Good morning! Welcome to "Morning Musings".

Musings: to meditate, think, contemplate, deliberate, ponder, reflect, ruminate, reverie, daydream, introspection, dream, preoccupation, brood, cogitate.

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Living in the Clouds


I couldn't resist a walk in the woods this morning to capture the ethereal fog that was swirling through the trees on our little mountain, which means it is more likely clouds than fog.  I will take you on a walk in the beginnings of my little Enchanted Woods.  I have great plans for it....


I am reminded of the bushes I used to play amongst at my grandmother's farm....

There, the girl cousins had make-believe houses around the large roots of an old oak tree down by the gravel road that ran in front of the old farmhouse.  Here, my grandchildren will ring the Faerie Bell.... 

....before they can enter the Enchanted Woods....

They'll follow the path through the woods exploring along the way....

....until they come to the entrance at the other end....

When they turn and head back the other way....

....they'll have glimpses of what lies beyond....

One of my very imaginative sons listened to my "story" of how the gnomes aren't allowed in the Enchanted Woods.  They are charged with guarding it from all harm--only the faeries and their guests are allowed inside.  He asked--pointing to the stone bench held up by gnomes--is that what happens to gnomes who do enter?....

One cannot get lost on their way to the Enchanted Woods.  It is not far from the house....

....and if you look carefully behind the trees....

....you may happen upon the door to Faerie Land....

Sssshhh....if you're quiet enough you may be able to get close....

There are more woods to explore as we leave the Enchanted Woods....

Off in the distance, framed by other trees, you can see what remains of my boys' climbing tree--an old Tulip Popular Tree....

This is all that is left of it after a large section broke off a few years ago revealing this huge hole inside, and then last year half of the tree above broke off....

Now the gnomes live in it....

✳ ✳ ✳ ✳ ✳ ✳ ✳ ✳

Once outside the Enchanted Woods you can peer over the rock wall....

And get glimpses of the path....


Ah...I've spotted a faerie web for catching naughty gnomes who try to climb the trees into the Woods....

Back closer to the house is the Secret Garden....

This garden was created 15 years ago when grandchildren were only a hope....a place for us to sit and read stories....

Now I have the first of many with whom to share this enchanting love....

❧ ❧ ❧ ❧ ❧ ❧ ❧ ❧ ❧


As it turns out, today is the second anniversary of Morning Musings!  This was my very first post:  An Early Morning Walk.  To celebrate I'm giving away the enchanting Fairyopolis--A Flower Fairies Journal based on Cicely Mary Barker's Flower Fairy books.  It is filled with her delightful drawings, flaps to lift, and letters secreted away in envelopes, all designed to take you into her very special world of fairies.  To get a peek inside look here.  

Just leave a comment and you'll be entered in the drawing.  I'll announce the winner next Monday!

14 comments:

  1. Well sure enter me in your give away. I enjoyed your forest walk and would have thought it was in the middle of a (well kept) nowhere, until I saw how surprisingly close your house was. Your paths are so nicely laid, and I can just see some little children delighting in your Enchanted Forest.

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    1. Thank you for coming along with me on the walk through my woods!

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  2. Just loved the door in the tree trunk quote "you may happen upon the door to Faerie Land....". Also loved the gnome in the center of the broken tree trunk. You are so gifted in having a good imagination. That's why I also love the book(s) you have written! Love YOU Sis. xoxoxox

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    1. Thank you, Sandy! I think you're my biggest fan. ☺ Love you, too! ♡

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  3. Cathy, you've struck a very nostalgic chord in my heart today with this post ... *sigh.* Your music selection is absolutely perfect for meandering through the forest on a misty morn. LOVE the fairy door with the ivy growing alongside, the hedgehog waiting to greet 'guests,' and I only JUST caught a glimpse of one such guest nearby about to alight! Those busy gnomes seem to be doing double-duty keeping the pathways immaculate as well! Lucky, lucky little ones who will be charmed by all the fun that will be theirs for the taking in the coming years. The Flower Fairies book looks 'enchanting''; what a lovely giveaway. Congratulations on your second anniversary, and thanks yet again for all you share.

    Sharon in Alabama

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    1. I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed your walk through my woods! Thank you for visiting my Blog and all your lovely comments.

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  4. I know I've said it before, Cathy... but WHAT a spot you have there! "Other-worldly" is the word that kept coming to mind. I especially love the teeny door at the bottom of the tree. Apparently your son comes by his imaginative mind naturally - it's in his DNA! Maybe someday you & Olivia will do a book about your woods and the faeries. And congratulations on the second anniversary of your blog! That's great. Not to mention amazing how you continue to find interesting topics time after time. I'd run out of ideas in about 2 weeks!

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    1. Janet, it's not to hard to come up with topics if you like talking about yourself! :-) I'm just glad you all are interested enough to keep coming back!

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  5. It was a cool and misty walk through your lovely woodland fairyland. A perfect atmosphere for gnomes and fairies and all the furry creatures that dwell in the nooks and crannies of those tall ivy covered tree trunks. I will dismiss myself from the drawing as I already have this book. Congrats again on little Olivia, you will be making fairy gardens before you know it.

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    1. Thank you, again, Jeri. Having a child in my life again is the grandest thing that I could wish for! Now I have an excuse to indulge in whimsy! ☺

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  6. Cathy, I could not walk along without being reminded of these words of William Allingham: "Up the airy mountain, down the rushing glen, we dare not go a walking for fear of little men..." Such wonderful plans you have for Olivia!
    I hope you are writing and illustrating your own book of fairies.
    Yesterday I visited with a friend who made a tiny pocket fairy garden for her grands many years ago. I always wish I could crawl inside and be a child again :)
    btw,I love the little fairy door and hedgehog, they are the sweetest I've seen.

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    1. Oh, that I could illustrate! I have already written the story (which I'll link to in my next post). Olivia's daddy has some drawing talent. Wouldn't it be wonderful if he passed it on to her and she could illustrate the story for me! There are lots of YouTube videos on how to make a Fairy House. For now, I will just be hiding doors in tree roots. ☺ Thank you for that fitting line of poetry. I will check out the rest of the poem.

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  7. How lovely and mystical your Enchanted Forest looks. What child wouldn't love to let their imaginations run away into the land of fairies and gnomes. Olivia is going to love coming to Grandmama's! I'm reminded of the Secret Garden my daughter and I planted years ago and enjoyed so much. I think one of the rascal gnomes must have gobbled up my comment to this post earlier. Let's see if I can sneak this one in. ♥

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    1. I'm glad you commented again, but I've not seen your first one come through yet. It could very well have been the gnomes. They can really be naughty when they've nothing else to do!

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