Day 304: Evening reflections

"Laughter is day, and sobriety is night; a smile is the twilight that hovers gently between both, more bewitching than either." - Henry Ward Beecher

Project 365: #304

An exciting thing about this time of the year, is that daylight saving gives us an extra hour of daylight in our day...making long evening walks at twilight possible again! Having a dog in the house also helps, as he LOVES to go on walks, so it is a good excuse to get out. And of course, there are the added advantages of beautiful scenery to absorb, such as the reflections in the stream below our house. We are certainly privileged to live in this beautiful part of the world.

Day 303: Gates to ...?

“I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.” - Albert Einstein

Project 364: #303

I know I have said it before, but I love exploring the area, and can't help imagine all sorts of different histories that have taken place...especially when I come across these once magnificent pillars and gates to a home in the countryside. They must have originally been hand-crafted by a talented iron-monger, and were the pride of the family at the entrance to their home. Now they are falling off the pillars, and are entangled in weeds and vines. I would love a glimpse of them in their prime, and the life of the family whose home they heralded, and the lives of those who crafted them. I can only imagine...

Day 302: Spring...and it's snowing

“Whenever she turned her steep focus to me, I felt the warmth that flowers must feel when they bloom through the snow, under the first concentrated rays of the sun.” - Janet Fitch, White Oleander

Project 365: #302

Spring was welcomed in by Winter with a last dusting of snow overnight....just to remind us she can be willful when she wants!! The exciting thing is that the sky is blue, and the snow was all melted by midday. I felt the warmth of the sun, it has changed from being merely light in winter to being warm and welcoming! Yay! Spring is here!!! No, we have not had our traditional "First-of-Spring-Swimming-Pool-Plunge"...just because it is Spring, doesn't mean the water won't be freezing! We will have to come up with a northern hemisphere tradition...maybe "Hot-Chocolate-Around-The-Fire" until Summer eventually arrives!

Day 301: Lunch is served!

"My daughter is the biggest gift; I've said it so many times and it sounds like a cliche, but the thing about being a parent is when you think you've cracked it, and you're on top of your game, they change again and you have to catch up and adjust. I feel such a responsibility to instill good values in her, to be polite, to have discipline." - Geri Halliwell

My daughter is the biggest gift; I've said it so many times and it sounds like a cliche, but the thing about being a parent is when you think you've cracked it, and you're on top of your game, they change again and you have to catch up and adjust. I feel such a responsibility to instill good values in her, to be polite, to have discipline. Geri Halliwell
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/g/gerihalliw544998.html?src=t_daughter

My daughter is the biggest gift; I've said it so many times and it sounds like a cliche, but the thing about being a parent is when you think you've cracked it, and you're on top of your game, they change again and you have to catch up and adjust. I feel such a responsibility to instill good values in her, to be polite, to have discipline. Geri Halliwell
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/g/gerihalliw544998.html?src=t_daughter

Project 365: #301

How exciting to come home to a cleaned house and lunch served, all by the gorgeous girls! Woohoo! There really is hope! We are blessed by not only have one daughter but two, who are so completely different that the complement each other perfectly. Today was my lucky day....it is in these little moments that you can see that all the nagging, moaning, complaining (all while trying not to) do actually pay off, and the dividends can be see replicated 100-fold. At the end of the day, you have hopefully done your job if your daughters have good values, are polite, and disciplined. You mostly see this in public, but when displayed at home, you know in your heart that your responsibilities in raising them are being met!

Day 300: Almost spring!!!

“She turned to the sunlight
    And shook her yellow head,
And whispered to her neighbor:
    "Winter is dead.”

 - A.A. Milne, When We Were Very Young

Project 365: #300

Despite the snowfall predictions for the first day of spring tomorrow, the odds are trying to overcome winter with all that they have! On my meander this morning, these beautiful daffodils were flowering in a wild copse. Someone had planted them seasons ago, probably in the hope that they would bring joy. And they certainly did! They lifted my mood, and reminded me that winter is really dead, lying almost buried among the brown decaying leaves and branches....and we may grieve a little for the season lost, but lift our spirits to the new life ahead!

Day 299: Flowing river bends

"The river is constantly turning and bending and you never know where it's going to go and where you'll wind up. Following the bend in the river and staying on your own path means that you are on the right track. Don't let anyone deter you from that." - Eartha Kitt

Project 365: #299

As with seasons,  rivers are forever changing, ebbing and flowing, and no two days are exactly the same. They are alive, and evolving, slowly cutting into the rockbed, forging new paths. With torrential rainfall they turn into a powerful force, difficult to control, with potential energy to harvest. Then, within days they can meander to a trickle, providing a soothing gurgle as the water tumbles over rocks and debris. As we are in the footfills of the Appalachians, the headwaters of three major rivers are in the vicinity - so there is water everywhere, and several little streams that seem to pop out of nowhere. It makes for a beautiful landscape. It does remind you to keep on your intended path, no matter what - following the bend in the river, and having faith that you will end up where you are meant to be!

Day 298: St Patrick's Day in the neighborhood

"For the whole world is Irish on the Seventeenth o' March!" — Thomas Augustine Daly

 Project 365: #298

Today is a day that is greatly celebrated here, any excuse really! We had a fun ladies games night as an early celebration, and have been enjoying all the parades and Irish dancing. It does seem as though the whole world is Irish today - and what a heritage to celebrate. This is a glimpse of the neighborhood - complete with a leprechaun sitting on the garden bench! Even the dentist had a celebratory plant! I have been wondering as I go along how the differences between the continents all evolved...as often when you are introduced here, the person will let you know their heritage, e.g., "I am Italian, or Scottish, or Irish...etc" even if they are the fourth, fifth, or sixth generation living here, with no real ties back to their homeland. However, from SA, even though some of us have similar ties, we just introduce ourselves as "South African", despite similar cultural heritage. I have been trying to understand it, and sometimes, I think it was almost embarrassing to admit that we are descendants from a long line of colonists in Africa, so it is better to forget your heritage and embrace the multicultural society. Anyhow, as my mother was a McNamara, I will celebrate my heritage....after all, we need to know where we have come from to know where we are going!