Of Coddled Eggs and Kings

A Good Read, A Good Find and The Good Wife....

I've said it before and will probably say it again and again.

Time goes so quickly and no matter how you say it...... Time will not stand still......

Tempus fugit...

This last week has flown .Tomorrow is already mid week ....phew ...Is it just me or as we age does time go faster and faster..?????

I am left to ponder...but not for long as this week saw me join the gym, go to watch my grand daughters netball....worked and worked some more...

Mothered a baby opossum after the mother was killed...did some more work had grandchildren sleep over.....gardened some more... preserved more fruit...spread coffee grinds on the soil and surprise surprise.

I stopped in my tracks.

I discovered a little clump of winter aconites (Eranthis hyemalis) and a solitary snow drop (Galanthus nivalis) growing in the garden bed.

I do so love snow drops and admire how such a delicate flower can survive, even thrive in the deepest of snow.

Galanthus nivalis
Family: Amaryllidaceae

Common Names: ~Fair Maid of February~ ~Bulbous Violet~ ~Emblem of Early Spring~ ~Maids of February~ ~Candlemas Bells'~ ~Mary's Tapers~

Native of Switzerland, Austria and of Southern Europe, Snowdrops and carnations are the traditional flowers for the month of January. The name Galanthus, is Greek in its origin and signifies ~Milk -white- flower.~ Nivalis is a Latin adjective, meaning ~relating to~ or ~resembling snow.~

A legend about the origin of the snowdrop tells us that after being expelled from the Garden of Eden, Eve sat weeping. An angel comforted her. Since the Fall, no flowers had bloomed, but snow fell ceaselessly. As the angel talked with Eve, he caught a snowflake in his hand, breathed on it, and it fell to earth as the first snowdrop. The flower bloomed and Hope was born. In Germany there is a different snowdrop legend. When God made all things on the Earth, He asked the snow to go to the flowers and get a little color from them. One by one the flowers refused. Then, very sad, she asked a snowdrop to give it a little of its colour and the snowdrop accepted. As a reward, the snow lets it bloom first whenever spring shows.

Years ago snowdrops were dried and transported to European shops from Turkey. Monks brought snowdrop bulbs from Rome to England and were the first to plant them around old monasteries. Because of this snowdrops became known as the ~church flower.~ Traditionally on Candlemas (Feb.2) the image of the Virgin Mary was taken down and a handful of snowdrop blooms were scattered in its place. Their presence in churchyards generated an unlucky reputation as time went on.

Every spring on March 1, the national Moldovan holiday, is celebrated. On this day people present each other with the traditional flowers. One of the old Moldovan legend says that once in a fight with the winter witch, that didn't want to give up its place, the beautiful lady Spring cut her finger and few drops of her blood fell on the snow, which melted. Soon on this place grew a snowdrop and in such a way the spring won the winter.

According to superstitions it is unlucky to bring snowdrops indoors and the sight of a single snowdrop blooming in the garden foretells of impending disaster.

It is regarded as an omen of death despite its beauty. It symbolises purity and hope in the language of flowers.

Winter aconite Eranthis hyemalis

Eranthis From the Greek 'er' for spring plus 'anthis' for flower.hyemalis belonging to winter, 'hyems'

One thing is for sure. It is still Winter . Regardless of these little harbingers of Spring and the fact that the shortest day is now behind us , we are very much in Winter.

My next post will probably be about our snow covered mountains and the sport that it attracts.

On that note I must say I was very proud of my granddaughters performance on the netball court this past weekend.It was her last game.
Skiing takes over and most of the children venture up the mountain.
I digress.

I would pop photo's up of my orphaned opossum but it was so tiny .As big as my thumb .It survived for 18 hours.

I did make a wee video and may share it later.

There were still apples on the tree so I picked those along with crab apples (Malus ) and preserved some quinces in a syrup of vanilla and rose.

The Still room certainly is filling up ..time to start baking and cooking.

I just love good recipes ....The Crabtree and Evelyn Cookbook was my first special cookbook ...I still love it...

I try to get at least one recipe book out a month ...our Library has some great ones like these two

I have a book by this author Its called The Vintage Tea Party and I do so love it...Here is it's sister

This just reminds me of my daughters and daughter in laws...My daughter got the loveliest mother to be party just before her lovely little boy was born...and just as an aside he is doing EXTREMELY well...growing so big so quickly..