Winter Solstice, England, and Cold Weather

Since I last posted I have performed in two shows (Emma in early October and The Last Night of Ballyhoo, which closed on Saturday night), costumed another, and attempted to keep up with schoolwork (the bane of my existence). So blogging has unfortunately been low on my list of priorities. Tonight though, as I sit in bed with a cup of tea, a cold and anxiously awaiting the light snow we have been promised I picked up a favorite book of mine, Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher. This is a wonderful book set in England in Winter. Two of my favorite things. It's a beautiful story about people finding themselves and each other at the most magical time of the year and of course, as with all Ms. Pilcher's books, a little lovestory (or 3) is thrown into the mix.
I first found the book at the local library sale. I had become entranced with Ms. Pilcher some years ago from an article in Victoria magazine about her home and writing and included in the article was a short excerpt from her novel, Coming Home. I soon found the novel and read it, but while I enjoyed it was at the time too young to fully understand and enjoy it all. Some years later right after coming to university I found Winter Solstice for a mere dollar and snatched it up and took it off to my brand new apartment to read. I have come back to this book at least once a year since and often at other times through the year as well. There is just something about this one that is unlike the rest of Ms. Pilcher's work. It is even better, even cosier, even warmer than the rest.

Cliffe High Street

Lewes, East Sussex

Now I shall have a bit of a ramble about England. My mum has always wanted to live in England. We have ancestors from there and it is quite frankly in our opinion the most wonderful country on the face of the Earth. I'm an American girl and proud of it, but England is just magical, I can't even describe what it is about England, I just know that someday I will live there. I decided when I was about 15, around the same time I decided I wanted to be an actress that I wanted to live in England. Practically, for a theatre actor, you can't find a richer place to work. With theatres all over the country and the respect and love that the people have for the artform, it is no wonder that an actor would want to work there. But it's more than just the practicality. I look at pictures of certain parts of England and they just feel like home. I have been looking at a wonderful site http://www.picturesofengland.com/ for the past couple of days to entertain myself while sick. They have wonderful picture tours, I've just finished "England In Winter". I'm not sure when it will happen, but I am determined that one day I will live there. I think the West Midlands would be a good fit for me.


Quinton Road Harbone West Midlands









And now I will close this post with saying the chance is slim: but it's supposed to snow tonight!!!!! My Christmas tree is up and plugged in, my Menorah is in the window (we'll cover religion and holidays some other time, let's just say we have Chrismukkah for now)and I am sitting here in bed wrapped up in blankets hoping to go out and at least see a few white flakes falling from the sky sometime tonight! Here are a few of my favorite snowy England pictures to get you in the cold weather mood!
~Elena

Farm House
Somewhere in Essex

Hurdlemakers Arms, Essex

Umberleigh