" Inspiration does not come like a bolt, nor is it kinetic energetic striving,
but it comes into us slowly, and quietly, and all the time,
though we must regularly and everyday give it a little chance to start flowing,
prime it with a little solitude & idleness."
{Brenda Ueland}
This was a week of such fullness...many appointments, errands, little fires to fight. I'm left weary and in need of the wide open space of quietude paired with an empty calendar for a few weeks. Thankfully, as I open my calendar to the next few weeks, there is little written down, for which I am deeply grateful.
Even though my days were full, I never wavered from my non-negotiable daily walks, a time of centering and inhaling the crisp winter air...my uninterrupted quiet time. There have been so many moments in my life that these walks have saved me. I will never take for granted my bodies ability to step out the door and move me along. I've been taking my camera along, seeking out color and light, this small act of attentiveness that fuels my creativity (especially on the days when I'm feeling less than inspired or creative) and takes my mind to a peaceful place.
Ease - my guiding word for the year. To walk in this world with a sense of peace and contentment, creating fluidity in my days. Finding comfort in the small things, rooted in a calm state of mind.
Nigel Slater's lovely gem of a cookbook. I've been reading through this for the past year, savoring his way with words. He has a marvelous way of writing, creating the sublime out of the ordinary. Truly, a book of comfort.
The days are slowly gathering greater light. I'm looking forward to dawn greeting the horizon at 6 a.m., the day slowly waning with the setting of the sun. A shifting and expanding of time. The creeping arrival of warmth.
Until next time...take care, my friends.