Walking in a Winter Wonderland

Winter Solstice Approaches

The beautiful heavy frost, followed by snow, perfect squeaky fluffy snow, has been a welcome sight this week. Yes, it’s been freezing but the brightness, the dazzle of white against the blue skies, has also been a perfect antidote to the usual grey and dim days of this time of the year.

Ewell Court Park

On Monday we went to Ewell Court Park and marveled at the frozen lake and had a snowball fight. On Tuesday I quietly acknowledged St Lucy’s Day, the old Winter Solstice of the Julian calendar. There is a great article on St Lucy here - St Lucy of Syracuse, Sicily. Every year on the 13th December, I read John Donne’s poem A Nocturnal Upon St Lucy’s Day, which perfectly captures the ebbing away of the year and the bleak midwinter darkness, with the promise of the return of Spring.

“Tis the year's midnight, and it is the day's,

Lucy's, who scarce seven hours herself unmasks;

         The sun is spent, and now his flasks

         Send forth light squibs, no constant rays;

                The world's whole sap is sunk…”

This has been my last week of teaching and tutoring of the year, with a flurry of GCSE English students wanting extra sessions before their mock exams take place in January.

By Thursday afternoon I was ready to venture out again, on my own this time, to Nonsuch Park, for a late cup of coffee and to clear my head and stretch my legs. For a walking artist I’ve had little time over the last few weeks for any real walking and hardly any time to be creative. My time has been taken up with work and a seemingly never-ending set of forms to fill in, following our relocation a year ago from County Wexford in Ireland.

Nonsuch Park

I was feeling the frustration of having no time to myself to write or think, but as soon as I started walking I let go of the frustration and stress that had built up. I stepped back into that sense of wonder (and mindful attention required not to fall over!) provided by the thick ice coating the path, and the sun setting through the trees, turning the snow gold and pink.

“In. Out. Deep. Slow. Calm. Ease. Smile. Release. Present moment. Wonderful moment.”
― Thich Nhat Hanh, How to Walk

An hour later, following a walk to and from the cafe for coffee and cake, which took me through a small part of this magnificent green space on the borders of Surrey and Greater London, I felt renewed. My focus has shifted now to the final preparations for Christmas, a very quiet one again this year as my father is going through more cancer treatment.

I’ve been stockpiling ideas and materials for my new workshops, six weeks of The Writing Well, which commence on Monday 9th January at 8pm. Ninety minutes a week of online writing sessions, with the aim of seeing us through the dark weeks of January and into February with some rejuvenating, relaxed writing, reflection and discussion.

There are still a couple of spaces available for you to join us - the early bird rate of £60 ends at midnight on Tuesday 20th December. If you would like to book a place please comment here or drop me a line via email. I would love to hear from you!

Wishing you and yours a Blessed Winter Solstice and a Merry Christmas!

Love x