Friday 25 March 2011

Cycles

Each year, there is that wonderful feeling of renewal, of fresh start, of returning energy and optimism that arrives with the Spring.


 

This year, even though we had a relatively mild Winter here in Munich, I'm almost giddily happy that Spring is making its appearance.  Perhaps it's like this every year, only I forget.  That's one of the wonderful things about cycles, you get caught in them and swept away with their relentless motion. 

The Oleander bush that we kept in the main hallway over the winter is beginning to bud.  


From my window, I see green, as well as tiny things appearing, growing, changing each day.


I, too, have been emerging from a hibernation of sort.  A long one.  One I wasn't entirely aware of being in. Another type of cycle. 

The writing has been flowing like it hasn't done in ages.  Not being a morning person, there is something about there being light through the curtains when I wake up that makes it so much easier to get up and get to work. My red binder has been filling up with pages that I print out as I write and rewrite, and rewrite, and rewrite... 


The painting has also taken a new direction, as I alluded to a couple of posts back.  This is the third of a series I'm working on.  I'm getting away from trying to consciously capture various aspects of nature, and am letting myself go back to an earlier, more intuitive approach. 


And, yesterday these arrived in the mail. 


I just couldn't keep slogging through my Sir. Richard Burton translation of The Arabian Nights.  This translation has been done by Malcolm C. Lyons and Ursula Lyons.  My backlog pile of books to read is getting precariously high. 


With each passing season, I realize that there are fewer and fewer books I'll have the opportunity to read. 
Must get to it!

12 comments:

  1. There's a wonderful biography of Richard Burton by Mary S. Lovell entitled 'A Rage to Live.' It's a thumping great book but well worth getting hold of if you can - such an interesting man. On my list of things to photograph is his mausoleum, built by his wife Isobel, which is in the shape of an arabian tent. Loving your recent painting, which so beautifully reflects the gorgeous spring sunshine we're experiencing over here at the moment!

    Kate :-)

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  2. Goodness, what a thought. I better order a new infusion of books from the library!

    And on another note, we still have plenty of snow, but it IS getting warmer and even some tulip shoots and snowdrops in a friend's garden!

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  3. That book sounds fascinating, Kate. I've written down the info - thanks! From what little I've heard about Richard Burton, he sounds like such an intriguing man with diverse interests and knowledge. Somewhere, I read that on his death his wife destroyed many of his personal journals, as they contained some of the saucier details of his life.

    Thanks for your thoughts on the painting! Glad it spoke to you.

    I hope that thought about the books wasn't too somber, Valerianna! One thing about living in Germany as a person who has only a very basic grasp of the language, is that I miss coming home with an armload of books from the public library. There are fabulous libraries here (which I've joined), but the selection of English language books is, of course, limited.

    It's unbelievable the amount of snow that's fallen this year in the Northern States and Canada. The snowdrops are always a wonderful sight. Hope that Spring is finally making its way to you!

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  4. I like this painting.

    I'm also a reader. Reading Anna Karenina now. Have been fascinated by Russia since I was a child.

    I enjoy reading about your reading adventures.

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  5. Thanks, Jann.

    I've never read Anna Karenina, but it is on my to-read list. I did manage to get through The Brothers Karamazov a number of years ago - there is a special broody, ironic, and often humorous outlook in Russian literature that I find quite appealing: a whole world of wonderful literature there to be explored!

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  6. I too feel a little giddy about spring this year, and I can't explain it 'cause I'm usually not a big fan of the season. Then again, we had a relatively harsh winter so that might explain it... Anyway, this was such a lovely post. I like your photos here and the rest of your blog. Thanks for following mine!
    Roisin x

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  7. I really do like where you seem to be heading with your painting Lynn. Lovely.

    Glad that you are feeling more in flow now ... I like the signs of spring that you have shared.

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  8. Thanks for visiting, Roisin. I've been enjoying perusing your blog.

    Thanks, Jan! Being in a creative flow is soooo much better than not being in one. Though I feel I had to go through that difficult gestation period for this current flow to be possible.

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  9. Yay for the flow of writing ~ it feels so good when that happens ~ and good for you for letting your intuition influence your painting. I suspect there's something about the latter that really lets spirit take flight... Happy Spring!

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  10. Yes, the writing flow is quite a magical thing, Donna. Happy Spring!

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  11. Love your painting! Have you seen Mike Bernard's work? You might enjoy looking at some on line. I was interested to hear that you have Perthshire connections. We're on the eastern edge near the Angus border but I was brought up in west Perthshire.

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  12. Thanks, Cavavanartist! No, I haven't seen his work, but I'll look it up today.

    Unfortunately, I don't have Perthshire connections...I'm trying to think whether I mentioned something about my Scottish grandfather...though he was a lowland boy.

    A few years ago, I travelled around in Scotland - from Edinburgh, through the Trossacks, and on to Iona. That was a fabulous trip - it was mid-November and so atmospheric. I'd love to go back one day and see more of the magical landscape.

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