The Saluki is a marvel of elegance. Vita Sackville-West More Quotes by Vita Sackville-West More Quotes From Vita Sackville-West For the last 40 years of my life I have broken my back, my fingernails, and sometimes my heart, in the practical pursuit of my favourite occupation. Vita Sackville-West brokenheartyears How subtle is the relationship between the traveler and his luggage! He knows, as no one else knows, its idiosyncrasies, its contents ... and always some small nuisance which he wishes he had not brought; had known, indeed, before starting that he would regret it, but brought it all the same. Vita Sackville-West regretwishtravel Ambition, old as mankind, the immemorial weakness of the strong. Vita Sackville-West self-controlstrongambition I cannot abide the Mr. and Mrs. Noah attitude towards marriage; the animals went in two by two, forever stuck together with glue. Vita Sackville-West animalattitudetwo It is dreadful how I miss you, and everything that everybody says seems flat and stupid. Vita Sackville-West flatsstupidmissing Forget not bees in winter, though they sleep. Vita Sackville-West beessleepwinter When, and how, and at what stage of our development did spirituality and our strange notions of religion arise? the need for worship which is nothing more than our frightened refuge into propitiation of a Creator we do not understand? A detective story, the supreme Who-done-it, written in indecipherable hieroglyphics, no Rosetta stone supplied by the consummate Mystifier to tease us poor fumbling unravellers of his plot. Vita Sackville-West womenplotreligion A man and his tools make a man and his trade. Vita Sackville-West tradetoolsmen Autumn in felted slipper shuffles on, Muted yet fiery.--Vita Sackville-West Vita Sackville-West slippersautumnwest There is always something else to do. A gardener should have nine times as many lives as a cat. Vita Sackville-West gardeningcatshould-have Travel is in sad case. It is uncomfortable, it is expensive; it is a source of annoyance to our friends, and of loneliness to ourselves. Vita Sackville-West sourcelonelinesstravel It isn't that I don't like sweet disorder, but it has to be judiciously arranged. Vita Sackville-West designsweetart The shortest day has passed, and whatever nastiness of weather we may look forward to in January and February, at least we notice that the days are getting longer. Minute by minute they lengthen out. It takes some weeks before we become aware of the change. It is imperceptible even as the growth of a child, as you watch it day by day, until the moment comes when with a start of delighted surprise we realize that we can stay out of doors in a Vita Sackville-West twilightweatherchildren Everywhere bees go racing with the hours, / For every bee becomes a drunken lover, / Standing upon his head to sup the flowers. Vita Sackville-West racingflowerbees There is something intrinsically wrong about letters. For one thing they are not instantaneous. ... Nor is this the only trouble about letters. They do not arrive often enough. A letter which has been passionately awaited should be immediately supplemented by another one, to counteract the feeling of flatness that comes upon us when the agonizing delights of anticipation have been replaced by the colder flood of fulfilment. Vita Sackville-West agonizingdelightfeelings All craftsmen share a knowledge. They have heldReality down fluttering to a bench. Vita Sackville-West craftsmanbenchesshare See the last orange roses, how they blow / Deeper and heavier than in their prime, / In one defiant flame before they go. Vita Sackville-West orangeflamesblow Serenity of spirit and turbulence of action should make up the sum of a man's life. Vita Sackville-West inspirationallifefunny Every garden-maker should be an artist along his own lines. That is the only possible way to create a garden, irrespective of size or wealth. Vita Sackville-West linesgardenartist It is no good my telling you. One never believes other people's experiencem and one is only very gradually convinced by one's own. Vita Sackville-West convincedbelievepeople
