Home Inspires Me by Vickie Stam

"Home is where your story begins." --Anne Danielson 



In a land covered with white snow I find it somewhat difficult to imagine myself planning an 'artist's date.' I don't really leave home to write. To be honest, I'm not a winter person. These days I'm much more content indoors. Finding places to recharge comes easier to me during the warmer months.

Looking out my front window at a blanket that covers the vast expanse of farmland only has me wishing I could put the shovel away, leave the hat and scarf in the closet and say goodbye to a land of ice and snow. I've had my fill of the white stuff. If I were to go someplace to stimulate my creativity, I would fly south where it's warm. I would embrace the sun and the enthusiasm it sparks in me each time it rises and falls. I would enjoy eating dinner with my husband beside the waters edge. It all sounds very enticing but for now, I'm right here..... smack dab in the middle of Canada's winter wonderland.     

It's not as if I don't get away but the majority of my winter is still spent here on the farm in Ontario. And when my husband and I do travel, I have to admit that I don't get much writing in. A week goes by rather quickly.  

At this point I'm not inspired by the great outdoors. I don't really find pleasure in temperatures that tend to dip below zero for far too long. I feel sorry for my husband every time he treks outside to fire up the tractor and blow snow out of our long laneway. I don't take part in any of the winter games that some people enjoy. I don't ski or snowboard, neither do we own a snowmobile. If there's anything about winter I like, it's that first snowfall especially the way the snow shimmers like diamonds when the sun strikes it. Magnificent to say the least but eventually its beauty wears thin with me.      

Stimulating my senses or refilling my artistic well doesn't come from looking out my back window either. Their are more naked trees than I could possibly count. Trees that look more attractive with their clothes on.   

I can hardly wait to spot that first bud in the Spring. It's only a matter of time before each tiny nugget transforms itself into lush green leaves, making them come alive. The sweet sound of birds singing, the smell that lingers in the air after a gentle rain and the summer furniture returning to its rightful place under the pergola. Everything feels new, fresh and meaningful.

 I love hearing the brushing sound the corn stalks make when they sway back and forth in the wind. I enjoy long walks on the beach or a picnic in the park.          

Having said all of that, I can't ignore the winter. It's all around me. For now, I stay indoors,  watch a movie, or curl up under a blanket with a good book. Fellowship with friends. And I'm currently enrolled in a LifeScapes writing class. I'm truly content to be in the confines of my living room, out of the cold, basking in the luxury of flicking the button on the fireplace and watching the orange flames dance behind a sheet of glass. 

Home is truly where my story begins......

Psalm 121:1-2  "I lift my eyes to the hills---where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth."