It’s the Spring Equinox today and I’m in a little village in Cornwall where the sun is shining bright on the fields of daffodils that are suddenly everywhere. I’m in the midst of a great sea voyage and I’m reading old journals from sailors who were at the edge of the world once. Their drawings and writings are full of wonder and creativity and adventure. I would hope the journal of my life would be full of that too. And not the kind of record that exists only on paper. But the kind that’s left behind in the lives of the people I meet and the places I visit and the work I do and the meals I cook. From the smallest moments to the biggest.
How does one make an art out of living anyway? And I’m not talking about some kind of Kinfolk manifesto filled with linen napkins, as nice as they are. I mean the kind of life that illuminates the love that’s at the heart of all creation. A romance with small beautiful miracles every day. Like the daffodils outside my window. And the love of a man who comes to my door with a gift inspired by these golden trumpets of goodness. See below…
This beautiful metal flower was created by the Cornish blacksmith Tristan Kessell. While I was looking for a Lebanese inspired lamb recipe for the evenings meal, he was in his forge making this beautiful piece or work. And if this is a journal about Food and Art…well what could be a better combination. So here is my little attempt to bring words and image to this beautiful evening spent cooking together and talking about daffodils.
On of this flower’s many names is “Narcissus”, which speaks to the Greek myth of a young beautiful man who fell in love with his own reflection. So obsessed with the image he saw on the surface of the water he forgot to eat, or drink or even look up. He was entranced and imprisoned by his own desire and illusion that eventually he wasted away till nothing but a flower of him remained.
The other name for the daffodil is “Lenten Lily”. I love this name. And even more the name of “Easter Bell”. It’s a timely reminder for me of what’s to come. Migratory songbirds are arriving to build their nests and the black branches of winter are beginning to bud again. It is a season of preparation and hope. A season of resurrection where we’re invited to tend to the soil of our hearts as well as the earth. Spring is blooming in all its fullness and glory and I want to attend to it in anyway I can.
As I look at the down-turned head of the daffodil, in both green and in metal, I ask my heart these questions…
”What are I looking down at?” Am I entranced or awake? Am I stuck eating pomegranate seeds in the underworld or am I being born again?
I’m not sure what the answers are exactly…perhaps the questions are enough for now. After all, if this is a season of preparation, then maybe we’re not meant to know all the answers or arrive anywhere at all. We’re just meant to begin.
So as you build your nest and tend to your soil…here is the most delicious Lamb and White Bean Stew for those cold nights at the beginning of everything.
Oh and after all your lamb and beans are gone…the sauce left makes the best soup. May it keep you warm on your journey to the edge of the world. Don’t forget to look up!
