the color of winter
The color of springtime is in the flowers; the color of winter is in the imagination.
~ Ward Elliot Hour
It’s so true; isn’t it? This time of year, my heart and mind naturally turn to imagining new possibilities in all the different areas of life. Swirls of inspiration seem to rise with the steam as homemade soup simmers away on the stove. The landscape of my interior, itself, seems to match that outside my window, revealing to me the bare bones and what might be done to alter their growth pattern a little in the coming year.
Do I need to prune, or fertilize, or prop up, or plain ignore this or that aspect of myself? Might this winter gaze, a moment of awareness unburdened by activity, be a way of nurturing the garden that is me?
The mere act of sitting quietly and keeping warm under a blanket with a mug of something hot seems to give more subtle dreams courage to rise up from their quiet nests.
Are the colors of your imagination now blossoming in winter’s caress? I would anticipate this effect is exaggerated in those climates where you’re under several inches — or feet — of snow.
Sending you fuel for your imagination and a wish that you be warm, body and soul, wherever you are.
Namasté, y’all.
[Update 1/13/10: This photo is my entry into the Gardening Gone Wild Picture This monthly contest for January.]
Victory Garden Redux 
That really is beautiful. The twisting vines, the seed pods, the monochrome presentation all give the shot a poignant feel, and yet it is not so stark that you don’t see the promise of spring in the seed pods. I quite enjoyed your post too.
Thank you for the compliments 🙂 I, too, see the promise in the seed pods.
I love this sepia color, it captures the tone you are presenting!
Thank you. I don’t usually go for sepia, but it seemed right.
Namasté, y’all. I love that. Yes – I just want to sit in front of a fire and sip something hot. I am making myself be productive. 🙂
I know. I have a deadline, and it feels like pulling teeth to get my butt in the chair and accomplish something 😉
A necessary time of rest and retreat and restoration of spirit. Winter has a few beneifits and one of them is appreciating sollitude.
Beautiful post, Meredith. Those vines are as complicated as my thoughts!
Thank you, Talon. My thoughts, too, seem to twist and turn and ramble and knot sometimes.
i officially adore that quote. swoon!
winter brings a moment, that i know my soul needs.
x
Me, too! May you always get what your soul needs, Christina 🙂
Lovely, from one un-white entrant (to be) to another! Jack
Thank you! I’m enjoying viewing all the contest entries — especially the ones that break the mold 🙂
beautiful. i love that quote too!
Alisha, it is a great quote. He knew his stuff.
Thanks for the compliment!
Winter does have its own magic. It occassionally brings out the creative aspect of the mind. Lovely thoughts that warms the heart.
Thanks, Autumn Belle. I hope you experience that magic today!
I have no way of knowing if the above picture is your entry into our Picture This contest on GGW. If so, you need to state that it is with a link to our site. Thanks.
Fran
My apologies, fran! I have now fixed the problem (I hope).
I like your use of sepia. It’s like winter, which strips away the distraction of colour so that we can learn to appreciate form and subtlety.
These vines remind me of morning glories, with which I (and my garden) have a serious love-hate relationship. So beautiful, but absolutely rampant! So, to me, these seeds represent the promise of… weeding. Lots and lots of weeding.
Enjoy your winter!
Very nice conception. It really works on the imagination…
Thank you, J. 🙂
Thank you, J. 🙂