It was plus 19 degrees Celsius during the last week of winter. To be honest, I cannot recall when the end of winter has been so warm and sunny. Brilliant blue sky stretched over us, there was no wind, birds waking up, chirping, getting go with their spring songs. Pure pleasure after the long and nasty winter we had in Canada this year. Well, and it’s cold, rainy and not spring-like today with winds folding the tall trees in half.

Therefore, I make myself cozy. Actually, the first thing my grandson said when he entered our place after arriving from Europe for Christmas was: it’s so cozy and beautiful here! That refers to numerous paintings on our walls and the all-winter blooming room plants since the furniture is scarce and very functional. Cozy has always meant a lot for me.

Small spaces are great to live in, except one has to be extremely organized and conscious about everything which I am. It isn’t complicated: you always put everything back into place where it belongs. That also means that absolutely everything has its place. Watching how people manage that over many decades, I have come to conclusion that this skill comes from early childhood.

My background is so different from what people born in Canada or in the States have experienced! It was such time, and it was such place where my life started that you probably wouldn’t be envious. I had about 2 toys – one blue truck and one doll, a large one. I spent my time mostly on my own because we didn’t have daycares or nursery schools. However, I had numerous fantastically illustrated children’s books, and that is where my first inspiration for art comes from.

I was very often outdoors exploring the neighborhood. The closest farmhouse was about 1.5 km away. We had fields and pastures all around, one narrow road leading to the main road which was gravel at that time. The closest small town to which I walked since I was 6, was about 3 km away. Yes, we walked it when the snow was up to my waistline, or during rain, wind, heat. Mom rode a bike to work; dad had a motorcycle. They worked 6 days a week, long hours, too.

My sister is 4 years younger, so it took a while since she could join me playing. Playing I wasn’t a lot. I got my only doll for watching the small calf we had. My best friend was a wonderful dog we had; he accompanied me during exploration walks and saved from a snakebite once. I was weaving baskets with my grandmother, when I was about 6 years old, helping in the huge garden, picked berries, raked leaves, helped cooking. I also learned to recognize all wild and garden plants around this time. That included wild flowers which I literally adored.

I was the one sewing dresses for dolls later, building toy houses, building small toy apartments with all furniture and everything that belongs. I used simple materials which were in the shed and whatever I found useful. Sister could play with my creations since I liked to make things and not play. I drew an ABC which taught my sister reading way better than the usual ABCs which were available. I always created what I needed since you couldn’t buy anything at the store. I was always a teacher from a young age.

Great advantage of my childhood was that we never used or needed any medications, just herbal tea here and there. Well, there weren’t actually any drugstores around either. All food we consumed was grown and produced by ourselves. Once again, you could buy hardly anything at the store. Up to this day, I don’t like chocolate or ice cream too much, in fact, I rarely eat them, just a tiny bit on rare occasions. It’s also so that this ice cream doesn’t come close to the natural ice cream of my childhood.

So, from very early on, I learned what is cozy, what is nicely organized and clean. I dare saying that many of our habits which either disturb us or help us, come from early childhood. That refers to not only always keeping our space clean and neat, but also to our eating habits. I still don’t drink Cola or Pepsi since I never had them until I arrived in Canada at the age of almost 50. Basically, you cannot like what you never had access to.

Cozy for me is warm, welcoming and comfortable environment, not necessarily luxury and over the top appliances and the likes. Cozy is the fantastic energy which comes from my original art. Cozy is plants – blooming or just having green leaves. Cozy is an amazing book, hot tea or coffee and homemade food. Food which doesn’t make one sick but is made with love so one feels it in every bite.

I wish you a fantastic spring! Maybe we will need less cozy now and more outdoorsy energy. All of that is wonderful. The snowdrops are in bloom, and daffodils are sprouting.