Tuesday 27 January 2015

Inspiration And The Snow Child





Champneys is a great place to recharge your batteries and enjoy a wee bit of pampering. I went hoping to energise myself, get loads of exercise and to get my head around reducing my portion sizes.

The Mister and I eat really well and healthily but my portion sizes have crept up, and with drinking a glass of wine most nights, the weight has crept on. I can happily report that I achieved my goals, made a dent in my flobbage and have returned home with a good mind set. Now I need to carry on.



I went with one of my best chums, no Willie that is not her in the waistcoat. She, god bless her, managed to get us a tremendous deal through an associate so we only paid about a third of the going rate. I wouldn't say it was worth the full rate. But for my budget it does feel as though I have made a good investment in my health and appearance.

Whilst there I read the most extraordinary book, inspired by a Russian fairy tale, Snegurochka. The tale of an old man and a woman who form a little girl out of snow and she comes to life.

"Alaska, the 1920s. Jack and Mabel have staked everything on a fresh start in a remote homestead, but the wilderness is a stark place, and Mabel is haunted by the baby she lost many years before. When a little girl appears mysteriously on their land, each is filled with wonder, but also foreboding - is she what she seems, and can they find room in their hearts for her?"

This Newsday review sums it up beautifully. 'Ivey, a native Alaskan, knows how to make the frost glow in a window, how to describe light flickering through birches in a way that plays with the reader's imagination........The book is full of reflections in dark windows, lamplight, alpenglow.......Ivey sets up the two most powerful forces in any story: fear on the one hand, potential for the miraculous on the other'.

A wonderfully evocative and spiritual story of love, in an icy magical and powerful landscape. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Another book to mention is the cutest little journal that arrived at my house whilst I was away.


A giveaway win, my first, from Cornish Chickpea who has a smashing blog just here. Thanks again Chickpea, I will put it to good use. Can you all see the quote on the front? It's from A Midsummer night's Dream. " Though she be but little, she is fierce". Sounds like my kinda gal.

13 comments:

  1. So glad you like the book and I hope you enjoy using it. Thank you for mentioning The Snow Child, I am pretty sure it was read on Radio 4 and thinking at the time I would like to read it, then I forgot all about it. I will make a note of it now so I don't forget to order it. It sounds like you had a wonderful time away, so jealous!

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  2. Sounds like you had a lovely restful time away, glad you enjoyed it. Love a fantastical story like that, alas I'm not much of a reader I'm afraid.

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  3. Glad you enjoyed your stay at the health farm and now feel fighting fit. I read the Snow Child a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it - it made me feel happy and sad in equal measure - it is a keeper and I will definitely read it again at some point.

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  4. How lovely a trip to Champneys, the book sounds interesting will add it my list :-)

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  5. I love that you 'dented your flobbage'! xx

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  6. I love The Snow Child too, it is a wonderful book. Your trip sounds very worth while - I can so relate to the portion size and glass of wine temptation! x

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  7. Ah! Here we are.....Better say summat...
    Might get nagged...Again! :).

    Well, l don't read books...Book..Books,
    that is...As everyone knows..No patience!
    I just wait till the film comes out...Sorted!

    Now! This lose of weight thing...I'm a firm
    believer, the only way to loose weight...HeHe!
    Is to stop eating...Easy as that! This cutting
    down, watching calories etc..is a lot of nonsense!
    Just stop eating, when you get to your required
    weight...Start eating again...Sorted!
    Ah! Hang on a mo...There is another way to keep
    yer weight down...As l do....Stress! Anxiety! HeHe!
    As Punch would say..."That's the way to do it".
    I used to have a six pack...Now! I'm down to two...
    Fit! I can still give these youngsters a seeing to,
    on the dance floor...Not, forgetting the mental thing
    either...It's ALL in the mind....!
    HeHe! So! There you have it....And, l was'nt gonna
    nowt! Dust my soap box off...And, slip it back under
    the bed for the next time! :>).

    Think l got a problem with my pink flashing mouse.
    Seems to be doing two entries of my comments.
    Perhaps it's because there so good, it prints it twice!
    Anyway here goes....

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  9. The Snow Child sounds like a lovely book Jean. I am adding it to my list.

    Carol

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  11. A wonderful break from the sounds of it. You may have not filled your belly but you did fill your mind :)

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  12. I have that quotation (Shakespeare, by the way), on one of my Pinterest pages,
    "Though she be but little, she is fierce".
    It's my motto!

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  13. I've never been on a health getaway; I would love that! A kind person gave me a copy of The Snow Child so I am now more inclined to read it - Thank You!

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