Comin' up roses

Ah, Valentine's. I've never had a good relationship with it, and it remains a somewhat problematic festival for me. During my teenage years it was my best friend with the big boobs who used to get cards, not me. In those days they were always anonymous too, supposed to be from a secret admirer. I never had any, which actually didn't bother me tooooo much.

Now in this deep winter, when I look out on spiky icicles that hang like fangs from our eaves, I think maybe a little heart warmth, some fire of desire might be a good thing. But there's the rub. For me, Valentine's shouldn't be about expectations, but rather about romance. Which begs the question, what exactly is that? Hmm, I suspect it has an illusory quality, more seductive to our minds than our bodies, and more difficult to capture. The only place I really can grasp it is in the romantic composers like Chopin and Brahms. So maybe listening to them might be a good place for me to start, and I'll see if I can manage something more by Thursday.

too long no post

Uh oh, apologies, dear Readers. I slid slowly through January or, more like, trudged through it. Yeah, we had lots of snow so that's my excuse. I did actually handwrite some thoughts, and I'd type them out... if I could only find that particular notebook!

Anyhow, I'm going Chinese now and will take February for a good start. As a snake, I'm going to take hold of the Year of the Rat, swallow it, and plan to post once a weekend.

Meantime, faute de mieux, here's a poem for you to take or leave.

Spring is still seven snow fields away
while ice-cutting winter light
slices through the cramping windows
like cross-country ski trails
forging freely across the white
breathing the miracle of pale azure air
and blood pumping with exhilaration.

Skiing into 2008

Isn't it wonderful that the start of a new year always feels so full of promise, so brimming with opportunities to be better and to do better, to eat and drink more mindfully, be kinder to loved ones, to be less selfish and/or self-focused? A new energy seems to be available at this time when we're still journeying through the thirteen holy days and night of the Christmas season.

Having prepared my home and heart to welcome guests and loves ones from near and far, something begins to mature and take on form, bringing me a glimpse or two into the heavens, some insights and intuitions that will help me slide into the months ahead with new impetus and purpose.

And somehow I find the deep midwinter helps the process.

So I wish you all much good will for 2008.