Lifted Spirits

SIsn't it amazing and wonderful, the effect that a day of lovely sunshine can have on the spirits? Even having to work yesterday, the sun streamed in through one particular window by the counter, and was warm on my back. Although the library was quieter than usual, because people were out enjoying the sun, it was still a lovely place to be. It is peaceful in my little library, and it smells of books; there is a real community spirit there, and everyone knows each other and chats as they return their books.

Nice as it is to work there, I must confess to having one eye on the window for much of the day, just to look out and see the sunshine! And at lunch time, I had a special treat in store. You see, years and years ago, when I was a little girl, there used to be a jumble sale and book sale at the village hall a few doors down on a Saturday afternoon, and after we had been there, we used to go to the library to choose some books. Imagine how excited I was to see that there was going to be one held that very day, and my late lunch meant I could pop in for a few minutes.

It shows how long it has been since I have been to a jumble sale, and I must admit that from reading scrumptious books like India Knight's Thrift, I had this lovely vision of picking up crocheted blankets and flowery tea cups, perhaps finding a lovely vintage book or two....well there was a queue right back to the duck pond to get in, and when I got it, wow! It was a heaving mass of people, elbows out, scurry, hurry, squish! Perhaps I got special treatment as a child, because I do not remember being buffeted about like I was!

I don't especially like crowds, so I was rather pleased to escape, but not before I had been swept round the stalls by the crowd...and emerged with a set of four beautiful glass storage jars for 40p!

Happily the weather forecast is that the whole weekend shall be gorgeous, and today (Sunday) I have the perfect treat planned. At last, at last, dear Carl and I are going to take ourselves off to The Gardens of Easton Lodge so we can walk around and admire the snowdrops. I just adore snowdrops, I love their elegance and beauty, and the fact that they are the first little whisper that spring is on the way.

When I walked to work on Friday, it was a cool morning, and the trees were just undefined smudges against the sky, because it was that hazy early-morning air, and yet for all the winteryness, there was a tiny edge to the breeze, that seemed to whisper 'spring is coming, spring is coming!' There was a blackbird hopping about in a garden, he could almost have been dancing, when suddenly, he stopped, and cocked his head as if to listen to the 'spring is coming' whisper. In another garden, there was a row of daffodil shoots just starting to emerge, all green and spiky, and reminding me a little of that soft delicate hair that new babies have at the back of their heads. In another garden, there were tiny buds of yellow blossom emerging on a trellis. Before we know it, there will be pinpricks of yellow and purple crocus, and spring will be here!