Down at the Station

The above photo was taken at around 9:40am this morning, although it looks as if it could be much earlier. I find myself very aware of how short our days are right now, how late the sun rises in the sky each morning and how very few hours of full daylight we are getting in each twenty four hours.
On Sunday it'll be the shortest day of the year and Winter Solstice. I'm thinking I would like to celebrate the Solstice this year, although not sure what exactly to do, but I'm thinking something warm and cosy and light-filled. Something sunshiney perhaps, or something evergreen. Do any of you celebrate this day? If you do, if you have any family traditions that you do at this special time, I'd love to hear about it.



So yes, I was waiting for a train this morning. I love my local train station, it's very decorative with some beautifully preserved curly-wurly painted bits, and the metal work is painted in a most desirable shade of turquoise which I adore. Something quite lovely about sitting ones bottom on a turquoise bench, even if said bench is very very cold indeed.



I was actually early for the train which is quite a novelty for me :: usually I'm the one arriving all hot and bothered and panting from running and making it only just in time (or missing the train completely, which happens more frequently than I care to admit). So this morning I found myself strolling leisurely up and down the sunny platform and having a good look around. And I found myself smiling. There was blue sky and sunshine and the station's twiddly bits...



....and the old quirky planters of cheerful polyanthus and clipped box. It was all quite wonderful in a simple and rural kind of way. 



My train journey was a short forty minutes :: I was off to The City to attempt some Christmas shopping. I do really enjoy traveling by train. I enjoy gazing out the window and watching the changing landscapes, enjoy observing the colours and shadows, the hills and fields and rivers and roads and bridges and towns as I whizz past.



And I enjoy a little time to sit and crochet too. I am in full swing with a new project and am so excited by it. There has been this design gradually forming in my whirly-gig mind over recent weeks and I am LOVING bringing it out of that whirly-gig place, through my fingers and into reality. Love the creation process so very much. Sitting and crocheting whilst journeying was hugely enjoyable.



Wish I could say the same about the Christmas Shopping, which was hugely un-enjoyable.
The City Centre was so very City-Centre-ish, so big and crowded and noisy and Shoppy.
Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for Shoppy.
Maybe I should've just stayed home instead.
I wonder if I could crochet all my presents?
In the next week?
For the whole of my family and several good friends?
Hmm possibly not.

Comments

[vildkatten]

Me and my husband celebrates the mid winter solstice and not christmas. The food and drink we have are the more regular swedish time-of-the-year food since many of those have old traditions and are there of a reason.

We use to have much light, but in the dark, to both enjoy the calm of the darkest day and night and suck out what we can of the darkening season and also welcome the light back. To achieve that we have chains of light (very nice with coloured ones since that lights up but is still dark and very cozy) and tons of candles placed out all over, and at the same time we try not to use any electrical lights since that really ruins the feeling. Then we just try to have a nice and stress-free evening and night.

[crazyjane]

I celebrate the winter solstice.We have a Yule yellow feast ie a feast where as much of the food is yellow, to welcome back the sun. I was hoping to bring in some holly, but the tree is still a little small, and then cuddle up in front of the fire and toast the coming of the longer days.

I've started a crochet bag!!! inspired by you, so thank you and am dying to know what your new project is!!

[Gem]

I'm the same about christmas shopping - I'm asbout to head off to the Trafford Centre to finish mine off and I'm dreading it!
Love all your christmas decoration :) Number 24 looks lovely and festive. I did notice that we have a lot of the same christmas decorations (the stocking hanger, the mini wooden decorations, the spotty hearts) which made me smile :)
x

[kathy]

Hi Lucy, Know what you mean about Christmas shopping. Do it online, v.easy and also, go to Sainsburys, wonderful place - I got loads of stuff there yesterday for the teachers; it was worth the 50 mile roundtrip to my nearest one! Otherwise crochet! Kathyx

[Sarah]

I love your railway station, it's so edwardian! I am not a big fan of the commercial aspect of Christmas and am terrible to buy for as I really don't want anything really, well nothing from the shops!

[Hen]

Hi Luce,
Mr HenHouse is going to be so chuffed to see a blog about railways! He'll no doubt be able to name the station in about 3 seconds, strange man!!!
Ah, now I'm feeling bad about the grannys as they've taken a bit of a backseat while I've been doing xmas stuff (I did think yesterday that I really need a blanket to co-ordinate just with my xmas cushions). I'm very slow at grannys, probably because of my dodgy hands, it takes me about 2 hours to do a square and I can really only do one per day before my wrists give up. So, I am now counting them, ah, I only have 16. Hmm, will take a piccy for you of them laid out so you can see the colours, anyway. I found lots more colours in Liberty (more than John Lewis). I have done quite a lot of flowers too...
Hen xxx
P.S. If you're near Beaminster at Easter, would love to se you at our cottage. You have 4 months to think about it!

[Manuela]

Hi Lucy, your little rose are really lovely, i'm doing the same type of rose with various fabrics.
Bye
p.s. Excuse me for my english :)
Manuela

[Rosie Graham]

Hi Lucy,
i love travelling by train too, it gives you that free time where you can do nothing else except sit, so I have done x stitch on the train, when I was making mohair bears i sewed a nose on one of them - that caused lots of comments from other passengers. And of course crochet and knitting.
Have to apologise for the last comment I made to you about the transfer pen, I got you mixed up with Lucy Locket. Sorry.
Rosie

[Emily]

Such a lovely station! I am always amazed by the lovely historic stations and flowers at English train stations - so picturesque! I can understand why city shopping left you feeling cold, when you left all that peace and beauty behind :)

[miss sew n sew]

Hi Lucy
Your train station very pretty much more picturesque than ours. Christamas shopping is stressful at this time of year but your train journey looked very relaxing. One family tradition we have is we have pork pie for breakfast on Christmas day!
Sarah x

[Karen]

Hi Lucy, We celebrate the winter solstice here as Yule and bring holly, ivy, bay and mistletoe[when we can persuade my cousin to bring some up from Somerset]into the house. We bake buttery Yule biscuits and have roast pork and mulled cider. It is also my youngest sons birthday that day and he chooses our yule log to burn that evening. Its one of our favourite days of the year.
Karenx

[driftwood]

love your train station! solstice is such a lovely thing to celebrate, we're thinking of a trip to Fountains Abbey to see the Abbey lit up and festive, and to check on the reindeer to make sure they'll be ready for the big trip next week!

[Devon Hanna]

Hi Lucy,
I have to agree with you just not in the mood to shop,,I would rather stay home and crochet and read your blog,,much more delightful if I say so...thank you for the lovely train and landscape pictures...and I to am curious to what your project is???

Devon

[naomi]

I have been coming by lately and really enjoying your posts. I should introduce myself.
Hi - I'm Naomi

[cathleen]

I want to live in England...I want to wait at a train station and ride on the train and look out the window at the beautiful countryside and have lovely shops to visit and.....Lucy...I want to come and visit you! And I want to make little mincemeat pies like all you lovely English ladies are showing on your blogs. And after seeing all your beautiful crochet projects...I want to start crocheting again too. Oh, Lucy....you always manage to light a fire under my....ahem...excuse me....arse! Am I allowed to say that here???

[marmaladerose]

After working at M&S for many moons, I try and avoid Christmas shopping in store. Most of mine was done online, between reading your blog, much more civilised.

Loving the crochet, but you are a big tease Miss Lucy!

Thanky you for your kind comments regarding Manky Cat. Fi x

[boo]

I'm absolutely agog to know what the new crochet project is!!! And aren't the Tesco Cath Kidston bags to die for???!!!! Love the shot of them!

Boo x

[Jo]

I can so understand every bit. The love for the calm rural pace, the journey and the oh so different city. Nearly too much to take in in one day.
So lovely of you to show the train ticket (love it!)
Those little flowers look a lot like what I am just doing. No camera right now to show.
If you start your crochet for pressies now you might just finish.
No special do here for the Solstice, sorry!

Jo
x

[Sarah]

Hi Lucy,

You are not alone in the lack of interest in the shopping part of christmas.......too busy..too commercial...too cold....would much prefer to be at home....pottering!

intrigued....what are you making?....

Get curled uo tonight, under one of your fabulous blankets....

Sarah x

Ps bought some fabric to make myself a patchwork quilt...inspiration...the curtains of the chainging room in the kath kidston shop.....that should keep me entertained as the boys watch star wars..again!