Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Mole and Flowers


It snowed and snowed on Sunday and Jeff cleared the driveway. Most of the day, I perched in bed, all warm and snug, reading The Wind in the Willows. A blog event is coming your way, all themed W in the W, so we can all look forward to that! Mags is planning it with links and variety, but I can't stop thinking about my woodsy friends until then.

We interrupt this post to give flowers to blog readers. January is very crisp and pretty, but one does long for blooms, doesn't one?


Soon it will be February, time to plant sweet peas, and when President's Day rolls around here in America, we'll plant. Mid February is the time to put your hopeful round seeds deep in the earth.


Right now, we could buy a coleus and admire her gusty foliage. Isn't this one a beauty? I think I took this picture at a grocery store north of Seattle last summer.


Now back to Mole. He's so true and honest. While hiking through the woods, he smells his home and his heart feels a big tug. He stops and calls for Ratty. This made me think of all the moles in our yard when I was a kid. My dad did not like moles. We would have mole visits and they would leave big earthy piles dotted across our big lawn. I must say, moles are SMART. Even when Mole is cruising around in the river, he really is an earthy house sort of creature. Like us!


I like his nose and the way he tips it up.



I've just met Badger again. He's very sweet. He allows visitors to stay the night. He has a warm kitchen with shiny benches and comfy settles arranged by the fire. He listens when guests wish to tell their stories.


And Toad REALLY is funny! He's so impulsive, so excitable. I was so sad when the caravan crashed. The axle ruined, in great need of repair. I really want a gypsy wagon/caravan for my grands to play in but we may just have to pretend.


I wish there were more Moles, Rats, and Badgers in the world. Don't you? I wish there weren't so many distractions and such adherence to clocks and lists and appointments. Who knows? Someone may knock on your door today and need a visit, a cup of tea, a listening ear. They may take up your entire morning or your afternoon.

Maybe if we sweep, dust, scrub, arrange, love our houses, then the sweet hospitable invitation will waft through the air and a weary traveler my find their way to our doorstep.
"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it."
Hebrews 13:2

17 comments:

Elizabethd said...

I'm looking forward to our 'Moley event'!

Leslie said...

You got a lot of snow! Ours is not quite all melted yet. Your bed looks snuggly.

Elderberry-Rob said...

Oh yes, I do find that when I spring clean a guest always seems to come unexpectedly like some kind of telepathic calling. My mother used to live a life of no housework whatsoever! and when someone called she would spray furniture polish into the air and say 'oh I was just going to dust, but I would rather stop for you' - clever,eh? I love these little wind in the willows people and their delightful cosy houses.

Kerri said...

I LOVE this post! I love these words - February is the time to put your hopeful round seeds deep in the earth. So lovely. And I loved hearing about the wind in the willows and all it's wonderful characters. And I loved that you wish there weren't so many distractions and such adherence to clocks and lists and appointments. Sigh. Me too. And mostly I just love that you are you x x

Anonymous said...

Hooray for Moley! I love him. We have lots of moles here and my son saw one poke it's pink nose through the soil once! :)

Sue McPeak said...

Here I am...finally! I'm afraid I have not been a very Faithful BlogFriend! And that was one of the things I planned on improving this New Year. Anyway, here I am with best intentions of doing better in 2011.

PomPom..thank you so much for the wonderful Card at Christmas! I love the picture with the apron hanging on the chair and the pretty petunias. I am so touched by your words and outpouring of love and friendship. I hope you know how very much you mean to me!
Love Ya....Sue

Gigi said...

Well, I've got to read "The Wind . . ". I don't think I ever have! Love the illustrations & I agree about the caravan -- wouldn't that be so lovely to have one in the back yard -- or maybe a converted train caboose?
Blessings,
GG
p.s. love what you say about lists, distractions, etc. Even though I'm now 'retired', I feel guilty if I don't accomplish a certain amount of 'stuff' per day. It's hard to slow down, isn't it?

Gumbo Lily said...

Your character sketches of the Mole, Badger, and Frog make me want to read The Wind in the Willows. I never have read that classic and should!

I picked up fresh, pink carnations today from the grocery and arranged them in a mason jar with a scrappy bow for my DIL's return from the hospital. A few extra treats -- mandarin oranges, pop tarts and things -- were given to help with snacking through the "new baby stage." I'll be cooking extra meals for them for a few days too. Such fun to help.

I did have a morning coffee visitor today who stayed an hour. Hubby's dad. It was nice catching up.

Jody

melanie said...

Wow, look at that snow!!! Thankfully all ours has cleared now, though I expect we'll be having more before spring is here :) xx

Angela said...

Great post. Looking forward to the W-in-w event too

The dB family said...

I finished reading WitW last week. I so enjoyed it! Moley is my favorite. My heart almost broke for him when I thought he was going to have to leave his home behind without ever seeing it again. I'm looking forward to the event!

Blessings!
Deborah

Left-Handed Housewife said...

I loved all your WitW illustrations! What a lovely, fun-to-read (and look at) post.

And flowers this time of year are simply a must!

xofrances

Jessica Lynn said...

Oh Pom,
I love this! Everything about it! I started The wind & the willow with the kids a month or two ago & then life began to spin & reading in the evening has sort of fallen by the wayside. I am picking that book back up & resolving to make reading with the children a bedtime ritual once again!

I especially loved this:
Maybe if we sweep, dust, scrub, arrange, love our houses, then the sweet hospitable invitation will waft through the air and a weary traveler my find their way to our doorstep.
"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it."
Hebrews 13:2

thank you for always inspiring goodness. i appreciate the prayers you sent our way today as well ;) you are a one of a kind, Pom!

p.s. snow! i'm jealous! we haven't had any yet.

xx

Sara at Come Away With Me said...

Hello Pom...thank you for the comment on Eli Wiesel. I am now reading the first volume of his memoirs and finding it very absorbing...I'm impressed your students read Night.

Love this post of yours here...amazingly I read Wind in the Willows for the FIRST time about 2 years ago...don't know how I managed to miss reading it the first 58 years of my life! Loved it...I found a beautiful illustrated copy at a used bookstore.

I have added your blog to my ever-growing blogroll so I don't miss any more of your great posts.

Gumbo Lily said...

Pom Pom,
I just had to tell you that now I feel I simply MUST read WITW because the book that I am currently reading (Pilgrim's Inn by Elizabeth Goudge) refers to it on and off through the children in the story.

By the way, I think you'd like Pilgrim's Inn. Have you read it?

Jody

Heart Felt said...

Wow, look at that snow. The kids want to see some snow. I adore W&W. Our dogs name is Badger and we had a cat called Toad! Thank-you for all your lovely comments Karen, sorry I don't always get to comment as often as I should. xx

debbie bailey said...

Aren't gypsy wagons just the cutest things? We saw several on a trip to England. They had me swooning with envy!

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