Virginia Crow's Blog: Crowvus Book Blog, page 37

Day 5 - Nature in Advent

 

The 5th day of December demands 5 quotes - 

These are all taken from "The Country Diary Of An Edwardian Lady". The author, Edith Holden, died while doing what she loved best - observing the natural world. She belonged to the generation of my great grandparents and I thank her for her inspirational notes and artwork. She includes quotations from other writers - some well-known, some little-known today, in her account of the changing seasons in the British countryside. I have chosen three well-known writers and two of Edith's diary entries.

"When daisies go, shall winter time
Silver the simple grass with rime.
Autumnal frost enchant the pool
And make the cart-ruts beautiful . . . "

(R.L.Stevenson)

"After a rapid thaw and four days of wonderfully mild, still weather, without wind or rain, the wind has gone round to the east and it looks as if we might have a frosty Christmas after all."

(December 20th, 1906)

"They should have drawn thee by the high-heap't hearth,
Old Winter! seated in thy great armed chair;
Watching the children at their Christmas mirth;
Or circled by them as thy lips declare
Some merry jest, or tale of murder dire . . . . "

(R.Southey)

"Bright and clear, more heavy snow storms are reported from all parts of the country, accompanied in some places by thunder and lightning. Skating has commenced in the Fens."

(December 28th, 1906)

"To sit on rocks; to muse o'er flood and fell;
To slowly trace the forest's shady scene,
Where things that own not man's dominion dwell,
And mortal foot hath ne'er or rarely been!
To climb the trackless mountain all unseen,
With the wild flock, that never need a fold;
Alone o'er steeps and foaming falls to lean;
This is not solitude: 'tis but to hold
Converse with Nature's charms, and view her stores unrolled."

(Byron)

Day 4 of Quotes - That Friday Feeling

The Star from the Nativity Snow Globe

It's the first Friday of December, and I have that Friday feeling as well as that December elation!
Here are my four quotes for the fourth of December...
"Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?"- It's a Wonderful Life
"And with that, the Cratchits came to what was surely the happiest single moment in all the livelong year."- The Muppets Christmas Carol
"A sudden thought flashed into Papa Panov's mind. He remembered the little shoes he had looked at last night. But he had been keeping them for Jesus. He looked again at the cold little feet and made up his mind."- Papa Panov's Special Christmas
"When next they went to the trading post, Chi-Wee, with trembling fingers, thrust a pink shell necklace into the hands of the man who ran the store. It was her most precious possession!"- Chi-Wee's Special Present
The last two quotes are particularly important to me. The first is from a beautiful story about an old man who gets a surprise visit. The second is an equally lovely story about a little girl who really wants to buy her mother a special present.
This year we're sharing our favourite Christmas quotes from books, films, poems and songs. Hopefully, you'll be inspired by our quotes, and we'd love to hear some of your favourites too! You can comment with them at the bottom of this post. 

Day 3 of Quotes - Beginnings...

 

This is a lovely leaf I found on the walk earlier. The ground was so crispy underfoot, and this little piece of magic was just off to one side.

Day 3

Christmas is a time for new beginnings - the birth of the baby in the manger, the beginning of the days when we start to look ahead to spring... Here are some of the greatest beginnings in Christmas film and literature...

"A little boy was sitting in the corner of a railway carriage looking out at the rain, which was splashing against the windows and blotching downward in an ugly, dirty way."

            - "Children of Green Knowe" by Lucy Boston

"I owe everything to George Bailey. Help him, dear Father."  - "It's A Wonderful Life"

"This story begins just after Queen Victoria came to the throne."

  - "A Christmas Carol" (the Ladybird Children's Classics version!)

 

This year we're sharing our favourite Christmas quotes from books, films, poems and songs. Hopefully, you'll be inspired by our quotes, and we'd love to hear some of your favourites too! You can comment with them at the bottom of this post.

Day 2 of Quotes - Crafting for Christmas

Day 2

Taking time to be crafty! And we're not alone - here are two very different quotes from two very different places which show Christmas craftiness is timeless!

"... I was decorating my Christmas tree, unwrapping funky ornaments made of Popsicle sticks..."

 

"Then up rose Mrs. Cratchit, Cratchit's wife, dressed out but poorly in a twice-turned gown, but brave in ribbons, which are cheap and make a goodly show for sixpence"

First from the film You've Got Mail. Second from (of course!) Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. 

This year we're sharing our favourite Christmas quotes from books, films, poems and songs. Hopefully, you'll be inspired by our quotes, and we'd love to hear some of your favourites too! You can comment with them at the bottom of this post.

Day 1 of Quotes - Words of Encouragement

Welcome back to our 300 Good Deeds blog!

This year we're sharing our favourite Christmas quotes from books, films, poems and songs. Hopefully, you'll be inspired by our quotes, and we'd love to hear some of your favourites too! You can comment with them at the bottom of this post.

Day One

"You see - little bits of things kept turning up!"

This is a favourite family quote from Mrs. Gatty's "Parables of Nature". The story is about a robin, full of hope, his relationship with the other creatures in the winter garden, and the two-way giving between the lonely man in the cottage and the robin who sang for him.

Day 24 of Thankfulness: We Wish You A Merry Christmas (and a happy new year)

The crib looking at its finest!

Orlando escaping from Scapa!

A nice compliment from an online quiz! The Day of the Weasel Socks Going to a heaving B&M on Christmas Eve and coming away with one jar of Sandwich Spread! Family lunch. Sweeties from our French family (thank you!)... ...which contained words of wisdom along with delicious chocolate!  The Christmas tree at dusk. Aurelie's first Orlando pick-up hug! Muppets' Christmas Carol Sherry! Baby's First Christmas!  Orlando with Santa! Mummy kissing Santa Claus!  Auri and Grandad Santa! Santa selfie! A beautiful sky on the way to Tesco! The ever-growing present pile!
 Already establishing a sweet tooth!
 Catching up with the Advent Candle
 The Christmas Cake - fully iced!
 Gorgeous, but no intention of smiling!
Already loving her books!

Day 23 of Thankfulness: Christmas Eve Eve

Getting ready for a walk with two crazy aunts! ...He's behind you! Orlando actually more interested in the lunger than the ball! An Auri bundle Is it just me, or is there a person there? Someone else had left a friendly message for passers-by Putting the baby to sleep in the arms of Radiator Girl (actual superhero name!) And then on to Tesco! Mist gathering this afternoon - super spooky! Preparing for the Pantomime Flo the Forgetful Fairy and a wayward member of the audience! Bertram the Bearded Lady and the same wayward member! Returning to my principal boy days Two guesses who's been around here! Ice forming on the pond The eerie mist seeping out of the bog... ...and devouring Wick Sharing Crow madness with friends! A gorgeous critter on the phone background. And look - the moon is shining at 14:36

Day 22 - The Arrival of the Family!

Orlando sulking after being told off. The cold boiled as in "A Christmas Carol" Auri's eye view of the Christmas tree. The arrival of the family... Christmas with a baby!! It's as it should be! Auri discovering the Christmas Tree baubles. The Christmas Tree in Alex's and Aurelie's Air B&B Argyle Square - home! The Church's nativity scene. Home! Feeling and dressing festively! Auri on the move!
Auri meeting Rusty the singing spaniel... ...and "reading" Christmas cards! Play time with Granny Susie And snooze time with Granny Susie! Granddad Keith fast asleep, too! Cocktails! Presentation of the prize. The hearth. Our first Christmas with a fire in ten years! Protecting Orlando from... This savage beast!

Day 21 of Thankfulness: A Busy Start To The Holidays!

The yew tree - an important part of a Christmas which includes The Children of Green Knowe! Delicate seedheads to bring the garden to life next year. Here is the Portugese Laurel - in the daylight this time.  The last of the berries for feeding the birds. Looking down the garden. A slightly scary looking figure at the Recycling Centre in Wick. The wreath on the door - welcoming visitors. Sneaky-peeking past the window boxes to the Christmas tree.  The pair of Christmassy wellies joining the owls. Long shadows at noon on the first day of winter. THAT FACE!! The sky caught in a pool... A leaping, bounding puppy.
I made Clemency a helmet while we were shopping!  A beautiful sunset. The present pile keeps growing! Washing and drying on the go - nearly down all the pre-Christmas laundry!  Yumminess, courtesy of our special friends in Germany. The joy of supporting local businesses. I don't know where we'd be without our local butcher. Just some of the beautiful cards we have received this year.  The Snowman making his way into the Castle Room so that we can get sweeties!