Thursday, September 03, 2009

Beginning

This Thursday's Theme did tax my brain a bit - but this is really a time of endings and beginnings for me, and for M, so I've been thinking in those terms about "beginning".

And so this picture - taken in East London's docklands, just across the Thames from where I live -



which is the ending of the day, but also the beginning of night.

There are all sorts of changes we're going through in my household and some of the endings are sad but many of them are positive - some also a relief. The beginnings are unpredictable - but then, thats life, isn't it? Its always unpredictable, even when we forget thats so.

There are always beginnings, at least potential beginnings, embedded in what we do from day to day, like secret seeds. Some of them might grow unseen into something lovely.

So my rather taxed brain thinks that beginnings often - normally? - include endings. But also that endings go with beginnings. "Segue into" beginnings. Segue is a good word.

I saw a conker today on the pavement. If you don't know what conkers are, click here for an old post I did about them. Way back when.... when I couldn't possibly have foreseen our current situation. A lot has ended and begun since then.

I was a little shocked to see that this conker was already ripe - like the elderberries I picked at the weekend. Autumn begins earlier these days than it used to, I'm not quite sure I'm ready for it.

But wearing cosy slippers again will be nice, theres nothing like a good pair of slippers, and open fires and that crisp chilly bright October air... Oh and autumn leaves....

And the seeds being shed now


will be there, dormant and waiting, ready for the beginning of Spring.



The cycle of life. Endings and beginnings. Commonplace and amazing, innit?



Oh, and as most of my work at the moment is to do with the beginning of our University term in 3 weeks time, eeek only 2 and a half weeks, I'm ultra-busy and apologise for not being "around" much in your comments at the moment. I hope to find more time soon...

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

lettuce, heh; I can see why you call chestnuts "conkers"...but who knew something so tasty came from something that looked like that? Too, "the beginning of night", nice how you worked that into the snap( and right nice snap, it is! )

Anonymous said...

What a lovely post, I do hope your new beginnings bring you happiness. Lovely picture of London by night,

Coffee Messiah said...

Beautiful photos and lovely post!

Cheers!

Dumdad said...

Beginnings, yes. Term begins again today for my two - how quickly the long summer holidays are over!

I also haven't been around commenting as much as I ought to but have enjoyed your fab photos.

Akelamalu said...

Beginnings and endings - that's life!

Brian Miller said...

round and round the circle goes, when its time to stop no one knows...and now bring on the autumn! i hope your endings bring beautiful beginnings...

Betsy Brock said...

Beginnings are unpredictable, aren't they! I guess that's what makes them so exciting! :)

e said...

I hope all your beginnings are good and your leavings are happy. Great photos, as always!

Giulia said...

That is one beautiful photograph, Lettuce.

Buona fortuna...

Susan

Wings1295 said...

Nature is pretty amazing!

BTW, your link goes back to the Suitcase theme from May. :)

Barbara said...

Life is really just a big circle where beginnings and endings blur. May your new beginnings flourish.

lettuce said...

I've checked the link and it looks conker-ish to me..... if anyone else finds it linking wrongly, could you let me know pls?

mouse (aka kimy) said...

how with love those conkers!!

I too can't think of beginning without thinking ending....as joni sings and the seasons they go round and round

we are all just in the circle game of life

hugs....great post!

Megan said...

Good one, Lettuce!

Read on Susan's blog about Mythago Wood and I'm in the middle of it at the moment. Now there's a story about where and how things begin. Or...or...DO they?

Have a lovely weekend!

Tom said...

don't know how i missed your theme thursday post...there are so many, sometimes it is hard to get every one of them!

was confused by your 'conkers' . was it the brown one with the spot? We call them buckeyes over here. Or the spikey ones?

Also we have a really spikey seed pod here, off the american gum trees, some peple call them monkey balls...

lettuce said...

hi Tom

i wouldn't worry - it is hard.
Conkers are the horse chestnuts - the ones with the less spikey casings, with the black spot.
The extremely spikey ones are sweet chestnuts, which are edible. And yummy.