stillness becoming alive

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“Glorious Illumination” by Ane Lisbet Smedås

Was it light?
Was it light within?
Was it light within light?
Stillness becoming alive,
Yet still?
~ Theodore Roethke
(The Quiet Room)

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Katie got a little bit of snow…

So… We finally got a snowstorm on Saturday, seven inches of snow here. Washington, DC and New York City got much more snow than we did. Record breaking amounts, in fact.

After eleven days of misery it was determined that I had a particularly nasty virus and that it wasn’t necessarily food-borne. I could have caught it the same way one catches a cold or the flu. Sobering thought.

I did not recover in time to go to North Carolina. Very disappointed, but we were given credit from our cancelled flight to apply to a new flight. Thank you so much, Jet Blue.

Yesterday I was dazzled by a photo my Norwegian friend Ane Lisbet posted on Facebook. It was from a walk she took in the afternoon, and I’m grateful she gave me permission to use it here. 🙂 The light is returning to Norway and my longing to go back there in a different season is getting stronger.

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1.24.16 ~ Dima and Katie

I hope we can schedule a new trip to see Katie and her parents very soon!

14 thoughts on “stillness becoming alive”

  1. The Norwegian photograph is beautiful, as are the one’s of Katie. I love the light at dawn and dusk, but I think it might be wearing to have that kind of light all day, day after day. I’m glad to hear you’re better. The snow is almost gone here, in Katie’s neck of the woods, as the tropical influence is felt this week.

    1. Ane Lisbet did say that winter time can be a hard test for the body and its energy and that the beauty of the returning light strengthens her mind and soul. It’s funny – I just checked my weather app – it says Chapel Hill and Groton are both at 42°F just now. Our seven inches have disappeared as well. 🙂

    1. Thank you, Jeff! I’m wondering how much snow did you get? The last weather map I saw before the storm seemed to indicate you were in the blizzard zone. The flight we would have taken home from North Carolina was cancelled due to the storm. It might have been fun being stranded down there with Katie!

  2. What a mesmerizing photo image, the light fused with the foggy mist from the cold. And that little chap in the blue snowsuit is a charmer too. 🙂

    1. Thank you, Arti. I wish I could have Katie up here in Connecticut for a proper New England snowstorm, to see what she would make of a much deeper blanket of snow. 🙂

    1. Thank you for the hugs, Sybil. Three days until I fly! I’ll miss two episodes of Vikings while I’m gone, but seeing the kids again will definitely be worth it.

  3. Hello By the Sea, I missed so much happening over here. Wonderful to see Katie enjoying the snow. Norway must be freezing – you must postpone your plans 😉
    I am back from Germany to India, from cold to real warm weather. There has been so many events. The christmas and new year in Europe was great! I have lots of pictures but no time to look at them. But I’m glad to be back to the routine, which won’t last too long because I will travel again to Germany in April.
    I hope you have recovered from the virus dear Barbara. My best wishes to you. Hope Tim is also doing fine!
    Hugs,
    Sonali

    1. Hi Sonali, it’s so good to hear from you again. Actually I’d love to visit Norway on the winter solstice – the idea of darkness all day long fascinates me and I’d love to see what it’s like. Sounds like you really enjoyed Germany. Did you go to any of the famous outdoor Christmas markets? I know how hard it is to find time to look at pictures and share them. I still have more to post here some day. Lucky you to be traveling again so soon – you must love traveling as much as Tim’s brother and his wife do. They’re still in Germany and visiting all over Europe every chance they get. Tim & I are both doing well now. 🙂 *hugs*

    1. Thank you so much, Tiny! I bet the light in Finland is glorious, too. Sometimes I fantasize about moving farther north, just for the light…

    1. Thank you, Sheryl. I’m so excited to be leaving in three days and staying for almost two weeks. Keeping my fingers crossed that everyone stays healthy…

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