The Stillness of Snow

Today had that muffled quietness that you have when it snows. It was a calm, eery day. We had some snow yesterday and then over a foot arrived last night (a lot!). So although last week the yard had basically become free of snow and we could finally see the grass, today we have gone straight back into winter.



In the last few weeks winter had been getting to me. I was dreaming of California, and I haven't even been there! I felt like Holly did, over at decor8, that the winters are getting harder and harder to deal with the longer I live up North. Her blogpost got me inspired though, and I made some changes around our place. I put up my hubby's bright and gorgeous movie print of Bruce Brown's film, On Any Sunday.



I pulled out the remnants of my poor attempt of growing a hydrangea and planted a peace lily (known for its air filtering qualities... important when you seldom open windows thanks to the cold). I also got some more of my favourite, favourite plants: succulents! (The plants I got are - with the flower - Living Rock, the purply-green plant - it has some big, scientific name - and Baby Toes - the ones sticking up like, well, toes... and the large plant, held up with the skewers, is a jade) I had good chuckle at the nursery when I took them up to the counter to pay, and the sales assistant said, "Oh do you know they're native to Africa?" And my hubby said, "Us, too!"



I absolutely love succulents, not only because they're Africans like me, or because I can forget about them for days and they'll survive, but because they are so beautiful. They work perfectly with my other favourite plants, which are grasses. If you're interested in either, check out the work of Piet Oudolf (predominantly grasses) and Flora Grubb (definitely succulents, and lots of recycling!) as both are just such inspiration. Oh, you can check out more on Flora on remodelista today. Her work is perfection.

It felt good to bring some newness into my environment.

Then, the snow arrived. Really, I thought I'd be just done at the prospect... but its arrived, and its still soft and fluffy. Oh, its gorgeous! I got an email from my father, who had heard in South Africa about what a pounding we were getting, and he was jealous! And then I took a break at work, and read Sakura Snow's blogpost today about winter. She talks about winter's stillness, its graphicness, and how inspiring it is... how things are healing and renewing, waiting to burst forth in the spring. She's right... and her photos are beautiful.



So, although it is still snowing outside, I really don't mind. Spring will be here soon enough. For now I will enjoy watching a mother dragging her kids down the street in their sleds, and I'll walk the dog, and laugh really hard when he runs head first into the snow banks (even when there is a pathway just 2 feet away!). And I promise to stop being silly about moving away.