Friday, January 15, 2010


Coming Home in the Snow


Frozen fountains line the streets all over town, abstract sculptures carved out of milkglass, created by artists unseen. Caught in the frigid grip of the coldest weather in years, they seem surprised to be standing so still, the casual bubble and froth of their natures ice-paralyzed, immobile as cathedral stone.


Above me, like whole notes on the staff of a Gregorian chant, the fat doves have huddled together in twos and in threes along the power lines, heads lowered, feathers puffed, orange beaks tucked under grey wings. While to my left, looking rather perturbed at the weather now descending upon them, a sepia flock of Canada Geese crowds the rapidly whitening lawn of the courthouse, all mutters and scowls as they wonder exactly which of them is to blame for this sorry miscalculation of winter locales.


There is no colder place than a city in snow and I have stayed too long at the knit shop. Already the snowflakes are falling, tiny ermine clad fireflies pirouetting around me, cheerfully greeting a landscape they rarely, if ever, see. Already the lights are being switched on in the old houses along my way, coats being shed, supper on the stove. I watch as the people scurry home on the sidewalks, heads pulled inside hoods, hands plunged into pockets.

I take a deep breath and raise my face to the slate sky, just to feel the tiny fingers of ice touch my skin. I hug my sack of new nut-brown lambswool just a bit closer.

Oh, how I love to be out in a twilight like this.


But just as the snow begins to fall harder, and the sheepy grey of the sky turns to soft navy blue, I see the lights of the cottage burning quietly before me and suddenly long to trade my wellies and scarves for fur hugs and tea mugs. I turn the key in the lock and the old door cracks open. I feel the warmth from the fireplace, smell The Songwriter’s homemade chili, hear the chipper refrain of the kettle.

The very best of both worlds in one day.


Painting by Henri Eugene Le Sidaner

43 comments:

  1. You have a very classic style of writing. It's wonderful and so very evocative.
    Cindee

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  2. What lovely walk in the snow! The piece is rich and evocative. I want to linger for a while. Thanks.

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  3. Hi Pamela
    Oh I feel I have just walked through that scene with you, turned into the lane and watched all the lights glowing in the homes...

    No snow here.. although I can imagine it through your writing.. thanks... xx Julie

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  4. You took me on that walk through the snow with you, Pamela - the only thing I wished for was what you saw and what you bought in the knit shop!

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  5. Twilight is one of my favorite times of the day. Thank you for taking me on your lovely walk.

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  6. I love both the painting and the writing !

    Have a lovely weekend

    xx
    Anci

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  7. Who needs images Pamela when we have your beautiful words. I swear I could feel the snow on my face! Leigh

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  8. Lovely..reading this was one of the best things for me today..:))

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  9. Such a beauutiful peace of writing...what are you making out of your nut brown lambswool??? xx

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  10. My guess is, it doesn't get any better than that. New yarn, a warm fire and a bowl of something warm and comforting. Beautiful Pamela.

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  11. This reminded me of my journey home tonight and even included my yearning for tea (no chilli on the hob unfortunately). You manage to make everything sound magical.

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  12. I love snow at twilght too! I really like the juxtaposition of the frozen fountains and the far doves...

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  13. I almost fall onto the floor when i read your words, they get me every time. I always tell myself, "Prepare yourself!" but alas my preparedness fails me. And yet you do not know how much you touch the spirit and the souls of those who read your words.

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  14. Your writings make me faint with envy! I adore every one of your pieces and find my day brightened each time one comes through.

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  15. pamela

    you are magical in bringing your readers along with you on your journeys. i walked along side you in my imagination and could not be more content.
    debra

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  16. I am sure I felt the snow...tasted the chli...heard the teapot whistle.

    written ballet. Superb!

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  17. I loved that... thank you for taking us there... treating us to your pensieve...

    Ermine clad fireflies will stay with me, I think.

    xo

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  18. This is the best of writing and draws one in so beautifully...like a novel, you just can't put down!

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  19. You really do make the words dance. Thank you.

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  20. Pamela, I hope you do not mind my making a sugestion. Do put your blog posts together into a book, the months, the seasons, the meaning og various feasts...
    I would love to buy such a book. There must be others like me as well. You could market it yourself. Your writing is too good not to be scattered abroad for others, who are not addicts of heavy metal, to enoy.
    Put me down as your first custmer.

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  21. beautiful writing as always! Iyou captured the cold and the draw of the cottages warmth so well! suzie. xxx

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  22. Hello P&E,

    "like whole notes on the staff of a Gregorian chant". What a wonderful way to describe birds on a power line! It lifts them out of their cold grey world and makes them something other; ancient, rich and mysterious. Arija is right. You don't need to enter competitions, you should simply publish.

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  23. I would love to come home to some homemade chili. Alas, I am the only one who cooks at the manor.

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  24. Dear Pamela,
    You have given me back my love of snow.
    Ours has all but gone now and I was quite pleased but, I remembered how much I love it when I read about your lovely walk.
    I won't mind so much if we have another snowfall now. XXXX

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  25. I love Gregorian chant! People who claimed to have/seen heard angels singing, say that Gregorian chant sounds like it.
    Stay warm:)

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  26. Your blog is enchanting and so very refreshingly different. I have instantly fallen for it and have become your latest Follower.

    Although very new to blogging, and writing from a very grey London [not, alas, Scotland!], I am alredy intrigued by those blogs where one is able to share the life style of the author.

    I shall look forward to your postings.

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  27. Tonight is a rare night for me to just be by myself and when I came home at twilight the dog greeted me and my fireplace was ready to welcome another reading night, I felt just as you did upon opening your frontdoor: The best of both worlds...
    Thank you for sharing this sweet moment!

    XX
    V.

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  28. You have such an enchanting way with words...and such a favourite subject...snow!

    Gillian

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  29. I could feel myself walking along with you with my face getting cold...then the rush of warm air when you opened that door...

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  30. A lovely piece of descriptive writing, I love to be out when new snow is falling too. There's nothing like coming home to a warm cozy house with a package of beautiful new wool is there? That's a beautiful picture you've used as an illustration for your post.

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  31. The city can indeed be colder than the country.

    Fur hugs and tea mugs sound perfect!

    Thanks so much for your kind wishes on our family illness.

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  32. This was beautiful! Thanks also for the wish note that you left me on my little tater bug, this granny stuff is wonderful!

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  33. So beautiful! Thank you for sharing your blog with all of us.

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  34. I can say nothing more then what everyone else has already said. Your words are just magic in my minds eye. Please tell me that you have a book out there somewhere that I can sit and read when I need a moment of inspriation to go on with my day.
    Your words are Magic.

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  35. Perfect...

    So evocative, and so beautiful. Thanks for taking us with you!

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  36. Poetic and beautiful.

    Whenever I read your posts that are strictly seasonal, I am taken back to my childhood; I lived in an area of the country where we had a real change of seasons, and I miss that in a very gut-wrenching way. These posts provide me a short escape back into those times.

    Thank you.

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  37. You created perfection. I felt every bit of it, so feelingly described, as always.

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  38. Hi,
    I just wanna tell you that you are on my bloglist now !

    xo
    Anci

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  39. 'fur hugs and tea mugs' - wonderful writing, Pamela - I could feel snowflakes falling gently on my face as I read your glorious descriptions:)

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  40. Does the songwriter have a favorite chili recipe? It sounds like a cozy, warming thing to eat right now.

    You describe the contrast so beautifully, Pamela.

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  41. I keep returning to this painting... it feels so familiar! I can almost imagine walking the path, rounding the bend of the house-- perhaps with you? arm in arm, in our wraps, winter bonnets and doette gloves...

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  42. Beautiful sentiment - the best of both in one day. We have just had our second snow storm of the season today - a real treat.

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I love to read your comments! Each and every one! Though I'm always reading your comments, I may not respond in the comment section. If you want to write me directly, you may do so at pamela@pamelaterry.net. Thank you for reading!