Autumn Cottage Diarist

Talking Pantomime

A strange result of my beginning the Masters course is that I have ended up writing a seminar presentation and essay on Pantomime in the middle of Spring!

This is how it came about. We are able to choose two co-validated modules for the whole course - and one of the modules that I selected was "Fairytale and Gothic Horror" in the School of Film Studies. I chose this because I am interested in Narrative Therapy and the use of Storytelling in Therapy. I thought it would also broaden the course that I am Majoring in - leavening pure Death Studies with something a little lighter (though having studied Fairytale and Gothic for three months, I'm not too sure about that - it can sometimes be pretty gruesome...the fairytales, as well as the Horror!)

We are able to choose the topic which we write about within the module - and as my father was caught up in the world of Pantomime for many years, when it was given as a suggestion in relation to the segment on "fairytale in popular culture", it seemed a natural choice for me.

Because Pantomime is so visual, I feel it is important for my seminar audience to also experience my talk visually, so I am including a number of film clips and images - and phew, have they taken some time! Because of problems with the video card on my main computer, I was not able to use my normal Pinnacle video editing suite, so ended up editing in Windows Movie Maker on my laptop. Much simpler - and I have been very grateful indeed to be able to use it - better than nothing at all.

I've researched the origins of Panto right back to pagan ritual, and have just learned so much in the whole experience - about video editing and scheduling study as much as the topic in hand. Even if I fall at the first fence as far as my module is concerned, the time will not have been wasted.

I have a few more images to scan and a little more text to add - and then it will be ready to present in a little over a week's time. But for today - I am doing nothing at all to it (that's another thing I am learning on this course - its easy to "max out" on study and neglect other things, like sleeping and gardening and cooking and stuff - doesn't time fly when you are having fun!).

Instead, I will play with Lissie and maybe even give her a bath - now that IS bordering on the reckless, don't you think?

Essence of Springtime

The sunlight shining through this chalice of opening whitebeam leaves catches my breath every year - all that folded perfection revealing itself anew makes my spirit rise.

Another thing that makes the spirit soar is the blaze of colour on the flowering cherry tree in a hidden, awkward corner of the garden. You know the place - just where all the plant pots are dumped, so I am not going to show you those! Just the glorious  abundance of the blossom - isn't it an amazing colour?

Finally, look who came home with me from an Antique Arcade ramble yesterday - a very old Teddy, only 14 cm high (about 5.5 inches) with instantly winning charm in his night-shirt and night-cap - but, oh dear, he looks has if he has had a "run in" with a not-so-friendly dog!

At only £4.00 ($8.00) he deserved to be rescued - but will now have to spend a little time with his arm in a sling, until he can be repaired appropriately. Anyone got any ideas for cleaning him without immersion?
He is filled with "Excelsior" - wood wool, so a bath would not be a good idea at all. Oh, and he does need a  name - any thoughts ??

Preparing for a Face Lift

For the house - not me! (this one will be much cheaper!)

Poor old Autumn Cottage has been somewhat neglected for the last few years, but several new leaves are turning over here, and this week, Darren the Maintenance Man arrives to give the exterior a much needed
facelift. The photograph shows the front of the house looking shabby with what was once the pretty cottage garden in front of it. While Darren gets to work on the house, I have started work on the garden.

We needed to cut away overgrown bushes so that he can reach the walls and windows to paint them - but some bushes were strangled with several years worth of pruning left undone - so extreme measures were taken yesterday - cutting them back severely. They look butchered for now, but never fear - they will grow back very quickly! (One more to do, then you can see the rather brutal results).

The cottage garden is small and manageable - and since I now have Alec's help to keep the big back garden under control (and a huge amount of help from him yesterday with the "hacking back"), I feel that the cottage garden will be a do-able project that I can work on through this year.

It was also official "parasol UP!" day yesterday - the patio table was given its summer shading, which was needed, with temperatures more like those of June than April. But oh, it was good to be able to eat outside again - doesn't food ALWAYS taste better in the open air?

Finally, a picture of Her Majesty the Supervising Cat, carrying out her duties yesterday while we were both working hard. (Lissie says that she was conserving her strength for her evening hunting). She is a constant and delightful companion in whichever garden anyone happens to be in, so no doubt more pictures of "Lissie being a poser" will appear regularly in the next few months.

Now I have some video clip editing to do for my college presentation, so if you'll excuse me...

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 ?!!

A True and Faithful Servant

Just a taste - of the 182 photographs that I took today on a tour around several Cotswold towns and villages, bedecked in the flowers and blossom of springtime, to visit some of the wonderful medieval "Wool Churches" of this part of England....many more to follow in the days to come.

This delightful monument is to "Tiddles, the Church Cat...1963-1980", situated in the churchyard at Fairford in Gloucestershire. A memorial to a faithful old puss in a most important position, right outside the church door - now that is a community with its priorities in the right order!

And Heere Will Bee a Veggie Plotte...

OK - now this is going to take some imagination.

After being holed up in Autumn Cottage throughout the winter, and
engaged externally with the business of clearing Mother in Law's house
and attending college, the call of the wild outdoors this evening got to
be just too much for me.

The garden here at Autumn Cottage has been neglected for far too long. I
sometimes stand in the middle of it and just despair, but this evening,
with the springtime sun going down, everything looking golden and
inviting, earthy smells percolating through the door, and the mown lawn
(thanks Alec!) creating an ambience of hopefulness and a trace of care,
I decided that even half an hour spent pottering away out there would
achieve *something* - even 30 minutes a few times a week would see a
change to what would be there if I did nothing at all.

So I started to clear and tidy away all the plant pots and general
garden junk that has accumulated in the area of the greenhouse. Feeling
encouraged and contented by just being out in the evening air, I started
to think once more of the ideas that I had formulated a few years ago
for a little vegetable and herb garden, for which I had plotted and
planned, sketched and measured - but nothing had ever come of it.

Then Alec joined me outside to help me lift items that were too big for
me to manoeuvre to the bonfire on my own - and he agreed that he would
give me some help to start sorting out just a couple of areas out there.
What a difference we can make if we both put some time in (and how much
fitter we could both get at the same time!)

Being an experienced and well trained pyromaniac, his natural skills lie
with the bonfire-making area (otherwise known as "The Dump"), so he has
taken on the challenge of creating a civilised and well screened corner
there - while I have decided to take the veggie garden idea forward.

It won't happen quickly, but "slow and steady wins the race" I think...

So - here are some "before" photographs - and that's where the use of your imagination comes in!  In a years time, I hope to have three, four foot wide vegetable beds here - and a herb garden growing herbs of the same period as the house (circa 1700) all around the dying but abundant "woodpecker" tree.

Autumn Garden is going to come to life again - with an extra pair of hands and a couple of hours help a week, I am going to make it happen.

Any suggestions for the 17th/18th century herb garden from the enthusiasts out there?