winter

it's winter

here in New Zealand

(When I see a beautiful rose early in the morning, with dewdrops on the leaves, I know that it's going to be a good day. Ponsonby, Thursday morning)

I am feeling winter, and have been for a while. The cold, winds and rain. Actually I love mist and wind. Yes, weird. But I do. 

I love the mist

Decades ago I lived very rustically in an Ashram (that's what lots of people did back in the 1980s), in the Waikato. I know that there was a lot of rain and mud, but that is not what I really remember. Firmly in my memories, is the mist. So beautiful, so magical. When there is mist, time stands still for me, and I am transported into Being In The Now of something special.

there is magic in winter

And there is mist in the Waitakere Ranges. I live in it's shelter, so yes, I do live in the rain belt of Auckland. But that's okay, because I do love those mystical ranges. I climbed one of it's mountains (not as big as many other mountains!!!) a few weeks ago with some friends. In a very dark, stormy, windy, rainy night. Almost zero visibility, forked lightning, thunder and so forth. I loved it!! Lots of mist. So magical. Going up was actually hard, I had a very sore leg, and yes, I get asthma. But overall, totally worth it.

wind is special too

I love the wind. Could it be because I'm a triple air sign? I don't know. But I do love the wind, watching the leaves on the trees moving in the breeze, and when there is a little gust, leaves flying through the air. Visual poetry to me.

warm foods for winter

Vegetable soups with lentils or legumes - done in my slow cooker, I practically live on these soups in winter and autumn; roast vegetables with vegetarian sausages or tofu; "casserole" with vegetarian rissoles or tofu, and vegetables; fish and greens; porridge - I mix rolled oats and oat bran; and warm drinks

some things about winter are indeed lovely

*** yoga on my other blog, about do-able balance poses