A white quilt
Fragile but unbroken, a shrub sleeps beneath a blanket of snow, January 2010.
“I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says “Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.” ― Lewis Carroll
Snow can seem brutal when we have to shovel it, or when it freezes into hardened slush, dingy with vehicle dirt and exhaust. But when it first falls, it appears almost miraculous. It clings to the tiniest branches and leaves, and coats everything so evenly, blindingly white in the morning sun that is magnified by its brilliance. In most of the places we have lived, snow never fell at all, but even here in Virginia, when it does fall, its beauty is short-lived. No less remarkable for that brevity, though, and probably more enjoyable.
If you have snow today, I hope you can find beauty in it despite whatever inconvenience it brings to you. Feel free to send us some pretty snow scenes if you photograph any. Those of us in warmer climates might actually enjoy seeing a bit of fluffy white snow!
One year ago today
This post was first published seven years ago today. The original post, comments and photo are linked, along with two other related posts, below. These links to related posts, and their thumbnail photos, do not appear in the blog feed; they are only visible when viewing the individual posts by clicking on each one. I have no idea why, nor do I know how they choose the related posts. That’s just the way WordPress does things.
- Posted in: Uncategorized
- Tagged: beauty, cold, frozen landscape, ice, nature, seasons, snow, white, winter
Defeat Despair 
Good morning, Julia!
Shep the cat passed away yesterday. It was probably all the harder for me, after trying so hard to help him. But, at least I know I tried. I will send you a lovely snapshot I took, looking up from his grave yesterday.
Living the (soft white quilt) dream, here in Minnesota!
Oh Susan, I’m so sorry about Shep. But I’m comforted to know that his last days were spent in the presence of love and care. On some level I’m sure he realized that. Thank you for making his last days comfortable. In my concept of heaven, all the animals are there. If I turn out to be right, I hope Shep will come running up to greet you, finally healthy and able to thank you for caring! ❤
Dear Julia, I used to just expect pets to “go to heaven” but read C. S. Lewis’ thoughts on the subject and abandoned that hope. But … Shep’s demeanor, attitude and behaviors got me thinking again, how could they not?
C. S. Lewis was far ahead of his time in his animal rights activism (he was a vocal early opponent of vivisection, as you may know) and his views on animals should be understood in their totality. But having said that, I’m not aware of which writings you are referring to here. Of course the whole phrase “go to heaven” is probably so grossly oversimplified as a description of the afterlife, that it’s not accurate for people either, except as a shorthand expression of a much more complex (and mostly unknowable) interpretation of what little the Bible tells us about the details of eternity.
It would probably serve me well to the-read the entire piece by Lewis. It was probably half my lifetime ago when I read it.
I find that almost all Lewis’ work, as with much that is deceptively simple and/or quite profound, provides fresh insight with each re-reading. I have revisited some of his work countless times, and never cease to find it beneficial.
Happy New Year Julia! May 2021 be full of promises realized!
Thank you Rene! I’m so happy you are still here with us. Wow, you are pretty much a charter member! And YES, I echo your dreams for 2021!