Something to Gladden the Heart.

These last few days I have been feeling more than a little sorry for myself. My cold has been back with a vengeance and I have gone from coughing like Tiny Tim to coughing like someone who has smoked 60 a day for the last 20 years!
It's exhausting and it hurts. My whole upper body aches and to quote The Scarlet Pimpernel 'I'm as weak as a kitten'. I spent most of yesterday in bed feeling sorry for myself, but today I have decided to get up. I haven't actually really done anything all day but I am up!

I did venture out into the back garden to refill the bird feeders. The poor things have had very thin pickings from me over the last week and a half. So it was whilst I was out there that I spotted the thing that lifted my spirits.



My first snowdrop. :-)

I don't know if it is an early variety because it is always the first one to flower every year. I rang it for good luck and thought of my Nan when I did it. She had so many sayings and customs and not only was this one of them but she also adored spring flowers. I always think of her when I see them. The first spring after she died it was an actual physical pain that robbed me of my breath for a moment when I did, but now, though I still miss her I just feel privileged to have had such a wonderful person in my life.

Easter and Famous Five books is another happy reminder. She used to come and stay with us and my brother and I used to get into her bed one on each side of her and make her read to us. She was marvellous at reading aloud, doing all the different voices and adding just the right amount of drama. We would have stayed there captivated all day if my mum wouldn't have shooed us out and on occassions poor Nan would be hoarse from being made to read for so long.
Happy Times.