Hello Friends!
It’s the day before Valentine’s Day, and I haven’t created a single Valentine yet. However, I have gotten dressed, so that’s a step in the right direction 🙂 And last night (I know this will sound totally crazy, but I am going to admit it anyway), I was upset because I couldn’t figure out what to do for me. I mean, shouldn’t I know what I would like? I always stress out about getting people gifts because I want to get something perfect for them, and half the time I haven’t a clue what that could be. Occasionally I’ll come up with a wonderful gift idea for someone, but it will never be around the holidays, so I’ve started a gift idea list on my computer. Do you stress about that kind of thing too? Actually, I sometimes come up with creative things, but then I wonder if the recipient will appreciate my gift or not. Maybe what I think is cool and thoughtful won’t seem cool and thoughtful to them. Isn’t this whole thing so crazy??? Or is it just me…..(this is when you write and say emphatically that you are crazy too or give me a fabulous idea of how not to be crazy). Oh! I just thought of what I really want for Valentine’s! A love letter 🙂 I’m going to write a love letter to myself.
Now that that’s settled (phew!), would you like to go on a walk with me? Yesterday I was looking though my photos and found one I had completely forgotten about that would have really come in handy when I wrote Tree Spirits and Talking to Trees. I so wished at the time that I had a picture of a face in a tree, and yesterday I discovered one!
This photo was taken just after New Year’s 2007 in England. My family in England gathers each January for a long walk over the Yorkshire moors together. This tree was at the beginning of our walk. As you might have guessed, I have borrowed everyone else’s winter gear and have 5 layers under the rain jacket. It was so cold!
We walked through farms and saw cute sheep 🙂 Imagine slopping along muddy paths, seeing your breath cloud in front of you from the cold, and hearing little bits of stories from other family members walking behind and in front of you. The countryside stretches for miles and miles with no one else in sight. It’s quiet and serene, and everything feels as if it’s in its perfect place, including you. I’m so glad you’re taking this walk with me!
In England, you can walk all over the countryside, whether someone is using the land or not. There are gates in all the fences for walkers to go through. Everyone is encouraged to walk and explore the countryside.
I just love stone walls, don’t you?
I am amazed at how green the grass is in the middle of winter.
This is Roseberry Topping. Funny name for a hill, isn’t it? According to wikipedia, remains of huts dating from the Iron Age are found on this hill. I thought it was named after a dessert, but it actually got its name from the Vikings.
“Roseberry” came from Old Norse Óðins bjarg (“Odin‘s rock or crag”), after the Norse god Odin.[3] The name changed successively to Othensberg, Ohenseberg, Ounsberry and Ouesberry before finally settling on Roseberry. “Topping” is a corruption of toppen, an Old Norse word for a hill.[4]
I love learning about the history of words. I figured this little tidbit might be interesting to all of you who study Runes, because as I’m learning, they are associated with different Norse gods.
Okay friends, thank you for taking this walk with me. Now I’m going to make my Valentine’s cards (and my love letter)!
Much love,
Melanie Jade
