Thursday, 

September 3rd, 2020

"Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, Close bosom friend of the maturing sun; Conspiring with him how to load and bless With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;  To bend with apples the moss'd cottage trees, And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core......" (John Keats - To Autumn - an excerpt....)

I had to go and check to see what day it was, in September.

Yesterday I lost myself in the garden, so I couldn't decide if I had added a wonderful day to September, or somehow lost one!!   I did have a great afternoon in the garden, but it wasn't an afternoon when I relaxed and enjoyed the bees buzzing in the asters, which are just beginning to bloom, -

 I put on my forty year old aura and started making order out of chaos amongst the barn flowers and the Jerusalem artichokes and the remnants of the golden daisies and the shaggy red Bee Balm.  After a short while my 'forty year old aura' slipped away from reality and I had to come in and rest my back and have a little brandy to recover!! And re-discover, to my great chagrin, just how many years my willing body had been gardening, and how it reacted, despite my delight in being outside amongst the summer's yield of greenery!!

Today I stayed indoors and read a bit and had the nice Thursday afternoon happy hour with my youngest daughter, when we get all caught up on the week's news and gossip!

Not much news these days, as Covid 19 constraints cause everyone to be on their toes and watch their P's and Q's, - so to speak.l  My daughter works at "The Manor", a home for people who are not confined, but are in need of assistance, and so when she first arrives there she changes her clothes and dons a mask, and her poor hands show the results of constant sanitizing.

Will we ever get back to normal?  I suppose we all have different definitions of 'normal', and I cannot complain as my life changes little.  Age makes home and garden lovely places to be, and the door is always open for company, and for family, so I am never lonely, even though I don't get out and into the village.  

There is a fruit stand just down the road and up a block, and one of these days I plan to take Charles' scooter and see what they have to offer, now that autumn is here and the peach, pear and apple seasons are in full swing.

Picking up peaches, and I always ask if they might have some over ripes out back because they bring back such wonderful memories of the orchard and the peach block and the scent of ripe, fuzzy peaches.  The children would perhaps question my nostalgia, as what they remember is Mum coming in, hot and uncomfortable and covered with peach fuzz, - not too often with a smiling countenance or in a happy mood!!   Cranky!!!  Nevertheless......there is always the shower to restore one's equilibrium.

And with that I will say good-night and go and visit with my youngest son, who has just arrived!

Sunday, August 30th, 2020

A long time since I have written here.

Somehow August has passed by, - warm weather and the usual end of August rain didn't arrive. 

The garden has been growing by leaps and bounds so that now it looks like a small jungle

with the Barn flowers reaching high above the garden fence,

 - and this lack of moisture has not been good for menacing wild fires.

I look forward to September.

Well, I have always looked forward to September!

I was always anxious to go back to school in those long ago days and somehow 

this anticipation has stayed with me over the years

and I still welcome September with great enthusiasm, and renewed plans.

A Handwoven magazine lies open upon my breakfast table

with a most inviting article and instructions for 8 shaft tea towels -

even some with overshot, which is pretty fancy for hanging on the oven door.

I find that the pandemic has joined hands with my advanced age

and between the two of them they have thrown up a barrier between me and 

any social life - although I did go to a church meeting the other day.

My "ears" got into the act, and admonished the other deterrents 

that I had managed to to avoid - I had a terrible time following the flow

and it occurred to me that my best meeting days languish in the past!!!!

I am so thankful for my looms, and the creativity they inspire..

Here are a couple of scarves I just removed, washed and pressed,and looked upon with pleasure!!!!

Oh shoot!!!  Blogger froze up on me, - again!  Is it trying to tell me something?

Am I not to post a picture of these lovely manly scarves, (?) all plaid

and one festooned with red, green and black blocks - lovely soft, fine wool.

Just great for Christmas!!!

I have decided that there is a reason for Blogger being so recalcitrant

these days, and it all has to do with age.

1.  (and the most likely) I am getting old and not as sharp as I once was.

2.  Blogger has taken on new ways that it is not quite used to, and so

     it just lies back and becomes "unresponsive"!!! (This is the reason

     I am inclined to favor as there is some hope for improvement as 

     it matures.....

3.  Maybe my computer is getting old, and it is in need of emergency

     treatment, like the installation of Windows 10, which sits here on the

     floor, beside me, patiently waiting for someone to bring it to life!!!

Whatever the reason, I have reached my limit of frustration and am off

to bed with this intriguing new book I am reading - "A Traveler at the

Gates of Wisdom"

My youngest son, who was just passing through, tells me it is raining 

outside, - I will open the window wide and listen to the pitter-pat and

be just as thankful as the poor parched plants!

Keep  an eye out for the White Rabbit, who is wending his way

through the hills and will be around to visit on the 

First Lovely Day of September......