Of January Blossoms, Winter Light & 16 Years

And then it was January…

With found garden roses, right before a wild winter storm.

Cloudy light and chilly air make roses very happy.

I pick my blossoms and reflect upon time.

How have I been writing this blog for 16 years?

So much has changed, and yet everything is the same.

As I type that last sentence I realize, not much has changed really.

Because everything is the same, but with added elements that have enhanced life in so many ways.

I pick these flowers and can almost not believe that I built a whole new garden here over the last 6 years.

(And a hidden secret garden, behind that garden, over the last 3 years.)

That was after building a garden at the country house for 22 years, which is mature and doing well.

To say that I love to garden is a huge understatement, obviously, haha.

I am always amazed that the roses are doing so well, and that some even last through winter.

But even more amazing, is that for the last 13 years, the guy below has been by my side.

Right beneath me, every single move I make.

Matty (Matisse), ferocious little guardian.

He has known all the dogs.

Baby, Miles and now Teddy.

I suppose January can be a month of reflection.

I go into the chilly garden and let out the tiniest happy sigh when I see a Katydid on the roses.

I am, in the deepest part of my heart, in my pretend world, and entomologist and horticulturist.

The vastest calling of my soul is to plant seeds and cultivate gardens, whilst marveling at all the tiny creatures.

I have a really tender love for the winter garden.

Everything seems quiet and sleeping, but if you kneel down you will see, all the microscopic sprouts of early spring pushing through the ground.

The rosemary Christmas trees await their new place in the garden

Birds hunt for seeds.

Teddy tries to steal a giant chicken wire cloche.

Everything is a plaything to him.

There are hidden fairy tale pumpkins still in the garden,

Teddy loves to eat pumpkin and assorted squash (of course pumpkin is squash) whilst I tend to my plants.

When I ask him to please, not eat that particular pumpkin, he squints his eyes.

Sheepishly telling me that I am mis-accusing him with his expression alone.

He and Matty love to rest in the giant arugula (roquette) plants.

The scientific name for a rose is Rosa.

And so, I bring in the wonderful winter Rosas, and place them with the other growing things that get to live in the big sunlit window.

I am utterly thankful for roses in winter.

And the beauty of grey cloudy dappled sunlight.

On this loveliest of January day.

Cheers with teacups to this New Year friends.

I feel lucky to get to sit here typing to you in the 16th year of my blog.

I started my blog after Christmas in 2006, on the 27th of December.

I was so eager and excited, and felt that I had sooo much to tell and share.

Luckily my archives exist, up in the navigation bar, where all those posts still live.

I feel like that same happy go lucky girl, but wiser and with a lot more gratitude.

I’ve always had gratitude a plenty, but life levels that up even more, with all of its ups and downs.

I have a very quiet and peaceful life, and I spend my time between the country house and house 2.

My life is full every day with tending garden, my dogs, creating, filling shop orders, painting, cooking, and all manner of other interests I have.

With so many others that I would love to do, I especially love writing.

On new year’s eve Teddy and Mister Lovee went to bed super early at the country house.

The Irishman, Matty and me spent the night in the tiny cottage down the garden path from the main house.

We read fairy tales and ate chocolate, and even though I am not a chocolate lover, I had the white chocolate one with raspberry inside.

At midnight, the 80’s band called Breathe was playing on Pandora, and we danced.

Then we bundled up and walked around the garden path, listening to and watching people’s fireworks in the distance.

It was a delightful way to go into the new year.

At around 45 minutes after midnight, a wild beyond words, storm rolled in.

It whipped buckets and buckets of rain for 2 days straight, with wind that made it rain sideways.

Someone’s gazebo even ended up in our yard.

Often the rain was so strong I couldn’t even see through the garden.

I love our wild winter rains because I know those poppy seeds are getting the cold they need to germinate.

After I am done typing I am actually going to go out searching for poppy seedlings, which I think I spied already.

It has been a joy to write to you here for 16 years.

To take photos and collect thoughts and ideas to type to you.

I know people say, blogs are over, how can you still write a blog?

But truly, I do not intend to go anywhere.

My blog is home.

I know I was blogging less for a time, and it was because I added a second house to the mix and needed to set up my life here.

But I feel really settled now, and I am enjoying writing my letters to you in the form of blog posts, as I always have.

From 2014 to 2019 all I wanted to do was go treasure hunting, and then more antiquing for the second house.

I had soooo much fun doing so.

I didn’t want to sit at home, I wanted to be in those old library scented, quiet aisles of the antique store.

Then in 2020, with the need to stay home more, I decided to start a second big secret garden behind the formal garden at house 2 (as you know).

And that has led me to that more peaceful, stay at home creating art and growing seeds space, that is so familiar to the last 22 years of my life.

When we purchased house 2, I transplanted so many rose bushes (about 13 out of 56, that gophers were killing) from the country house, and worked feverishly on the sad built-in planters.

Now they look like they have always been here, filled with green.

I wonder what my next big project shall be?

I sort of feel something brewing, but I can’t quite put my finger on it yet.

I can see it in my mind’s eye, and it’s filled with inspiration and joy…

I wonder what it is?

When I figure it out, I shall be sure to let you know first.

It seems I have gone down the path of digressing and babbling on and on.

So, I shall say, see you soon.

And clink with teacups to you, wishing you a lovely little year.

I truly hope that one or more of your wishes come true.

 

Lots of love, 

With thanks for your friendship in this curious virtual land for these 16 years.

Sincerely

Vanessa Valencia  ;-*

 

 

ps: Have you Seen the 2022 series called Julia on HBO max?

(About the life of Julia Child)

I thoroughly enjoyed it and found it so inspiring.

I laughed and cried and laughed.

I love anything about her though.

<3 <3 <3