An abundance of beauty

As I write, I am sitting at the top of the cliff above Petit Bot bay in the lovely island of Guernsey.  I am surrounded by an outrageously beautiful display of nature's abundance; tiny, embryonic green sloes abound in the aftermath of frothy blossom, and at my feet, clustering ivy leaves entwine the stems of the bushes, while radiant daisies turn their faces to the sun.

Pink campion, purple violets, bluebells, speedwell, pennywort, scabious, primrose - all jostle together amongst the nodding grasses in a rampant festival of colour and a celebration of life and of the Spring.

Abundance is all around us - we just need to change our focus in order to see it.  Instead of focusing on lack, or of things we don't want in our lives, spend some time focusing your attention on what you do want, and on the abundance that is all around you, and watch as your focus expands...

The Ghosts of Christmas

For the past few weeks we have been living in an extraordinary winter world of quite astonishing and remarkable beauty. The extreme winter temperatures created havoc for many, but it seemed that the Ghost of Christmas Present was on our side...

We were profoundly grateful to W Eves for our oil delivery last Tuesday, just in the nick of time before we ran out completely, and we were also very grateful for a window in the weather on Thursday which allowed us to collect various family members for their Christmas visit. In the midst of total travel chaos at Gatwick Airport and agaist all the odds, my niece received her own particular Christmas travel miracle thanks to Flybe.

Our Christmas was spent with friends and family (and dogs!) in warmth, with good food and wine, surrounded by the fragile beauty of a true winter wonderland, thanks to the people and events which brought everything together and made it happen.

Gratitude is a natural emotion at Christmas, and as Christmas 2010 fades into memory along with the Ghosts of other Christmases past, gratitude will remain a very strong part of that memory to carry forward into the Spirit of Christmases Yet to Come.

The perfection of uniqueness

"I would rather live in a world where my life was surrounded by mystery than live in a world so small that my mind could comprehend it." - Harry Emerson Fosdick

The trees, whose wonderful autumn colours delighted us only a short time ago, have now lost their "glory terrestrial" and, overnight, their nakedness has been magically transformed by a "glory celestial" as the first snows of winter fell.

The dogs, naturally, are enchanted by this strange element that has invaded their garden. Despite her extremely short legs, Poppy is among the most enthusiastic and manages to collect impressive quantities of snowballs in her fur from chasing the others around the lawn.

Snow has always held a fascination for me. Watching snowflakes fall is incredibly hypnotic; these countless, ethereal crystals floating so silently from the sky in their microscopic perfection. It has been said that every snowflake is unique - if that is so (and I like to believe it is!) what an absolutely astonishing mystery of nature it is that lies out there in its translucent, transforming and, ultimately, transient beauty.

Taking time to see

"Nobody sees a flower - really - it is so small it takes time - we haven't time - and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time." - Georgia O'Keeffe

Our beautiful house was once a granary, and I am very lucky to have my study facing onto the courtyard; the view of which is framed by one of the granary arches, now filled in by sliding glass doors which makes for a very peaceful, light and sunny room. Around the courtyard are some lovely trees and shrubs, much beloved by a variety of small birds whose presence we encourage by a steady supply of peanuts. The bluetits are particularly abundant and I have a huge affection for these tiny creatures whose small lives are lived out so close to our own, and yet so secretively that we cannot share much of their daily travails.

Last week, however, I was able to share for a brief time in the life of one of these tiny scraps of feathered beauty which unfortunately collided catastrophically with the big glass window of my study in its journey across the courtyard. Fortunately the client I was seeing at the time had no objection to my hurrying outside on a rescue mission - not the first time this has happened! As I scooped up this little bird very gently from the stone, it clung to my finger and sat, somewhat bemused, in the warmth of my hand. I was struck by the beauty of the colours; able to take my time to really see, as this little creature slowly recovered - amazed by the perfection of each tiny feather.

I was very grateful for this small interlude of exploration into a beauty that we are not normally privileged to see. This week set aside some time - even if it only five minutes - to really see something; a flower, a leaf or a blade of grass - and be amazed by the beauty you discover. As Henry Miller wrote, "The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself."