Au milieu de l'hiver, j'ai découvert en moi un invincible été - Albert Camus

Even in the midst of winter's chilling grasp, Albert Camus found in himself an immortal summer of joy. But those discoveries don't come easily. Long, colorless and quiet seasons sometimes force us to stop and ponder.



And when we have stood still long enough, stand back, and examine the situation, we can usually find a thing of beauty....



within in ourselves.



Like many of you, we are experiencing an extremely cold winter in the Midwest, and after living here several years, I have often wondered if there is any correlation between creativity, productivity and timeless beauty and the long months of standing still....



and waiting....



for our surroundings to thaw so that we can get our dreams and plans afloat



and blossom.



Many famous and influential artists and entrepreneurs have emerged from Minnesota, perhaps having had many a long and harsh winter to plow through and find that endless summer of creativity under the icy surface. The works of native Minnesotans such as F. Scott Fitzgerald



Sinclair Lewis



the beloved Charles Schulz



and many others, have added a texture of rich, cultural artifacts that have contributed to our lives. ALL of us have an invincible summer of joy within, waiting to come to fruition



from the pages of our daily lives



waiting to be turned and savored, page by page



in order to give us direction towards that internal, invincible summer passage that awaits us all.



Relish the stillness mes chères amies, for underneath is a wealth of textured loveliness that will remain a thing of beauty!

Bonne semaine, tout le monde!


Cast busts by Kathy Dalwood and antique French silk books found in the October 2009 post from Trouvais