Saturday, October 31, 2009

Samhain and new beginnings...

Good ol' Jack is glowing in the dining room as I type...

Today has been a great day. It started off when I had some very early trick or treaters - oh no wait, they were my students for my cp basics class. :-) As this is my last course before my break, things are definitely ending on a high note. The ladies are absolutely fabulous and lots of fun and I know I shall miss our time together when we no longer meet for class.

It is very elemental here today, with strong gusty winds, a wee shower here and there and leaves flying everywhere. Late in the afternoon I grabbed my camera and headed out to take some pictures. Here is our young chestnut tree. It has such an orderly canopy of branches.

Here is a chestnut on that tree.

A bowl of chestnuts and acorns...


A spectacular rainbow against a gorgeous dark sky...


And finally me and my 'best friend with the fur'. Hey, notice the white porch rails, the green table and bench, floor and yellow/cream walls? All painted by me last month! A wonderful change from the dark and dreary brown we had before. Brown, brown and more brown. Gone!

Samhain is one of the origins of Halloween. Samhain is an Irish word meaning summer's end. October 31 - November 1 was a time of celebrating the harvest, an acknowledgement of the dark time ahead and a time of remembering the deceased. Many scholars believe that this time also marked the beginning of the Celtic new year.

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you will know that I love any opportunity to declare a fresh start and to grab a new beginning. Samhain is no exception! A new year, well, why not? Tomorrow, I shall see November 1 as the start of two months of celebrating my renewed commitment to studio time. I shall make fresh goals and I shall tackle them with new energy and enthusiasm. Of course in two months I can assess my progress, make new plans and start off again with another new year celebration.

Perhaps your goals could use a bit of renewed fire under them. Why not celebrate this ancient Gaelic custom of a new year at summer's end? Oh and just a note for all you feral gals (and guys), the moon is full this October 31st night...perfect for a jaunt out with the wolves and a bit of howling don't you think?

12 comments:

Jeanette Jobson said...

Arrrrrrrarrrrroooooooooooooooooo!!! :)

m1 Designs said...

Great pictures, I remembering roasting Chestnuts with my mom. Love your paint job on the porch and your furry friend looks super. Love those big German Shepard dogs.

Janet Pantry said...

Enjoyed reading this post, Teresa. While we don't celebrate Halloween quite as much as you guys over the pond, I love your spooky pumpkin! Your porch looks great and I like your autumn pics too - super!

Laure Ferlita said...

Fabulous pumpkin, a beautiful pup and a wind to blow out the cobwebs - what could be more perfect?!!

Jennifer Rose said...

quick! someone get a silver bullet ;)

I'm using Samhain as a new start, whether it works remains to be seen lol

Paula Pertile said...

Samhain, YES. Thanks for the reminder! I need a fresh start too.

The porch and all look beautiful! And what a sweet fur friend. Like the witch hat too.

I did notice the moon last night, and howled just a bit.
:~)

Teresa Mallen said...

Jeanette, you howl beautifully! Thanks for joining in. :-)

Hi Maria, I guess I should mention that while I did indeed paint the parts mentioned, my husband was busy painting too! He was doing the high stuff. :-) This is my third GS over the course of my adult life and yes he is big. Dogs make wonderful friends.

Hi Janet. I can't say I have tremendous carving skills but I am glad you liked ol'Jack. I am also glad you like how my veranda turned out and my autumn pics. Always nice to get feedback! :-)

Hi Laure - we went for a walk around 5:30 and the wind did blow out cobwebs - and probably a few other things I might actually miss. LOL

Hey Jennifer Rose, success is built in. New Year's is just eight weeks away and we can start fresh all over again! Woo-hoo!! In the meantime, good luck with the Samhain start!

Hey there Paula, woo-hoo, another howler! Wonderful. As for my witch hat, humm...did you notice how my peak flopped over in the doggie picture? I am sure that isn't approved of in witchdom. Maybe I will have a spell put upon me or something. Oops! Best of luck with your fresh start!!!!

Teresa said...

Ooh... I love chestnuts! Yum!

Jan said...

I hate brown! Good for you painting everything in new colors - that bodes well for your new beginning!

Vicki Greene said...

Well I had to wander over and check out your blog and certainly have enjoyed the journey. I immediately recognized your "Swiss Chard" from admiring it on the CPSA website. I have added you to my blog list so that I can "keep up with you". Give your doggie an extra ear scratch for me.

Teresa Mallen said...

Hi Teresa, yes chestnuts yum! :-)

Hi Jan, I like brown sometimes, like in the wood of an old dresser or chair but the colour on our wood siding was rather oppressive!

Well hi Vicki, thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you enjoy your future visits!! :-) The doggie has had his extra scratch and he enjoyed it! Thanks for thinking of him.

Sandy said...

Hi Teresa, I like your photo with the "punkin"! Looking forward to seeing where your near goals take you!