Red Breast and Yellow Chest

When at the Imbolc celebration last weekend, I had an encounter on the way back from the well. I met a Robin. He stood and watched me from a branch. Curious, bright, intelligent and cheerful. He ignored those who walked on but when a lady stopped, he was off. I am not sure anyone else even noticed him. The lady who stopped was looking at the buds on the tree the Robin was sat in.

On my way up the hill on Imbolc to scatter my wish seeds, I was tempted to turn back as the snow started to come down. On this little track, covered in snow and very open to the elements, I came across not one but two Robins! They should have been tucked away somewhere warm and out of the way....

Today as I drove out of the supermarket feeling sad I had to go to work, I met a Robin flying in. It flew over my car, flashing it's chest at me as it did so. A smudge of red, moving up and over.

I began to feel that there was maybe something being said to me that my normal magpies couldn't quite convey... I have long read magpies and watched for them as I feel I have developed some link with them, but Robins? Hmmm.

Robins are lovely birds. Independent but friendly. One used to sit on my Dad's spade and fly down to pick over the soil as he dug it. Obviously it is not the same Robin now but he seems to have developed a relationship with the Robins that live on his land. My family does this with birds, each post has to be put in a metal tin instead of the post box because a family of blue tits nest in it. They let us look at the nest and don't mind the gate opening and closing or people walking by... My folks even have green and lesser spotted woodpeckers regularly visit their bird feeders...

So I had a little look at what Robins might mean to me and it seems they represent growth and renewal. This post on Blogickal has some interesting information. Acticvation of creative spirit.... A stimulus for growth.... A sign I should let go of the past and be free to nurture myself and others.... I can feel happy with this sign to me for I am indeed trying to grow creatively.

Robins are also symbols of Spring, having overturned the Wren at Yule. (or something like that) So they are another symbol spring is coming. And what do I want this Spring to mean for me? Warmth! and I want to be able to give up work and concentrate on all the wonderful creative and nature based things I want to do and experience... *sigh* I can't let go without feeling some sort of financial stability though, maybe the Robin is a sign that this will magically appear from somewhere *sigh*

Warmth... this is where yellow chest comes in. His name is Oswald and he has been a steady companion for around about twenty years. When I am most in need of warmth, he is there. He likes to be held and F doesn't mind him coming to bed with us AND sleeping under the covers. In fact sometimes he tries to steal Oswald... *sigh* as if he ever could!

I feel in love with him as soon as I saw him, sat on the shelf. My sister chose a cheaper one for Christmas as a pressie and was all virtuous over it. I am sure I was asked if a cheaper one would do. But no, I wanted Ossie. And Ossie I have, looking almost as good as new and worth every penny! He is a lovely plush crocodile with a yellow tummy and chest. Inside he has a hot water bottle.

Right now I am not sure if I am coming down with something or not... but I feel cold and Ossie is the one to help...