Finally the sun has come out. For the past week we have been experiencing our Texas winter. Very cold, well it is for Texans. There was a little snow but not a fraction that they get up North, some drizzly- type rain and lots of gray skies, very reminiscent of England and lots of frost.
Now during this wintry patch I went out one morning to do my walk and there were ‘diamonds’ all over the driveway. During the night a sharp, strong wind had passed over and blown the little snippets of ice off the branches of the trees that form an arch over the driveway and there they were, diamonds in plentyall over the place. Even in the watery sun, they sparkled like the most expensive jewels you can get.
And that sent my mind arambling….When the immigrants of the past heard that ‘the streets were ‘paved with gold’, did it really mean someone had actually seen a street bathed in the rays of a sinking sun and just thought it was gold? I wonder.
As I walked little diamonds stuck to the bottom of my running shoes, - is that a term that is used these days? Running shoes? After all I don’t run anywhere and I think that might lead to another side ramble which I won’t explore today.
However it did lead me to thinking of that lovely song by Paul Simon, “Diamonds on the soles of her feet”. I always liked that song with the great harmony from the African singers. I wonder what it really was all about. I’ll have to check that out too.
Thinking about that led me on to remembering when we were at Denton watching the Christmas tree lighting ceremony on the courthouse lawn, surrounded by all the sparkles and shiny lights, a small girl came by and she had diamonds on the souls of her feet. Well, not exactly diamonds but a little flashing lights that came on as she took each step. What a lovely idea. I’m not sure I’d have the nerve to wear running shoes like that at my age but they sure looked like FUN.
Thinking of that little girl and her shoes led me on to thinking of “Lucy in the sky with diamonds”- the Beatles tune there was such a fuss about whether it was written in a drug induced trance or was inspired by a child’s painting from school. So does it really matter now? It’s just a lovely song and the words just make me itch to get to my oil paints and get the feeling of the song down on a canvas. Maybe I'll do it this week.
“Picture yourself on a boat on a river, with tangerine trees and marmalade skies”. Lucy has kaleidoscope eyes but the sun is in her eyes so of course when she looks up she sees, guess what? Diamonds.
Such a nice image on a dreary January morning.
I was never much one for collecting or wearing jewelry .My sole diamond glitters on my hand each day and has done for over 50 years but when I look around I see diamonds now just everywhere I look. No one can steal them;they cost nothing and they are free for all to appreciate if you just look.
