Autumn Cottage Diarist

Hibernating...and new beginnings

A Red Admiral butterfly, hibernating in the greenhouse

Christmas has come and gone - in a bit of a haze, for all my organisational skills, (which are not many!) due to the visitation of a winter bug upon me. But now 2012 dawns - if not bright and fresh, then at least mild - snowless, and wet - but inviting me to once more share events here at the Cottage with you.

Though these winter months encourage an element of hibernation for us humans as well as other living creatures, still I look forward to once again posting here at least twice weekly, greeting old friends and meeting new ones. I wonder what new adventures this year has in store for me and for us all??

To all of you who read these pages, I send warmest wishes for a year full of health and happiness. I love to read all your comments, and will always do my best to reply - even if a little tardily - but whether you leave a comment or not, I hope you enjoy your visits here  to these diary pages, recording life throughout 2012, at my much loved home in Autumn Cottage.

Happy 2012, everyone!

A Month In the Country

Half a dozen (or more) years ago, I made a blog post a day on the theme of 'A Month in the Country' - which turned out to be very much enjoyed by many readers. So I've now decided to repeat for this month of August, 2011. I'll just be sharing 'a picture (or two!) and a paragraph' a day to show you the delights of the English countryside, cultivated and wild, within my reach, in high summer. I hope it gives you much pleasure!

The beautiful border in the photograph above is the blue border in the walled garden at Mottisfont Abbey. Mottisfont has a National collection of roses, and though the rain 'put paid' to most of those a few weeks ago, as you can see, there is still a most beautiful display of other planting there, which is such an inspiration.

The italianate loggia in a corner of the inner garden

The intense blue of Agapanthus, counterbalanced by the silvery-grey leaves of the Stachys lanata behind. Inspirational!

Good Things come to Those Who Wait!

All returning to 'normal' at Autumn Cottage...as near as we  ever get to normal, anyway! Christmas and New Year visitors have been placed on trains to return to their everyday abodes...and I have spent a happy morning in town, spending gift tokens that I had received on Christmas morning. How much more fun it is to buy everything at half price!

I am discriminating nowadays in which ornamental items I buy, tending to pass them on to charity shops rather than bring many home...but these little treasures caught my eye before Christmas - so I know they were worth looking out for afterwards  (especially at sale prices! ) and the little ornamental painted wood partridges above, at least, will be staying on my windowsill way past Twelfth Night.

Hope the start of 2011 has been good for you...and that the rest of the year will be too. Thank you to all of you who sent good wishes and congratulations regarding my degree award. I very much appreciate each and every message.

Hand embroidered Indian bead and goldwork star - would make a nice key-tassel, yes?

Just a Quick Visit

Pippin & Lily by the pond

Seems ages since I visited you all here at the blog - Spring has raced into
early Summer, my university classes have finished for this year - BUT - the
semester is not over yet - a 4000 word essay lies between me and
freedom!

As you can see, Lily and Pippin are already enjoying the warmer days -
they play "jungles" in the garden most of the time (when they are not
asleep!) - And as everything is still damp and mild, the foliage is growing at
a rate of knots - making the jungle very realistic - especially here by the
pond.

I'll try to look in more often - but until the middle of June it will only be "a
picture and a paragraph - or two. Forgive me - more later (in the year!)

Down the Hatch They Go!

Into the gaping maw of Satan - the fate of those who have spent their lives up to no good, as depicted in the medieval windows of the church in Fairford.

....NOW will you give up eating all those wicked cream buns if this is to be the final outcome ?!!

Unwise Places For Pussycats to Sit No. 1.

I've had a word with her. Deaf ear, of course. Waiting for a mouse to pass by, apparently. Says that the black and white surroundings are good camouflage. So I told her "Be careful in there - what goes around, comes around - and around.....and around....and around". 

I think she's got the hint.

Merewether - Caldwell ??

Any family historians out there - who may recognise these  names?

For those of you who do not visit it regularly, my other Blog has an item which may be of interest today.

Ring Out the Old, Ring In the New

It has been such a pleasure to share life here at Autumn Cottage with you all in 2005. The year has flown by, but is now preserved here in the "pages" of this blog, as a time capsule in words and pictures.

Look out soon for "Tales from the Summerhouse" - an additional blog from Autumn Cottage in 2006, in which I will share the pleasures of writing and watching the changing year in my little garden retreat. I hope you will come and sit awhile there with me.

But for now, with only two and a quarter hours of the Old Year left, may I wish you all a very happy, interesting and peaceful New Year for 2006.

Roz.

And Then There Was One....

Sintra, blissfully asleep on her sister's paw.

She was already The Huntress, The Wanderer. While Lissie sat, or slept, Sintra hunted and walked abroad.

And so it happened, that in the last few days before Christmas, I had not been attentive to closing the cat flap at dusk. It was not until feeding time, just before I went to bed, that I noticed that only one little one had come for supper.

I called, and called, (the searchlight torch failed and the night was
dark) - and snoozed and searched, until 5 am - when I finally fell
asleep, hoping that Sintra had been accidentally shut up in someone's
garage or shed, and would find her way home, hungry and tired.

At 8 am, I found her - just outside my neighbours house. It must have
been instantaneous - no marks to her body, but severe trauma to her
head.

Her short little life brought us such joy. Now, after her sister gave
her one last wash, she lies, six months old, along with my 16 year old
Spot, in the flower garden at Autumn Cottage.

It has been the saddest year for my cats.

Not Everyone Gets a Didgeridoo for their Birthday!

If you want to upstage Dad and brother on Mum's birthday - buy her one of these :-). This is my youngest son, Tim, (a Performing Arts student - what a surprise!) about to present me with "a little something" for my birthday. As you can see, he is a pretty colourful character - and has
been for the last 18 years, but he really did score a coup today.

There I have been for the last two weeks, clearing all the "stuff" out of my house to get ready for Christmas, and does he help - not one bit of it!!

Aside from all the banter, I give thanks today that I have such a crazy, loving family around me - isn't it a blessing that we can give each other gifts as daft as this and fall about laughing over it? That, in itself, is priceless. My other presents - a DVD writer from Alec, and a beautiful wooden carved vase and brass bracelet from my older son Hugh, are received with real pleasure - but only Tim would come up with a didgeridoo!