Book Sharing Monday 2010 - Snow, thaw and shelves

An appropriate choice for today, I thought, is Ollie's Ski Trip by Elsa Bescow.  Another of these gentle little stories, this tells how Ollie gets a new pair of skis for his birthday, but doesn't get to use them for ages, as the snow keeps falling and then thawing right away.  Then at last it snows for 3 days and he gets his chance.  Out he goes, revelling in the beauty of the winter landscape, and he meets Jack Frost !  Jack Frost is very impressed with Ollie and asks him if he would like to visit King Winter in his ice palace.  Well - who wouldn't?  On their way, however, the meet an old woman with a broom, who is making the ice and snow melt - Mrs Thaw!

 

Jack Frost chases her off in quite a rude fashion, but when Ollie challenges him, he says that Mrs Thaw is always trying to come too soon - she should not be here until the spring.  Anyway, Ollie has a most wonderful time at King Winter's court, playing, sledging and skating.  Then he returns home and he and his little brother enjoy the rest of the winter, playing in the snow.  Mrs Thaw stays away for a long time, but then at the end of winter, she comes back.

 

She didn't stop until there wasn't a speck of snow left

Rain poured down in torrents and last year's withered 

leaves were sent whilring away with her broom. And every-

one seemed to get a cold.  Ollie was really angry with Mrs Thaw.

 

But one lovely spring day, Spring came driving up in

her airy carriage drawn by white butterflies.  Then Ollie

saw Mrs Thaw, as she stood by the side of the ditch wearing

a brand new apron. She curtsied to Spring, beaming with 

delight For the first time, Ollie really liked Mrs Thaw 

and knew that she wasn't so bad after all.  But he did 

wish she would learn to come at the proper time.

Is this the proper time?  Or will King Winter and Jack Frost return?  Watch out for  the next couple of months to find out!

There are lots more books being shared at Serendipity every week on Book Sharing Monday.

Now I am going to add another dimesnion to my Book Sharing Monday posts.  I was very taken with this post on When I get the time.  Pippa mentions how people's kitchens and bookshelves can say a lot about them.  I have been thinking about this, and looking at our bookshelves.  Just glancing at the one to my right as I type has The Golfer's Companion sandwiched between The Complete New Herbal, and Solar Ethics.  Hmmm.  Well I am going to be brave and start sharing some of my bookshelves.  I have 2 small(quite chipped now that I notice) shelves in the kitchen which hold some of my cookery books, so we will start there.

I love looking at other people's book collections.  Dare to share?

Pride comes before ...

Two nights after posting photgraphs of my house fringed with beautiful icicles, and basking in the kind and appreciative comments, the thaw began to set in and guess what?

There was a huge roaring sound as a ton of snow slipped off the roof, taking half the guttering with it.

Fortunately no-one was underneath it at the time, but John has spent the morning clearing massive ice chunks from the rest of the roan pipe.  Ho-hum...

Winter table.

Now that Christmas has been cleared away, the seasonal display looks a little bit empty. That is just as it should be though, as outside is stark and bare. A simple soft snowy white cloth, some beeswax candles to represent the light and warmth that we crave right now, and an old, much thumbed Ladybird book about winter.  In the centre is a white cyclamen - a plant that blooms in Wintertime and, for me, is symbolic of light and growth in the darkness.

 

The pine cones from the seasonal table have been used to make suet and seed feeders for the birds.  Our garden robin was an early visitor.

So, not much can be done in this freezing cold weather except stay by the fire and work our way through some of our Christmas books.

 

Luckily on my last charity shopping trip I managed to pick up a couple of old fashioned thick woollen blankets, along with some linen napkins (my current obsession).  So, for the time being we can snuggle up cosily, and I can read my elder son's Christmas gift to me and dream of what I can do with all those vintage textiles. 

Solstice images

We made sunny orange cupcakes.

We found the delicate wing from a butterfly lying on the snowy covered garden path . A poignant reminder of the summer past.

We built a SnowWoman, and how fine she looks!

Darkness falls early on the snowy field across the road

 Perfect for a candlelit evening by the fire.

Blessings to all on this Midwinter's night.

Fire shadows

It's almost midwinter here in Scotland. Long dark nights by the fire - dancing shadows in the flames.

 What pictures do you see?

 

Visit Tracy for midsummer in Australia and Shadow Shot Sunday