Sanctuary
Today it is officially spring – and rather amazingly – here in the hills in north-east Switzerland it really IS spring. It’s still cold out of the sunshine, but things are starting to grow. I’ve spent the day waiting for a report to come in for editing and alternating between clearing my vegetable patches ready for early planting, hand quilting on Winter White and writing another 1,000 words on my probably never-to-be-published novel. None of which, as I am sure you can imagine, are particularly photogenic, so I’m sorry, but I have nothing to show today. The Schnibble is getting there though, so I hope before too long I’ll have it hanging on the wall. I feel like I’ve been working on it for a very long time.
Weeding gives me a lot of time for thinking and one of the things I’m feeling very conscious of is the need I have for my own space. You can see my workroom/office/creative atelier/den in the photo above. It’s very small and I love it. I managed to snaffle that corner of our upper floor when we remodelled a few years ago. I love the velux windows that look out onto the garden (but only if I’m standing up – normally all I see are treetops and the sky!). I particularly love it when it rains and it seems that I can hear every raindrop hitting the roof. I love that it’s all wood and that it’s light and airy and that in spring and summer with the windows open I can enjoy birdsong while I work.
But most of all I think I love it because it’s MY space. Things stay where I put them for the most part. It’s tidy and it’s crammed full of all sorts of things I love.
It’s a space where I spend as much time as I can. I work, sew, knit, write, pray, watch films, and think here. When the tumult in the rest of the household becomes too much I come here. I can always close the door and be alone. I can relax and rejuvenate, create and cry, breathe deeply or sing. I can do anything that I want to do. It is my sanctuary and it keeps me sane.
I think we all need a little space to call our own, don’t you? My teenagers are certainly with me on this one!
Helen
March 22nd, 2011 at 2:51 pm
Your space is wonderful – and it`s your space! Good to hear you are making time for yourself and have your own sanctuary. It feels like summer here in Marrakech today – up in the high 20s C. I miss the rain believe it or not and love hearing it hit the window.
March 22nd, 2011 at 5:24 pm
What an amazing place you have! The windows are fantastic too. A place like this would inspire a lot of creativity – maybe this explains part of why you are such a cheerful, productive person, Helen. 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
March 22nd, 2011 at 8:36 pm
I love it! What a fabulous place to call your own. Yes. I agree totally. We all need somewhere of our own to spend time in and just be ourselves. Those windows and the feeling of space looking out at the sky must be wonderful. A great place to be creative.
I have been out in the garden today filling seed trays and planting out some seeds that can be planted now. I love it. Just LOVE it! Now it is time to do a little quilting I think.
March 22nd, 2011 at 9:22 pm
Yes, we all need our own space. I sewed and quilted for so many years on the dining room table or in my bedroom…I’ve had my own sewing room for about 7 years now, and not a day goes by that I don’t walk in and just smile that I do have a sanctuary!
March 22nd, 2011 at 10:04 pm
I love your sanctuary Helen!! I know what you mean, I love my studio it brings such peace.
March 23rd, 2011 at 12:28 am
BEAUTIFUL!
March 23rd, 2011 at 12:43 pm
I have the corner of the living room! I used to have my own little office in the house that is now the gite – I really miss it! Never mind – I plug in my MP3 and I can shut out the world to write.
You are so tidy and organised – oh, to be like that!
March 23rd, 2011 at 1:43 pm
What a wonderful space! I had a similar space when I lived in Kusel. In that house there was a velux window over the second story landing leading into the two bedrooms. It was the perfect place to snug in my sewing table & machine. Not room for much else, I remember cutting patterns out on my knees on the bedroom floor. I now have a large sewing room all to myself. It is great, I love the light, but subconsciously I feel the need to fill the empty spaces with stuff.
March 24th, 2011 at 4:05 am
I love your beautiful space! The windows and nooks are full of character and your wall of frames is most interesting. Enjoy spring! We’ve had another 30 cm of snow since Sunday, the winds have been blowing steadily and now the school busses are not running tomorrow. Alas we are at least 2 months from planting anything outside 🙁
March 25th, 2011 at 8:22 am
What a lovely space! Is that one of those fancy ironing board/irons that everyone here seems to have? Are they worth buying?