It Snowed. The Wind Blew.

Considering leaf litter, bird seed & minimalism

Snow on the Compost Pile, 1/10/24 Photo by Lyn Swett Miller

Hello Friends!

I hope you don’t mind me calling you that. I’ve never met most of you in person, but if you’re coming along for this ride filled with 13 Tons of Love, you’re definitely a friend to me. Thank you for being here.

Hydrangea Petals & Snow, 1/10/24 Photo by Lyn Swett Miller

It finally snowed.

Then the wind blew and it rained.

Leaves and other detritus decorated the ‘lawn.’

Leaf 1, 1/10/24 Photo by Lyn Swett Miller

There is something magical about mottled leaves, needles at odd angles and the irregular edges of a thing silhouetted against snow.

This seemingly blank palette is cold to touch and an abstraction to witness, but there is a fullness to the space around each of these objects.

Leaf 4, 1/10/24 Photo by Lyn Swett Miller

According to color theory, white means the presence of all colors, which implies that this blank space actually contains the all of it.¹

How often do I wish for empty space on a wall, on a page, or in the day? But what does it mean if that emptiness is actually full?

Pine Needles, 1/10/24 Photo by Lyn Swett Miller

Research indicates that the practice of minimalism positively impacts our wellbeing, including promoting clarity of thought and a sense of calm.²

It’s certainly true that just looking at these images inspires me to linger, sigh and bliss-out on their uncluttered simplicity.

Leaf 2, 1/10/24 Photo by Lyn Swett Miller

If you read last week’s post, “Composting & Composing a Life,” you know that I’ll be moving this year and that I’m particularly curious about the confluence of past, present and future as D and I re-imagine our lives for this next chapter.

This time is filled with loss and renewal, grief and gratitude. In the mess of it all, I search for calm.

I never would have stopped and looked at this particular textured and weathered leaf if it hadn’t snowed and rained and then been really windy. Just as the color white contains all colors, it feels as if this single leaf contains the story of all leaves, all trees, and all of us.

We get blown around and land somewhere and may or may not be noticed, but we exist and are supported from beneath by this universal container/support/being (or whatever word works for you).

Leaf 3, 1/10/24 Photo by Lyn Swett Miller

It’s so much easier to see and experience big ideas in unseen places when there is less distraction.

Thank you snow.

Thank you rain.

Thank you wind.

Leaf 5, 1/10/24 Photo by Lyn Swett Miller

And, as always, thank you for sharing this space and your time with me. I am honored to have you along on this adventure filled with 13 Tons of Love.

With cheers and gratitude,

Lyn

If you know anyone who might enjoy these musings, please do click the button above and see what they think!

And remember to comment with the button below rather than hitting reply. If you choose the latter, I’ll never see any of your delightful words.

Snow on the Compost Pile, 1/10/24 Photo by Lyn Swett Miller

1. There is much to say about colors.

a. According to Adobe, White is not a color, but a shade: Some consider white to be a color, because white light comprises all hues on the visible light spectrum. And many do consider black to be a color, because you combine other pigments to create it on paper. But in a technical sense, black and white are not colors, they’re shades.

b. White contains all colors: Each colour has a different wavelength. Red has the longest wavelength, and violet has the shortest wavelength. When all the waves are seen together, they make white light. White light is actually made of all of the colours of the rainbow because it contains all wavelengths, and it is described as polychromatic light (Science Learning Lab)

c. If you search on Google for the meaning of the color white you’ll find lots of interesting reflections on the ideas of purity and simplicity, but I find these kinds of conversations unsettling and uncomfortable. I’m really just responding to the snow, which, in fact, is not really white at all, but has shades of gray and a lot of blue. Golly, there certainly is a lot more to consider than I can address in a single post!

2. Just Google “Minimalism” and “well-being” and oodles of articles will appear. Here’s one from Forbes Magazine, “Five Mental Health Rewards of Embracing Minimalism” and another from Psychology Today “Can Minimalism Really Make you Happier?”