Blogtober 3: Autumn Reading

 

I waited impatiently for the cosmos to bloom in my garden. July and August passed with the occasional flower and then, at last, in September, they went crazy! Pale pink, dark pink, white, and these lovely stained-edge blooms. How pretty they are sitting in a vase on the mantel. 

Around town there are all kinds of displays of pumpkins and squashes. Who knew there were so many varieties? Some look as though they are covered in barnacles, others are smooth. And such lovely colours: rich orange, pale yellow, and sea-green. A wheelbarrow of abundance.

We've not yet turned the heat on in the house, but the time is fast approaching. Soon, with the fire glowing and a cup of herbal tea to hand, evenings will be spent reading. When I think of books I like to read in Autumn, I am not interested in spooky stories, but rather in cozy ones that let me enter a world of beauty and warmth. Mysteries often qualify. Here's a short list of what I'm planning to read or re-read this October.

The Fortnight in September

by R. C. Sherriff

An older book, but one I saw recommended somewhere.

Still life

by Louise Penny

This is the first of the Gamache books and begins on Thanksgiving which is the second Monday of October. 

The Library at the Edge of the World

by Felicity Hayes-McCoy

I've not yet begun this book, and look forward to entering an imaginary Irish village.

The School of Essential Ingredients

by Erica Bauermeister

This will be a re-read with lots of sensory details that enrich the story of a diverse group gathering to cook once a week.

The Story She Left Behind

by Patti Callahan Henry

A mother-daughter story that sounds interesting. I've enjoyed other books by Henry and have high hopes for this one. 

The Stubborn Light of Things: A Nature Diary

by Melissa Harrison

I'll be dipping in and out of this one, compiled from the author's Nature Notebook column in The Times.

The Black Wolf

by Louise Penny

I've pre-ordered the newest Gamache, set to release October 28th, and am looking forward to the resolution of the problem Armand realized at the end of the previous book The Grey Wolf. In fact, I may have to re-read that one first!

My newest book is this one - The Country Commonplace Book by Miranda Mills. It's a really lovely collection of poems, quotes, lists, and recipes gathered over the years. I've dipped into the Autumn section and will try to refrain from reading the other seasons, but I may not be able to resist. The book itself is beautiful, with some pages having delightful coloured borders or patterned backgrounds. Miranda lives in Yorkshire and has a YouTube channel where she discusses books old and new and has given me many ideas for my reading pleasure. 

I'd love to know what you are reading this Autumn, or even if you like to read seasonally. 

Days at Home

 

Last night after dinner the sunshine illuminating the bouquet of peonies prompted me to grab my camera. I love the frilly elegance of the blooms and their faintly spicy scent. They have not been too bothered by the wild winds we've had again, unlike the petunias whose blossoms are pulled loose occasionally. 

We celebrated two birthday girls this week, a 12-year-old and a 5-year-old. Each one celebrated with their friends and we got together for a family party on Sunday afternoon. The 5-year-old's mother, Ashley, made 11 stick unicorns for the guests, with rainbow manes. Each guest was able to choose flowers and jewels to glue on - Nana manned one of the hot glue guns. The girls were enchanted and rode their ponies aka unicorns around the garden. Ashley said she knew it was a bit over the top, but she's been studying all year for a master's degree and craved doing something creative. 

On a very hot July day in 2016 Tim and I walked in Frith Wood, part of the Laurie Lee Nature Reserve. I had not heard of Laurie Lee prior to our visit to the woods, and have been looking for his memoir, Cide With Rosie. When Tim's sister visited a week or two ago, the two of us spent some time in a used bookstore. I picked up a couple of books and then on my way out the door spied this lovely, like-new hardcover illustrated Cider With Rosie. I went right back to the cashier. It's a lovely tale, so far, of life in the early 20th century. I am looking forward to spending more time with the book. You can read about our visit to Frith Wood here. 

Dear Paris, by Janice MacLeod, is a collection of illustrated letters written by a Canadian woman living in Paris. Her observations of Parisian life are delightful to read. Makes me want to return to that beautiful city. 

Here at home Lichfield Angel rose (a David Austin variety) is just stunning. Such a proliferation of creamy pink blossoms. I wish I could have you all over for tea to show her off. The rose is named for a very old Anglo-Saxon carving discovered at Lichfield Cathedral in 2003. 

What's blooming in your garden these days? 

Around Home on a Friday

 

That was a fast week! After being away it's good to get back into a routine. The intense heat is gone, and the weather is very pleasant. Unfortunately, the wildfires are increasing and we might be in for a smoky summer. 

I've been admiring the vivid chartreuse vine against the cobalt blue container. It's a new plant that I'm trying this summer and it won't be the last. What a shot of vibrant colour to set off the usual pinks and blues of my pots. The sweet peas in the back pot have many sunburned leaves and I thought I might lose them, but the new growth is fine. No blooms there yet, although the ones planted elsewhere are just beginning.

I made a batch of blackberry shrub - a syrup concentrate that one adds to plain water (or club soda, I suppose). It's very refreshing and when I enjoy it on the patio, surrounded by blooming roses and hydrangeas, it's like a mini-holiday. 

Marian Parsons of Miss Mustard Seed fame has an e-course on Jeanne Oliver's site. I signed up for it knowing that we'd be gone for the start, but it's all recorded and self-paced. It's about painting with a limited palette, just three shades. I made these colour wheels using just three paints for each one. It's kind of addictive and I did another one yesterday. These are plain watercolour and my next one will include gouache. It's been fun to try something new. I'm itching to try some landscapes. 

Lavender bushes line the driveway and tend to overgrow there. I cut it back one sunny day and tied bundles together with string. They will dry and I'll use them in sachets for the linen closet. The bees are crazy for lavender and I found myself apologizing to them for cutting it. I did leave plenty for them to use. 

My reading stack, picked up from the library this week. I've finished Hamnet and Judith - such a sorrowful tale, and am about half-way through The Letters of Vincent Van Gogh. What a tortured soul he was, so lonely and eccentric, yet so very gifted. He expressed emotions such a range of emotions: "Life is after all enchanting" to "I can see no possibility of again having hope or courage."

This morning I've made a pot of soup using up leftover vegetables, and I plan to go for a walk before cleaning bathrooms and tidying up. We're meeting with friends this evening, and tomorrow is second-vaccine day. We'll see how the weekend plays out after that. 

A lovely summer weekend (or a winter one) is what I hope for each of you. Do you have plans?

This and That, Woods and Shore

 

Our current high pressure ridge brings day after day of blue skies and warm sunshine. I know it won't last long and I'm enjoying it immensely while I can. Trees are leafing out at a tremendous rate - that bright acid green that is so beautiful in springtime. 

On a recent hike around Matheson Lake my eldest daughter slowed on a certain part of the trail saying that in previous years she had seen Fairyslippers (also known as Venus' Slippers) (calypso bulbosa) growing along the mossy bank. We were rewarded by finding several of these showy little flowers, along with other wildflowers, including a Western Trillium.

 Perhaps most magnificent were the woodland clearings carpeted with Fawn Lilies. How beautiful they are. 

We noticed this bird on our walk on Sunday by the shore and commented on its manic behaviour. It moved so quickly and jerkily that it was difficult to photograph. When I got home and looked in my bird book I read, "This fairly large shorebird often runs frantically in many directions while pursuing small prey." Yes, we thought, that describes it to a "t", so we're almost sure that it's a Greater Yellowlegs. 

Another group of smaller shorebirds, Long-billed Dowitchers, we think, were much less frantic, but bobbed their heads up and down as they fed. The trusty bird book called this a "sewing-machine" motion, again, very apt.

(note: I'm no bird expert and am always open to suggestions and corrections if I'm wrong.)

A little rowboat made a pretty picture with the water rippling around it.

Ikea Canada has published an e-book called Scrapsbook. It contains ideas for using bits and pieces of leftover food scraps in innovative ways. You can download the book for free and it's interesting to read. Many of the ideas are things I already do, but I was intrigued by a couple of recipes. One is seen above, with leftover meat, vegetables, and herbs/stems rolled into a thin phyllo pastry roll which is then coiled and baked. They were fun to make, and very tasty. I used some ground turkey patties, butternut squash, spinach stems, onion, and a variety of herbs in mine. 

My recent reading stack. The 13 Clocks is a fanciful tale, a spoof on a fairytale and very easy to read. After beginning The Girl From the Channel Islands I debated stopping because I wasn't taken by the author's writing style. However, I'm glad I kept on for the story picked up and became very compelling. It's based on true events during WWII. Who Speaks for the Damned was an excellent mystery and I will be looking for more C. S. Harris books. A Deception at Thornecrest is another Amory Ames mystery, very lighthearted and fun to read. The last book in the stack, The Other Bennet Sister, has not yet been opened. 

Since our weather is so wonderful I'll be spending the day in the garden. A little bit of weeding, some transplanting and clipping, and possibly seeding a few more vegetables. Enjoy your day!

Friday Favourites

 

Rich morning light saturated my photos one day this week. Not today. Instead there's been drizzle and grey and a chill wind. I met with two friends for a walk and then we sat outdoors by an outdoor gas fire near a coffee shop and talked and talked. How good it is to get together with friends and catch up on each other's lives. Texts and phone calls are not the same as face to face visits. 

My eldest daughter painted this beautiful rock with the help of her friend who paints a lot of them. It's so pretty and matches the pansies very well, so I have it nestled among them for now. 

I planted kale early last autumn and it grew slowly over the winter. Some days I could see it curled up and frosty, but it always perked up again. Now it's growing vigorously and I've been harvesting it. 

Kale pucks are good to have in the freezer to toss into soup or a vegetable saute. I chopped, then steamed the kale for three minutes before packing it into muffin tins. Once frozen the pucks easily pop out and I store them in freezer bags.

Some of my recent reading material. The Kinghorn novels are very easy reading centered around the first World War and "The Founding" touched on the controversy of Richard III and the Princes in the Tower. It's the start of a long series and I don't know that I will get through them all. Well-written historical fiction. "Where the Crawdads Sing" is excellent, if hard reading, touching on the vulnerability of children and women, and the beauty of natural life in the marshes of North Carolina. 

My husband brought home flowers for Easter and the lilies are opening up beautifully. It's a mixed bouquet and as the various flowers die I like to cut the better ones down and place them in different vases. 

He was out of town last night and this morning called very early to tell me the news about Prince Philip. Not unexpected, but sad, especially for the Queen who has lost her beloved husband who provided her with strength and courage throughout the years. I pray for comfort and peace for her.

I read a fun essay this week by J. F. Riordan about modern appliances that I thought you might enjoy.

Electronic Narcissism 

The weekend forecast is for sun and a warming trend. I'll be gardening, at my daughter's place and perhaps here a little, too. 

Thank you for reading and I wish you all moments of joy and happiness.

Five on Friday: Chilly Days

 

Living on the west coast, I really can't complain about cold temperatures. Family in other provinces and regions would laugh themselves silly at our bemoaning temperatures just below freezing. Be that as it may, it's much colder than normal, with a wind that drives to the bone. 

Late Wednesday morning I looked outside to see fat flakes of snow drifting down. The snow flurry continued throughout the afternoon, but only a light coat remained on the ground overnight. I took a turn around the garden and found this first anemone drooping in the cold, but such a rich colour that contrasted beautifully with the bit of snow. 

During the night the wind rose and I awoke in the wee hours with it howling around the corners of the house. The breeze from the open-just-a-crack window was fresh indeed! 

We have a Meyer Lemon Tree growing in a sheltered spot. It's covered for more than half the year, and a string of old-fashioned Christmas lights (the ones that emit heat) are wound about the branches and connected to a timer that comes on when temperatures read just above freezing. The lights cycle off and on during the cold weather. This is our second lemon tree, and in its second year, so quite small. We uncovered the first one too soon one spring and unexpected cold temperatures killed it. Tim put an extra covering over the tree this week as a bit of extra protection. 

Indoors, there's been a little sewing. Some experimentation with the new serger, and continued work on a red and white four-patch quilt. I gathered a collection of scraps and stitched up a new pin cushion with a matching scissor keeper. The embroidery scissors were a Christmas gift from our youngest daughter and her family. Such a pretty pair, and so sharp and pointed. I love using them. 

There's been considerable reading, as well. I discovered Cynthia Harrod-Eagle's novels set during World War I, and raced through all six of them. They are easy-to-read, and give a picture of life in England during those terrible years, and of the weariness of the war that went on for so long. "Raisin Wine" is the story of one of our Governor Generals and I'm just beginning it. The others I've not yet begun. "Jedidiah Days" is about living on an island that we hope to visit this summer in our boat. 

Sometimes it seems there is a dearth of good reading material and I can't settle to anything. That is NOT the case lately, as I've found so many good books to read in my library. They have to be ordered online, and after I get the email notice of their arrival I pop in to check them out. "The Thursday Murder Club" by Richard Osman was good, although not as good as some of the reviews indicated. A good premise for a book, though. 

One of my co-workers gave me a vase of purple tulips on my last day of teaching. They've been in the front hall and are now done, but I love the way the colours intensify, and the petals thin like aging skin, and curl and twist so artistically. Tomorrow they will go on the compost heap. 

Tonight again the wind races up and down the street with great gusts. Tomorrow night and into Saturday snow is in the forecast. We'll see how much we actually get. I hope enough to cover the ground and make everything pretty for a day or two. 

Is is spring-like where you live, or is winter having a last blast? Or perhaps you are in the southern hemisphere and enjoying the last days of summer. 

Christmas Reading List and Some News

 

Shall we hear the news first? We welcomed a new little granddaughter into our family on Saturday. More details will follow, but everyone is well. We had Big Sister Iris (almost 18-months) stay with us for three days and had so much fun with her. However, having children is definitely for the younger set. 

Christmas decorating was set aside while I sang songs, played games, and cuddled with a sweet little one. I'll get back into it later this week.  

A few weeks ago I wrote about books and stories I like to read at Christmas time, and asked for your suggestions. I've compiled a list for your reading delight. I've not read everything on the list, but on your recommendation I found a copy of Christmas at Fairacre (includes No Holly for Miss Quinn, The Christmas Mouse, and another story), and thoroughly enjoyed it. 

Christmas at Fairacre - Miss Read

No Holly for Miss Quinn - Miss Read

Miss Read's Christmas - Miss Read

Shepherds Abiding - Jan Karon

Winter Solstice - Rosamunde Pilcher

Debbie MacComber - Angels books about Shirley, Goodness, Mercy

A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens

A Redbird Christmas - Fannie Flagg

Snowflake - Paul Gallico

Miracle in the Wilderness - Paul Gallico

The Night Before Christmas - Jan Brett

Home for Christmas: Stories for Young and Old - Plough Publishing House

Papa Panov's Special Day - based on a Tolstoy story

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever - Barbara Robinson

The Twenty-Four Days Before Christmas - Madeleine L'Engle

I Saw Three Ships - Elizabeth Goudge

God is in the Manger - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

An Irish Country Christmas - Patrick Read

A Christmas Memory - Truman Capote

A Star for Christmas - Trisha Romance

I Spy Christmas, A Book of Picture Riddles - Scholastic

A Pussycat's Christmas - Margaret Wise Brown and Anne Mortimer

Christmas with Anne and other Holiday Stories - L. M. Montgomery

Christmas in My Heart: A Timeless Treasury of Heartwarming Stories - Compiled by Joe Wheeler

Christmas Classics from the Modern Library - 1997 Random House

Christmas Not Just Once a Year - Heinrich Böll

Letters from Father Christmas - J. R. R. Tolkien

Hercule Poirot's Christmas - Agatha Christie

The Mistletoe Murder and other Stories - P. D. James

Skipping Christmas - John Grisham

The Christmas Chronicles - Nigel Slater

Linking to No Place Like Home, hosted by Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage. 

Little Things, and a Question

 

After classes today, I had an errand to run that had me driving on a country road overhung by huge trees. I was utterly delighted by the occasional leaf that floated across the road, zigzagging to and fro until it landed on the sodden ground. I found myself smiling and watching out for more leaves to grace my way. 

If ever the world needs grace and beauty, it is now. So much is topsy-turvy and there seems to be a general feeling of unsettledness. It has struck me, not for the first time, that everyday pleasures and small moments of beauty mean more than the huge things like big trips or gifts or parties. 

Barbara Pym wrote "The small things of life were often so much bigger than the great things...the trivial pleasures like cooking, ones' home, little poems especially sad ones, solitary walks, funny things seen and overheard."

The amazing colour of Beauty Berries (Callicarpa) startles among the muted shades of fading autumn. 

When my mother-in-law passed away three years ago, the family divided up her jewelry, and I took these jade earrings for my daughters. They were clip on earrings, and my daughter had them altered for pierced ears. This photo was taken last fall, but it makes me happy to see the girls wear their grandmother's earrings.

Now that darkness falls so much earlier (is it really just one hour?) I find myself looking for the cozy in my home - bringing out the blanket throws, lighting candles, baking toothsome treats, and thinking about Christmas. I have some projects I'm working on, and have started my shopping. I've noticed that some in blog land have made their Christmas cakes. On cool and grey days thinking about the brightness of Christmas (whatever that may look like this year) is a small thing that fills my heart with happiness. 

On the weekend, while standing in line to enter a store, I looked up. A tree near me was filled with golden leaves, not unlike the ones in the photo above, and I immediately thought "pieces of gold". They were so bright against a brilliant blue sky that my breath caught. 

I hope that your days are sprinkled with moments that delight you and fill your soul with beauty. 

And now for a question - starting about now, I like to read Christmas stories, or stories set in winter. Some of my favourites, that I re-read each year, include:

Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher

Some of the Little House chapters that deal with Christmas, by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Shepherds Abiding by Jan Karon

I'm curious to know if you have any favourite Christmas-themed stories. Do let me know in the comments, and perhaps I'll compile a list for all of us to reference. 

Choices

 

I think, sometimes, how surreal the world feels just now. Did you ever imagine that you would live during a global pandemic? I never did. Life goes on, but normality is overlaid with strangeness. Physical distancing, masks, sanitizing, and lineups are becoming the new normal. 

We've moved from spring through summer and now autumn is upon us. A new school year is underway and students are learning. Still the strangeness continues. For how long? This is the question of the day. No one knows. 

I just finished reading Louise Penny's latest novel "All the Devils are Here" and it has me thinking of life as novel, as it parallels this particular novel. 

A few weeks ago another blogger, Brenda, quoted from the beginning of the novel and it's such a wonderful piece of advice that I'm going to quote it again.

"Life can be cruel, as you know. But it can also be kind. Filled with wonders. You need to remember that. You have your own choice to make, Armand. What're you going to focus on? What's unfair, or all the wonderful things that happen? Both are true, both are real. Both need to be accepted. But which carries more weight with you? The goodness or the cruelty? Your life will be decided by that choice."

In the midst of this strange time in which we live, late roses bloom. Tomatoes ripen juicy and sweet. Hydrangea blossoms mellow into dark purple and pale green. I pick a crunchy apple and bite into its crisp tartness. Children laugh and grow. There are all sorts of wonders. There is much beauty. 

Penny's novel quickly darkens and the characters are caught up in a whirlwind of events that worsen with time. What will happen? How will things be resolved? We must read on, paragraph after paragraph to discover the end. 

Pandemic, devastating wildfires, personal tragedies - all of us are caught up in the maelstrom of life. Some experience hardships more cruel than others. We must live day by day, in hope, in trust, in faith that God is working and that we will get through this time in the world. 

The last chapter of Penny's novel contains these words that fill me with hope as they express the loveliness of home and the peace of homecoming: 

"The three of them stood in the cold October evening. A light snow was falling, and they could just make out the forests and the rolling hills stretching to the horizon. Below them in the valley, as though in the palm of some great hand, was a small village.

Buttery light shone from the fieldstone, brick, and clapboard homes that surrounded the green, turned white with freshly fallen snow. The crisp night air held a hint of maple smoke from chimneys. 

And in the very center of the village, three great pines swayed in the breeze."

Life is unlike a novel in that not everything is resolved satisfactorily. But there are ups and downs in life, and choices to make about where we focus. And so I wish you calmness in the midst of whatever today will bring. 

Stormy Sunday

The wind is tossing trees and shrubs mostly violently this afternoon. Rain pelts down. It's a good day to stay inside by the fire. We had to drive up Island earlier in the afternoon and within an hour of leaving home the sky showed blue patches and a rainbow arched over the mountains in the distance, giving us hope that the bad weather had passed. Alas, no. Still, we're warm and dry, and I have a big mug of tea alongside. 

Recent reads. The Marcia Willett books are easy and gentle reading. Entry Island was fascinating, alternating between Scotland in the early 19th century to the Magdalen Islands (also known as Iles de la Madeleine) in Canada in modern times. A murder combined with history and interesting characters made for a story that I stayed up late on Friday night to finish. 

Hannah Coulter is a wonderful story of a woman looking back on her life in Kentucky. It's a story of courage and wisdom, of mistakes made and lessons learned, and of intense love of the land where she lived. I'll be looking for more of Wendell Berry's stories. 

Death's Door has just been opened, so I have nothing to say about it quite yet, except that it was recommended by another blogger. 

I picked up a bundle of these pretty pink tulips on Friday. I love their colour and shape. 

My Valentine flowers are lasting and lasting. Against a rain-spattered window they are bright and cheerful. 

Pistachios. I recently read that just a few pistachios eaten before bed help with sleep. Apparently they contain more melatonin than almost any other food. I don't know whether they help with sleep or not, but I like them. They can be rather addicting and it's hard to stop at just a few. 

A new week begins. Hope it's a good one for you. 

Of Christmas Reading and Sewing

I fell asleep last night to the sound of a soft rain falling. This morning is dark, with continuing drizzle. Outside my window shapes and colours are muted and grey. The wooden box holding greens sits on the patio table. It's an old box that once held odds and ends in my son-in-law's father's shop. Sturdy and honest - a useful box. I'm happy to give it some more time to shine.

With the dull light outside, it is very cheering to light the Christmas pyramid and watch the deer spin around in their wooden forest while I finish my breakfast tea. I have no classes until after lunch on Mondays and Thursdays and how I treasure these slower mornings at home. This morning I made granola - Tim's go-to breakfast on workday mornings. It's not my favourite thing to do, so I like to get it done quickly. 

Plans for the rest of my morning include some sewing. I had a dreadful shock on Monday when I planned to sew - my machine would not work. At all. I suspected an electrical problem with the cord, so I took it to the repair shop. They agreed that the cord could be the problem, but couldn't diagnose it. So I brought it home and in the evening Tim cut off the plug end, shortened the cord about 3 inches, put on a new plug and voila! I have a working machine. 

My machine is 37 years old come January and I love it so much. I've tried others, but always come back to my old red Husqvarna. It's stitched everything from maternity clothes to wedding gowns, baby garments, gifts galore, quilts, and curtains. I suppose I should resign myself to the fact that it won't last forever. 

December reading. Old favourites. Along with these I enjoy reading the Christmas chapters in Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books, and the ones in L.M. Montgomery's Anne series. I've taken a few Christmas novels from the library, but they are as saccharine as Hallmark movies and I can't take too much of them.

Speaking of Anne, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It tells the story of Marilla with sympathy and is in harmony with Montgomery's character. It begins with Marilla as a young girl and the story occurs over several decades. If you're an Anne-girl lover, you'll enjoy this easy novel. 

Greenery inside is brighter than outside today. And I did mention that I was planning to sew, so I'll get right to it. 

Have a lovely day!