Daffodils

Suddenly, daffodils are everywhere and the weather has become warmer and brighter. It really feels like Spring.

I love Susan Hill's books about the seasons and the daffodils on the village green in Over Kellet made me think of her book Through the Kitchen Window. 

 "On the first day of spring, whenever that may be, any day of March, April or May, the sky is swept clear of cloud and rain and winter murk, the morning sun shines through the kitchen window, and there is a little warmth in it." 

Spring cleaning is definitely taking place for us at the moment. The less positive aspect of the sudden sunshine and daylight is the dust that has been overlooked through the dark months!

As well as writing her wonderful novels, L M Montgomery composed some pretty poetry. Spring Song seems particularly appropriate at the moment. 

"Come and let us seek together
Springtime lore of daffodils,
Giving to the golden weather
Greeting on the sun-warm hills."

Another favourite author, Noel Streatfeild, wrote Mothering Sunday, a novel all about Spring, gardens, flowers and the joy of solitude and friends. As Sunday was Mothering Sunday, I enjoyed dipping into the novel and reading a few chapters.

"Margaret no sooner opened her eyes than she was hanging out of her window. How stupid she was to have slept so late and miss any of this lovely morning. The almond tree, dimly pink through the mist, was so perfect it brought a lump to her throat. How lovely that, as you grew older, instead of there being less to enjoy there was more. You were so busy when you were young feeling intensely all sorts of things you had no time for just staring. There would be time in the future for all the staring she wanted… Just look at the daffodils!"

It is so lovely to celebrate the arrival of Spring by enjoying some of my favourite books and poems.