Autumn Cottage Diarist

Object of Desire

I had some recycling to do today, which I combined with a visit to my favourite antiques shops in Hungerford - a visit to the bright lights indeed, after two days holed up here at home, due to miserable, dark, wet and windy weather - early winter has come to North Hampshire.

As usual I visited the Arcade, which always has something to interest me, but also went across to the new "Emporium" to see what else there may be to tempt me. Quite different, and complimentary in character to the Arcade, the opening of this new gallery of antiques dealers makes it even more worthwhile to visit Hungerford if you have any interest in antiques and curios at all. I can see how one could now quite easily make a whole day visit, particularly if combining it with a visit to Marlborough, just a few miles away - that would even make a good winter weekend break, with plenty of welcoming pubs, log fires and inglenooks to sit beside in the two towns, where you could pore over your treasures while downing a pint and eating good English food.

The owners of the Emporium, who already know of my love of miniatures and dolls houses, led me straight to this beautiful item, which is on sale right now. Santa might deliver it to some very fortunate person in just a month's time - though he might have a bit of a problem getting it down a chimney!

The timber  frame is individually made and infill then applied, plus a very authentic thatched roof and interior, complete with lighting. I was told that a few nights ago, all the other lights in the shop were turned out, and just the dolls house illuminated - so it's not just me that falls so easily under the magic of miniatures!

Further enquiries about the house can be made (no affiliation) by ringing (in the UK) 01488 686959 or sending an email to [email protected]

Now I'm inspired to go off to play with my own houses - I haven't done that in a while!

Phew!

Liquadamber leaves at Hilliers Gardens

Just catching up with everyone since once again it seems an age since I spoke to you all. I was expecting this semester to fly by, but I didn't expect it to be turbo-charged, with me flapping about in the jet-stream!

Since I spoke to everyone, the pace at college has revved up. I am following two modules this semester, one of which is online, and requires input each week, the other of which is by attendance at the University each week for a lecture, plus a PowerPoint presentation plus discussion  in ten days time, and a 4000 word essay by the end of January. After that - my personal attendance is not required, but I will then start to write the final part of my MA  - a 20000 word dissertation.

Steve the builder, giving the fireplace a final hand-stripping to remove the last traces of varnish

On the home front, I am trying to redecorate my "little" sitting room, the room in the house with most of the old features left, including an inglenook fireplace, old bread oven, a Victorian pine fireplace surround and a number of the timber frame beams exposed. The fireplace surround and the beams have taken a LONG time to strip of their many layers of paint and/or varnish, it is not a job that can be rushed, but they are now nearing the point where they can be waxed or oiled and polished - and then I can paint the walls! I was hoping to have it done by Christmas - but it may not be feasible. I'm hoping that by the time Britt-Arnhild comes to visit me in February, it WILL be done, however - something to get my skates on for!

Darren doing the same to excess plaster, which has been masking the old beams

Autumn Cottage garden has also needed attention - only minimal, I'm afraid, as the weather has been wet for much of the time...but the patio garden is now spick and span - with ideas for next year floating around in my head after watching the Mediterranean segment of Monty Don's "Around the World in 80 Gardens" (being especially inspired by the courtyard gardens of Cordoba) and by getting round to sending off my membership application to join the Mediterranean Garden Society - of which place, more later...

Well, the wet and windy - and cold - is certainly with us today. I am spending the morning doing my unfavourite task of the week - sorting paperwork, answering mail and shredding discarded paper and envelopes. The only thing that makes it a tiny bit less tedious is to pile all the junk mail into a box and see how much "free stuff" I have for collage work. I'm offering a "Create a Book of Inspiration" workshop in the New Year and I love to tell participants, and even more SHOW them what is out there for free. Even after taking my name off many mailing lists, it still seems to pour through the letterbox, so now I say "thank you very much for free stuff" and pop it in the collage box.

The envelopes and anything with personal details gets shredded and then gets put on the compost heap - round and round it goes again, and will end up on the veg garden next year. I LOVE it! (I'm careful not to shred highly coloured papers for the compost heap though - the inks may be toxic and I don't want that on the garden).

I have another excellent offer for the compost heap by the way - a friend who came for coffee last week informed me that she had four horses and that I was welcome to take their manure for the garden. I was thrilled! And now you know what sort of a person you are dealing with here at Autumn Cottage - the sort of person who becomes ecstatic at the thought of a trailer-load of POO!!

The weather was so much better last week - so once again we visited the delightful Hillier's Gardens near Romsey...enjoy these few photographs to see just how wonderful a garden can look in late autumn. Perhaps mine can look like this too, one day.....:-)

Training ground for future horticulturists - the Children's Garden training area at Hilliers, with raised beds and compost bins much in evidence. Waiting for Spring!

One of the fascinating sculptures that are dotted around the gardens...can you see what this lizard is made of??

Bicycle chains and other pieces of scrap metal - amazing - and SO realistic!

Colours in the Winter Garden - who says that this time of the year is uninteresting?