Today I have some photos to share with you. Jeff and I enjoyed a date last Monday. It was Martin Luther King’s birthday, and Jeff had the day off but Amelia, being in an English school, did not– so we had babysitting! We went to Wyken Vineyards to take some photos. We have had a very mild winter so far, and although everything is bare, I still find it incredibly beautiful. I don’t have a lot to say here, so I’ll just let the photos do the talking from here, with a couple more thoughts at the end.
Although I never experienced winter for most of my life (growing up in the Philippines and Los Angeles) I find that winter landscapes really resonate with me. There is a bareness and vulnerability that speaks to me. Maybe it’s because I have gone through some intense seasons of loss and sorrow (as many of us do) which, although incredibly painful, helped to cultivate my spirit. I love this bit of poetic imagery from Rumi:
Sorrow prepares you for joy. It violently sweeps everything out of your house, so that new joy can find space to enter. It shakes the yellow leaves from the bough of your heart, so that fresh, green leaves can grow in their place. It pulls up the rotten roots, so that new roots hidden beneath have room to grow. Whatever sorrow shakes from your heart, far better things will take their place.
Suffolk is so beautiful. I hope you have enjoyed these. If you would like to see more Wyken photos, you can follow their facebook page, which I curate. Do you enjoy winter landscapes?
Beautiful photos! I’m amazed at how green it is. What are the average temperature in the area for January? We are in the Midwest and there isn’t a hint of green anywhere.
Kristi, we’ve had temperatures of highs mostly in the mid-40s, and lows in the low 30s, which of course is really warm for you guys! It is far warmer than any other winter I’ve had in Europe (my 4th) and I am so thankful!
Beautiful! Yes, I love winter…..ready to be done in February, but I love it.