.
The above scene, along the riverside, was at the same time very ordinary, not much to see - and yet rather extraordinary too, for the time of year. There was not a breath of wind to ruffle the surface of the water. In addition, a few days without rain meant the river's flow had slowed, apparently almost to a standstill, so there was no obvious movement of a current. The flat calm made for some glorious reflections, with a transient patch of blue sky to liven it all up. Ordinary yes, but boring - no.
So here I am, setting off to enjoy another year and full of gratitude for what has been, is and will be. I'm determined to have some adventures this year, and also to notice and enjoy every ordinary moment. It's a cliché - but one I quite like - to say:
'The past is history, the future is a mystery.
This moment is a gift, which is why it's called the present.'
The mirror-like water, rimmed by the trees looking like lace with their bare branches, does indeed make for a beautiful picture.
ReplyDeleteIt was rather mild here yesterday, too (in South Germany, but apparently still under the same "weather system", according to meteorologists), but a blustery wind was blowing.
Gorgeous capture of the trees and reflections. I love that the willows are even now a greenish color against the more brown/black of higher tree's branches.
ReplyDeleteIt is a lovely shot of the riverside.
ReplyDeleteI like the quote. ;-)