Snowglobe

Snuggled by the stove with the last of the Christmas cake, a slab of Stilton and a pot of strong coffee. The cat is asleep in a perfect curl on the round footstool and I can't hear anything but the crackle of the fire (ok thats a lie, the computer is whirring annoyingly but I didn't want to spoil the picture ... actually if you could see the picture it would be spoiled by the fact that my head is caked in hot henna and wrapped in cling-film and a bobble hat- but for the moment you must imagine I'm looking glamourous in some sort of cashmere lounging outfit). Proper Winter came and changed everything; even if it was for just a weekend. It's easy to be cynical and mock the sudden glut of snow scenes on people's Facebook pages, the childlike excitement when snow is forecast, the birth of hundreds of slightly muddy, doomed snowmen but here in rainy grey England there's no denying it is an event that can still seem magical... so long as you don't have to travel anywhere and it doesn't go on too long.On Thursday, waking up to the transformed landscape, I took myself on a tiny first winter ascent of Snab Bank, I had the whole valley to myself, virgin snow, spirals of spindrift and shocking blue skies not seen for months. Its nearly a year since I came here in deep distress and it felt unbelievably good to be standing in this wonderful place soaking up the light and vitamin D ( although I keep wondering how on earth all those polar explorers managed to keep going- I was exhausted and realised I would be the first to be eaten in a disaster scenario).Last week I mentioned the fact that I was missing my snowed-in time and how important it is to me for some reason. My brother read the whole of "The Long Winter" by Laura Ingalls Wilder when he was here at Christmas and I'm sure it's books like that as well as a kind of Northern race memory (?)  that makes winter such a special and potentially creative time; perhaps its just the enforced stillness. Anyway, I was freezing last week, trying to save firewood, so I finally got around to making a little work space in the small room. It's like a cell or an old fashioned school room... no distracting view through the window when I'm at my desk. I drew things and listened to Howard's End on the radio and got excited by cyanotype again. "Only connect"I am easily distracted and who can blame me with a head full of bears and icing sugar mountains outside the window?So this week I am trying to be more organised and practical... my tax return is done, velvet has been ordered from Glasgow, ceramic printing experiments continue and I've paid the final installment for my stand at BCTF this April. Now I can't sleep with worry and excitement and ideas and panic but as Rupert said this weekend, whatever happens something will happen and it needs to because I can't survive on occasional Etsy sales so it'll either make me realise I have to change direction or encourage me to keep going. The show is in Harrogate from April 10th - 12th and I think my stand is N27 so come and say hello if you're there.Now I think it's time for some music while I wait for the henna to do it's herbal alchemy. Recurring in my head at the moment ..."blue, blue electric blue..."Reading: 'Feral" by George Monbiot  Listening to: "Sound and Vision" David Bowie