Friday

The First Day of February

Merryville 

 

It is supposed to be a warmer day today, with temperatures in the 50's.  The sun is shining, making the raindrops leftover from last night's sprinkling, glitter and sparkle upon the twigs, branches and leaves in the garden.  I am reminded some, of those lovely late spring and early summer mornings when dewdrops replace the raindrops and of how my bare feet feel on the soft green carpeting of the lawn as I visit my garden, coffecup in hand, with Miss Luna skipping along beside me.  What a wonderful companion she is, my sweet cat.   I truly love her so.  

Those early morning walks bring a softness to more than the soles of my feet, they gently cradle my soul as well, and today, as one thought leads to another, I am reminded of the first time I smelled the scent of violets.   Not real violets like those that grow beside my little pond now a days, but of the scent of violets captured within a pretty bottle.  I think it was a scent made by Yardley, and it smelled like violets in the rain.  I remember coming across it when I was in the little drugstore in Wallingford, not Lincoln Pharmacy, but the other one.  I loved that little store, and every now and then, I still miss it.  Its smallness, and the way it was within walking distance on a Saturday morning.  I spent a lot of my babysitting money there during jr. high and those first two years of high school, before I moved away, for a time. to the desert.   I am so not a desert person.....one of the many things I learned about myself during that time.

 

Surely as cometh the Winter. I know

There are Spring violets under the snow.

~ R.H. Newell

I was so very curious as I carefully picked up that small bottle of scent, as to how its contents would smell.  I had never smelled violets before, but I had read about the scent of them, so many times, in the books I'd read and for some reason, my thoughts of them had always been mixed with the smell of rain, and the softness of moss, and of England.  I love rain, and I love the way the earth smells after a good rainfall.  I imagined the scent of violets to be a good one, and now, I know that is.  Nothing else smells quite the same.  When I opened that small bottle of scent, it smelled both sweet and fresh, and of the outdoors.  I loved the thoughts that scent evoked, of picnics spread upon a blanket of moss beside a beautiful lake, of walks under light dappled leaves, of time, in gardens, and of walks in the rain, and of books and tea.  Tea in pretty teacups.   I couldn't buy the bottle of violets and rain that day, but I saved for it, and eventually I did.  Not to wear, but simply to smell..... and to be spirited away to a softer place in time.   Funny, the things that will do that.  Scents and tastes, most especially.

Here is a clipping from an old book.  I don't remember which one.  I saved it though, thinking it would be helpful to know that violets prefer lime.

 

I do remember though, the first time I read of violets.  I was in the 3rd grade.  It was a Betsy and Eddie book, written by Carolyn Haywood.  I can remember Betsy finding a small patch of violets nestled up against an old brick wall.  That makes sense now, doesn't it, given the lime found in the mortar holding up the wall?  I loved those books as a child.  I should look into them again.  Maybe our Miss Sophie would enjoy them.  She is about the same age now, as I was then. 

I hope you all will enjoy a happy start to this sweet month of February.  I have to admit to not being sorry to see January gone.  It wasn't the best of months.  My dad has been ill and in and out of the hospital again, but he's feeling a little bit better now.  I've been a bit under the weather this week, but I'm on the mend.  Hopefully, I will catch up on my correspondence soon.

 

Yours truly,