Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Quote du jour/Frances Theodora Parsons


For all practical purposes nature is at a standstill... there is a wonderful joy in leaving behind the noisy city streets and starting out along the white road that leads across the hills. With each breath of the sharp, reviving air one seems to inhale new life. A peace as evident as the sunshine on the fields takes possession of one's inner being. The trivial cares which fretted like a swarm of mosquitoes are driven away by the first sweep of wind that comes straight from the mountains. ... The intense silence that broods over the snow-bound land is a conscious blessing. The deep blue of the sky and the purple shadows cast by the trees and plants are a feast to the eye. The crunch of the snow-rind beneath our feet and the varied hum of the telegraph wires overhead are music to our ears.

- Frances Theodora Parsons (née Smith, 1861–1952), usually writing as Mrs. William Starr Dana, was an American botanist and author active in the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries

11 comments:

  1. I love this quote!...so beautiful and such a perfect description of nature in the winter!
    I also love the beautiful sunshine and shadow photos you have recently shared.
    Oh, the glorious sun!
    Thanks for sharing,
    Joanne

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  2. Joanne, Thank you. I've just ordered a book by her called According to Season: A Celebration of Nature. Doesn't that sound great?

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  3. I love her writings. Thanks for this...it gave me a moment to pause, breathe, reflect, and rejoice.

    Sending love across the cooooold miles,

    Sharon Lovejoy Writes from Sunflower House and a Little Green Island

    P.S. According to Season is a wonderful book. I have the old, original edition, but the new one in hardcover is just as lovely.

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  4. This is so beautiful, pictures and all, that you almost made me swoon.

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  5. Love the quote. So beautiful and such a lovely scene. We are freezing here. Too much wind. Too cold, way too cold. I know. I'm whining. But really....

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  6. Nan, that is alot of snow and a lovely quote!!

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  7. Sharon, aren't you lucky to have the original! I expect I shall love it.

    Mary Lois, I hadn't heard of this woman or her work, and am so looking forward to reading her.

    Kay, I was just talking to my cousin in Texas and it is cold down there!

    Sherri, there's more snow now!

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  8. Lovely quote, Nan!

    And, yes, Kay. I understand it's very cold in your area. Amy had an "ice day" and got to stay home from work yesterday. That rarely ever happens in Dallas!! Needless to say, this mama was happy she was off the roads. ;)

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  9. What a great passage! You find the best quotes -- lovely thoughts, perfectly illustrated by the photo.

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  10. Sallie, thank you for your kind enthusiasm! It means a lot to me.

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