Autumn Cottage Diarist

The Happy Gardener

6pm this evening - a golden evening of these golden days of late summer - calm and peaceful, heavily lily-scented, soft, abundant. A dear friend visiting over the last few days and we had just got back from a visit to show her Houghton Lodge Gardens for the first time and then make a foray into Longstock Park Nursery where numerous unusual plants were discovered and money (ours!) was seen to change hands...

Mug-of-tea time on the patio on our return - surrounded by the debris of the days...a carrier bag full of plants, more cuttings and seedlings on the table (generously brought and given by Dear Friend) - a pen for labelling said gifts, seed heads from the garden and large (and frequently replenished!) cuppas. Surrounded by the glorious, heady evening scent of the Asiatic lilies still being visited by the bees.

The cup that cheers, friends and flowers - does life get any better??

The Exceptional Glitter of a Dragonfly's Wing

On a writing list I belong to, Ellen Moore of New Life Stories quoted the lines from Henry James "Summer afternoon - Summer afternoon... the two most beautiful words in the English language....".

I misread them as "English summer afternoon" - and though I got the quotation wrong, it was pertinent serendipity - and the reason why I have not been showing up here - again - very often. I have been seduced by English summer afternoons - and mornings - in the garden, where I have been spending my time from (almost) dawn to dusk on many days.

We had very heavy rain last night - but this morning, everything is washed fresh and clean. The pond, which has been gravitating towards a congested puddle, has filled up again, as I discovered when I went to check it just now. Peering into the depths, I noticed how murky it still was under the surface - and then, in front of my eyes, a pair of glittering wings sped past. 

The first big dragonfly of the year - and from the iridescence of the wings I suspected that it was newly emerged from its nymphal exoskeleton. I inspected the foliage around the pond - and there, amongst the rushes, was another - just emerged (you can see the exoskeleton from which it has emerged just behind it - and that of the first dragonfly that I saw just below), sunning itself in order to allow its wings to expand and dry out. Is it not an exquisite sight?

There is a lot of work to be done out in the garden - but another reason why I am spending time in the garden is to dance with the music of nature - for as my  dear on-line friend Carolyn  whose husband Arnie is very seriously ill exhorts us on her own blog - "Dance while you have the chance". Fran Redondowriter tells you more of their story and offers her own thoughts and prayers here

Carolyn and Arnie have been an inspiration to me and many others on the two writing communities we mutually belong to for several years now. Carolyn's family motto is (or should be) "When Life hands you lemons, make lemonade" - but right now, even Carolyn is lost for words as she sits with Arnie in his battle for life.

And for me - when I feel pretty hopeless and not able to do much other than listen and witness to others tough times? I go into my garden - (as I know Carolyn so often does) and I sink my fingers into the earth, to
reconnect with what is important.

I inhale the scents of the herbs, I watch the buzzards flying overhead, soaring on thermals and hoping that those who struggle at this time are lifted up on Eagles Wings. I listen to the crickets in the field next door, I watch the tadpoles in the pond as they metamorphose into little froglets and strike out with their tiny little new-frog legs to swim from one side of the pond to the other.

When I struggle with my own emotions and the emotions of others, when I am looking for glimpses of hope in a seeming sea of difficulty, I go back to nature. Wendell Berry says it more perfectly than I ever could....I may have posted this before - but it easily bears repeating...

The Peace of Wild Things

When despair in the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my
children's lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water and the
great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with
forethought of grief.
I come into the presence of
still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting their light.
For a time I rest in the grace of the world
and am free.

Wendell Berry

Keep Carolyn and Arnie in your thoughts, good readers - Dance while you have the chance, and take time to notice the glitter of a dragonfly's wing.

The Kindness of Strangers - who Turn into Friends

The Box of Delights

I don’t normally receive an intriguing “knock on the door” on Valentines’ Day – but this year, I did. Then, when I saw the carrier standing there with an enormous parcel, I assumed that it was a clothing order for Alec. It was only when I brought it inside, and saw my name on the label, that I knew that something special might be lurking inside.

Altered book pages

It all started a few weeks ago, when I mentioned here on the blog that I am preparing new courses and workshops, and that one of the things that I did was to run “Memory book” and “Memory Box” workshops. I mentioned how costly “art” papers and scrapbooking materials can be – and received in return some very welcome and helpful thoughts on how to create or discover inexpensive materials.

More pages from the delicious altered travel book

I also had a kind message from Rachel Scott – we have exchanged half a dozen emails over my last couple of years blogging, and she generously offered to send me some items from her own “stash” of scrapbooking and art journaling resources. I awaited an envelope, but, being under the influence of “elderbrain syndrome”, completely forgot about the offer within days – a lot of other “stuff” was invading my life and demanding priority attention at the time.

So when the parcel, which measures something like 18”x 15” x 4” and weighs a LOT, arrived, it was not until I saw Rachel’s signature on the paperwork that I put two and two together.

Papers from Rachel's "Ladies" collection

And when I opened the box? “I looked in and all around, saw wondrous things”

I’m still gasping. As I took all the items out this morning to take these photographs, I am enthralled by the art-making possibilities, but I am also amazed at Rachel’s generosity. “Thank you, thank you; thank you!!” seems all too little an expression of gratitude.

But I think there will be many other people who will also be touched by Rachel’s generosity - all the friends and clients who will attend my workshops.

"Travel" inspirations

I will put part of the materials to practical use, but I will also keep a selection of each sort of item (art papers, wallpaper borders, tags, tiles, embellishments, altered book) in the box, just as they are, to become a travelling exhibition of “what to use, how to use it, what to look out for” whenever I am giving a workshop or talk. The story of how the items came to me will always be told.

Tiles

In a few weeks time, I will be visiting the Cancer Care day centre at my local hospital to run just these sorts of workshops – be very sure that this box, and the story of how kindness and generosity have stretched their embracing arms across the Atlantic ocean to touch the hearts of many here in England, will go with me.

Thank you Rachel – your gift is deeply appreciated.

Deeply Shocked

Coming late to news that others may have heard several days ago, it was only when visiting my friend Artjournal’s blog that I heard of the sudden death of fellow blogger Daisy Lupin. We were in email communication only a few weeks ago, chatting about Pantomime and Music Hall history, Italian gardens – and about Playing Hooky down by the pond The last words she sent me were that she was also doing the same, sitting in the garden, with a book and a sunhat, listening to a friendly wood pigeon.

One more good person with gentle words has gone from this plane. My sincere condolences to her family – she was a much liked and admired lady, and I shed a tear as I  type this for her all too sudden loss.

Rest in Peace, Daisy Lupin, rest in peace.

Getting to Know You.....

I've often had interesting comments on this blog from Rowan - but until today I had not visited her own blog "Circle of the Year", or realised that we had much more in common than I had ever known.

This is someone with interests so similar to mine - old buildings, old cooking, old lifestyles, old churches, old towns...I highly recommend a visit to her blog to see her getting up to things that I would LOVE to do!

Rowan also lives very, very near to other friends of mine - I can feel a visit coming on just as soon as I return from Venice.

Lovely work, Rowan!

Girls Will Be Girls!

  A wee bit risqué, but how can I not share the utter joy and mischievousness that my cousin carries with her wherever she goes?

This is my dear Coz Brenda, normally resident in Hong Kong, but staying with me at present. I am  recovering from a virus, she is still battling with one, stoically, after an exhausting intercontinental flight. But today, we sat and chatted like two sisters (we are both "only children") - girly talk in the steamy (in more than one respect!) atmosphere of the bathroom. We gossiped and giggled, compared men and haircuts (no, not the ones on our heads, silly!) and both gave each other a huge tonic of laughter.

Sometimes, girls just need to be girls together - and can you imagine having anyone more fun to be "just girls" with  than this person, who sparkles with far more than just the diamonds in her ears? Thanks, dear Soul Sister, for bringing such joy into my life!

You Know People Care About You When......

....They send the first altered book project that they have ever
attempted, to someone that they have never met.

The treasure in the picture is a gift which was made for me - totally in
secret, by the other members of a very small online list that I run. The
instigator and co-ordinator of the project spoke several times about how
much she was enjoying learning how to make an altered book - but it never
crossed my mind that I would be the recipient of her first creation!

The book is filled with wonderful, heartfelt contributions by all the
other members of the list. You can see the tags that hold each of their
names down the side of the book - each one decorated with embellishments
and delicious threads. It is a Garden Book - each contribution
describing their horticultural efforts - and other snippets of information about people who have all become very special to me.

No money changed hands in the making of this book - (apart from it being
posted to me!) - it was instead created with generosity, love, thought
and care. The words on the pages are words from the heart, and they mean
the world to me. That book ties some of my dearest on line friends
together and I daily feel gratitude for knowing them.