Just a huge Brrrrrrrrrr

It is awful cold today - awful awful cold.

I don't think I have been warm all day. I am typing snuggled up to the radiator trying to get the chill out of my poor old bones.

And actually I don't mind the cold. I prefer it with a bit of the white stuff, but heck. No more snow here. It was really interesting seeing how snowy it was here compared with the neighbouring towns.

I have scrapped another snowy picture - this time of Nij on the bridge on the heath - one of my favourite places on the heath.

 

 

 

and as that is a really really chilly picture here is something warmer - another made with the Pickle Barrel collections, this time from Jumpstart Designs.

 

Thank you for all of the comments over the last couple of days.

 

Mike it was great to have a comment from you and we are both waving madly to you over in sunny Florida.

 

Maureen thanks so much for commenting - it was lovely to read that you visit so much

 

Michelle you asked about the significance of the dragonfly. It comes from a beautiful story called Waterbugs an Dragonflies which is just a beautiful way of explaining the passing over that comes with death. It is used at many funeral services and is a story dear to my heart. Wehave lots of dragonflies at home as it is just a visual reminder of Mommy and Daddy. And I always put a dragonfly on pages about them.

 

Here is the story for those of you who do not know it.

 

 

Waterbugs and Dragonflies
by Doris Stickney

 

Down below the surface of a quiet pond lived a little colony of water bugs. They were a happy colony, living far away from the sun. For many months they werevery busy, scurrying over the soft mud on the bottom of the pond. They did notice that every once in awhile one of their colony seemed to lose interest in goingabout. Clinging to the stem of a pond lily it gradually moved out of sight and was seen no more.
"Look!" said one of the water bugs to another. "One of our colony is climbing up the lily stalk. Where do you think she is going?" Up, up, up it slowly went....Evenas they watched, the water bug disappeared from sight. Its friends waited and waited but it didn't return...
"That's funny!" said one water bug to another. "Wasn't she happy here?" asked a second... "Where do you suppose she went?" wondered a third.
No one had an answer. They were greatly puzzled. Finally one of the water bugs, a leader in the colony, gathered its friends together. "I have an idea". The next oneof us who climbs up the lily stalk must promise to come back and tell us where he or she went and why."
"We promise", they said solemnly.
One spring day, not long after, the very water bug who had suggested the plan found himself climbing up the lily stalk. Up, up, up, he went. Before he knew whatwas happening, he had broke through the surface of the water and fallen onto the broad, green lily pad above.
When he awoke, he looked about with surprise. He couldn't believe what he saw. A startling change had come to his old body. His movement revealed four silverwings and a long tail. Even as he struggled, he felt an impulse to move his wings...The warmth of the sun soon dried the moisture from the new body. He moved hiswings again and suddenly found himself up above the water. He had become a dragonfly!!
Swooping and dipping in great curves, he flew through the air. He felt exhilarated in the new atmosphere. By and by the new dragonfly lighted happily on a lily pad torest. Then it was that he chanced to look below to the bottom of the pond. Why, he was right above his old friends, the water bugs! There they were scurryingaround, just as he had been doing some time before.
The dragonfly remembered the promise: "The next one of us who climbs up the lily stalk will come back and tell where he or she went and why." Without thinking,the dragonfly darted down. Suddenly he hit the surface of the water and bounced away. Now that he was a dragonfly, he could no longer go into the water...
"I can't return!" he said in dismay. "At least, I tried. But I can't keep my promise. Even if I could go back, not one of the water bugs would know me in my newbody. I guess I'll just have to wait until they become dragonflies too. Then they'll understand what has happened to me, and where I went."
And the dragonfly winged off happily into its wonderful new world of sun and air.......

 

Today I am thankful for

• being warm most of the time - many are not
• internet 'friends'

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Scrappyjen]

That is lovely. I have never come across that story before but I will definitely be sharing it. We have so much snow up here in Durham. We even made it onto the national news! And of course the debate about school snow days rages on! We can't win really, can we? Keep cosy... Jenx

[michelle jessiman]

Thanks for explaining the significance Karen, it is a lovely story. Have just read Scrappyjens comment above, I am also in County Durham and we have had loads of snow, luckily I can work from home if needs be. Hopefully it won't last for much longer.

[Barb in AK]

I have never heard that story, but it is truly lovely. And I think it is a very appropriate symbol to add on your mom & dad's layouts. Thanks for sharing.