Simply a moment - - - Mother Nature's Jewels

10.44 - Saturday 16th February 2013

- - - the car climbs steadily up the Sloc - and the higher we climb the more we are enveloped by the mist - until the Artisan switches on the headlights. "I was really psyched up for a nice weekend" he says - disappointment tinged his voice - and I smiled ruefully - yesterday was so lovely I thought - why couldn't it have stayed bright for one more day? He works so hard - his weekends so precious - and when he can't get out to enjoy the great outdoors he gets so down. My thoughts wander. As always  - I find myself surprised by the clarity of colours on these damp grey days - an unexpected gift that never ceases to surprise me. The bare branches of the fuchsia hedges are the most glorious golden honey brown - - and the moss and ferns bright jewels of emerald green - - - on the radio Prince sings The Most Beautiful Girl in the World - the melody is so lovely and I find my eyes filling with tears. I look hastily away, I don't want the Artisan to see that today I am not really coping well, I don't on grey days - I gaze unseeing out the window, battling hard with my feelings of loss - I win - my thoughts drifting back to the wonderful colours Mother Nature paints our world with, until suddenly we are almost in Purt ny Hinshey - I drag my head back to the present - - we are pulling into Fenella beach car park - a walk round the castle walls by the sea and a quick drop in at the kipper factory for todays tea beckons - - -

Alexa at Trimming the Sails runs this meme each month - if you pop over to visit her here - you will find lots more "moments". Go on - you know you want to - and maybe you have a moment of your own to share too?

Thanks for stopping by

 'til later,  Bannaghtyn J xx

Storytelling Sunday - February

- - once more blogland is full of stories today - - thanks to Sian from High in the Sky for hosting - and as I made a promise to myself to try to participate more often this year, here I am again.
Sian's suggested theme - precious - has lots of scope (details can be found here, )so do feel free to join in by sharing a story of your own.

Precious Perfume

The small girl stood at her side, looking up hopefully - the woman picked up the small black bottle and turning to the child bade her "hold out your hand". The little one obeyed delightedly - the smile stretching as granny squeezed the small, net covered rubber bulb - spraying sweet violet scented perfume on to her wrist - - - - -

It lives now in the pine cabinet in the alcove of the hearth -  just a small, rather pretty bottle, the gilding a little worn and the base slightly chipped, missing a couple of the small sparkly gems around the neck of the top - yet the painting/transfer/enamel on the sides is still in perfect condition- dating from the late 1940's or early 1950's. I am not sure just how old it is - not yet an antique or even very valuableI guess.

It used to sit on my Granny's dressing table  - and I remember it from when I was a tiny girl and she still had the shop - I have no idea how she got it - a gift from my mum perhaps?
It came to me as a 15 year old - I am not sure whether grandad or mum said I might have it when Granny died - but I suspect grandad - I can hear his voice in my head - "You have it, missy" is what I hear - he always called me "missy" ( and my sister was "little missy") but I am really not sure, the memory of grandad saying that to me could cover a myriad of small items!!
I need only to turn this little bottle round and round in in my fingers to be transported back in time - once again that small girl standing at granny's dressing table as she sprayed a little of the perfume it contained onto my wrist. The bottle still holds traces of that sweet violet perfume - - - the scent of granny - perfume was her only concession to "cosmetics" - and I think it might have been a Yardleys Eau de Toilette from the floral collection they made. I am not sure  any longer - I only know my little chipped glass bottle is priceless - to me and my mum anyway - another "precious".
Its home is rather cluttered with lots of "nick-nacks" - dust collectors really - and as I return my precious bottle to its home in the cabinet  I realise I ought to tidy it out. Maybe later.

There are a lot of stories to be found around the web today - you can find them here.

Thanks for stopping by
'til later,

Bannaghtyn - J xx