My husband recently came home with a rust colored box of whisky with a little bird logo on the front of it. One of his sisters, who is a sommelier, recently stayed in our home to enjoy the warmer weather and babysit our black lab while we took the family for a trip up to Canada. When we came home she recommended several types of wines and spirits for us to try and this Irish Whiskey was one of her recommendations. We decided to make an Irish Maid with it and were pleasantly surprised. It was tasty and refreshing, maybe a tad on the sweet side.
I was taken by the sweet little bird they used as a logo so I turned the box over to see what was on the back and came across this description:
The ROBIN REDBREAST is the only bird which SINGS CONTINUOUSLY throughout the dark Irish winters and is one of the very few small birds that choose to WINTER IN IRELAND. It is this ENDURING SPIRIT which inspires its namesake, Redbreast Irish Whisky.
Maybe it’s just a marketing pitch, but the thought of the sturdy little bird who not only endures through the dark winter, but sings continuously touches something of life, doesn’t it? I not only like the story, I like that someone noticed this bird, observed it, and was inspired by it enough to name their whisky after its spirit – one that chooses to sing in the midst of darkness.
Nature holds so much inspiration for us if we would regularly be out of doors and take the time to notice as Charlotte Mason encourages us to. We read a biography of Lilias Trotter as part of our AmblesideOnline curriculum years ago. She is one of those people who drew inspiration from what she observed in nature. You can read many of her reflections and see her paintings here. I had no idea she corresponded with Amy Carmichael! (See my recent post about her here.) Here is one of my favorite reflections by Lilias.
If you struggle with getting out doors, The Handbook of Nature Study has great encouragement for us:
In my belief, there are two and only two occupations for Saturday afternoon or forenoon for a teacher. One is to be out-of-doors and the other is to lie in. bed, and the first is best. Out in this, God’s beautiful world, there is everything waiting to heal lacerated nerves, to strengthen tired muscles, to please and content the soul that is torn to shreds with duty and care. To the teacher who turns to nature’s healing, nature-study in the schoolroom is not a trouble; it is a sweet, fresh breath of air blown across the heat of radiators and the noisome odor of overcrowded small humanity. She who opens her eyes and her heart nature-ward even once a week finds nature-study in the schoolroom a delight and an abiding joy.
Handbook of Nature Study, p. 3
What inspiration are you finding today?