Spring is near

Our lovely snowdrops have faithfully shown up a while ago already, but they are now at the height of their graceful and modest beauty. We found them growing by the back fence of our back garden in the first spring after we moved into our house four years ago, together with numerous daffodils in various corners, and a couple of primroses. But the snowdrops were almost hidden, behind other shrubs and plants growing there, so the following year, when they had finished flowering, I carefully lifted the clump of bulbs and split them among the four corners of the small lawn in our front garden. (Don't ask me why I chose those spots, cos I have no idea! :D ) Three of the four clumps have been coming out ever since, and it does lift the spirits, does it not, to see the wee lovely flowers appear to give encouragement and promise of the spring to come.

No leaf yet on the trees, and I think we have a way to go waiting for them, but I do still love the winter trees, bare but beautiful, and revealing more of the landscape through their interesting branches. The ones that draw my eyes again and again are of course the silver birches (I never tire of taking photos of our own one in all weathers), and these were growing in the park near the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Ayrshire, where we were last Saturday:

 

Speaking about uplifting and joyful moments, it's been so sweet receiving postcards in the mail this month! I took part in the Pile of Postcards Valentine Exchange, organised by the lovely Sian at From High in the Sky. It's been great! :D I'm enjoying so much the surprise of receiving the different postcards, and reading the lines on the back, and thinking of all the good people who sent them. I still have two to come - anticipation! :)

What was also a great surprise was how much I enjoyed picking my own postcards to send, and writing them out! :D The theme for the exchange was 'things we love'. For quite a while I was pretty nervous about what I was going to choose, and where I could find anything suitable, and I most of all I was anxious about the fact that the days seem to go by, but there was no opportunity for me to go out. Then, finally, two weeks ago, I was able to go to Glasgow on the Friday morning!

Where to for pretty postcards of things I love?! Paperchase, of course. Paperchase, my home from home, my little paradise. Oh how I love thee. I could (and do!) spend hours there, looking at all the adorable illustrations on their products, and admiring the design of everything.

When I was younger, I used to think I was a little odd for being so entranced by paper and writing instruments, then fortunately I discovered I was not alone in the world, indeed far from it, and that there are wonderful occupations devised so that the sufferers of this craving can indulge their passion unimpeachably: such as scrapbooking and its ilk.

Without further diversion, here are the ones I chose, and the reasons I picked them - with names blurred out, in case some people have not received them yet! :D I should maybe have waited longer to show you these photos, but just couldn't, so here I am chancing it! :)

 

 

It was a rare time of joy, sitting by myself in the Tinderbox café on the upper floor of Paperchase, with the light of the sunny morning streaming in through the window, thinking and writing about things I love! 

It has inspired me to choose more often to explore in my mind the things I'm fond of, and intentionally get close to them and ponder and appreciate. 

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Philippians 4:8

P.S. An update on the pain: after a harrowing weekend, I was at the doctor's on Monday, and he put me on pregabalin - which works!! Praise be to God. I am now pain free. Amazing! :D