The snowdrops are here!

"The Snowdrop is the prophet of the flowers;
It lives and dies upon its bed of snows;
Hanging its head beside our leafless bowers.
The sun's betrothing kiss it never knows,
Nor all the glowing joy of golden showers;
Bur ever in a placid, pure repose,
More like a spirit with its look serene,
Droops its pale cheek veined thro' with infant green."

(George Meredith(1828-1909)

I get so excited when my snowdrops appear...a lot of 'visiting' goes on.... just popping out to catch a glimpse of these dear wee friends...they look gorgeous in any weather....and in little vases around the house.  At the moment the larger single ones are making a show, the double ones are still in bud.
Some of the excitement stems I believe from childhood, reading The Secret Garden, I have read that book so many times! some people just never grow out of it!!!

Just seeing those green spears showing through the soil and waiting for them to flower really is one of the great joys of Spring and the new season!!!!

 

Another childrens book I discovered just recently, it's called  The Story of the Root Children by Sibylle Von Olfers.  The story is so quaint and the illustrations are beautiful.

I have the wind children and the snow children but my favourite is the root children.

 

aren't they cute  !

 

exquisite stitching going on...

out they go off to play

 

It really is the most beautiful book.

 

of course I have to have some snowdrops inside, close by to admire.

This week we had to go through to Dunedin again for the Man of the House to have a check up at the specialist  (good report).  An opportunity to have a look at some second hand shops, is not to be missed!  I came home with a few delights.

 The pretty green jug is a Royal Winton with Grimwades made in England on it. Its lovely, and of course a couple of bits of blue and white!!!!

this little plate with matching cup but no saucer,

also a mirror....
 I thought I would put it in the living room to give some extra light but it doesn't suit in there so will find a home for it somewhere else. It is a tall mirror with a bevelled glass, its very tatty and has some damage to the frame.  The floral edge is really nice, I think I will paint it and then distress it...it was very reasonable because of the damage.
It was a good day.
The weather has been good this week, there is a lovely fragrance in the garden, the Wintersweet is excelling itself this year.  I have got some weeding done and some planting of Sweet William plants that were going cheap at the nursery in town.  There are lambs in some of the paddocks I pass on the way to work, ours aren't due to arrive for a couple of weeks yet so I have to be content to admire other peoples lambs from afar!!!  But Spring is in the air...