The Country Diary of an Elizabethan Lady

In 1977, The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady was a publishing phenomenon.

It was a facsimile reproduction of the naturalist

Edith Holden's diary for the year 1906.

In it she recorded in words and paintings the flora and fauna of the British countryside through the changing seasons of the year.

Blogger Milly for those of you who don't already know her,

is a 21st century naturalist and artist, well worth a visit.

So I'll leave the painstaking and patient work of drawing from nature to her

and continue with my altogether more slapdash photographic record

of the berries and fruits I have seen over the last few days.

Addendum to post below

I'd quite forgotten this.

Life is skittles and beer.

My son reminded me he used to sing this.

It's not all beer and skittles

Making a guest room habitable for a friend this weekend,

sorting out long dormant art supplies,

welcoming home son from an 18th birthday party

all in one piece,

washing the floors,

Hoovering the carpets,

packing a large fragile parcel to send overseas

then remembering there's a postal strike,

trying to give things away

on Freecycle to people who don't show up,

shopping for supper,

driving other son to GP,

collecting a prescription,

driving same son to A&E,

ironing the shirts,

wondering if a husband's interview over the phone to Australia

went well,

welcoming son home from A&E

all in one piece,

cooking the supper,

slipping out to get back my sense of perspective

somewhere in the middle of all that,

and wondering where the expression:

'It's not all beer and skittles' comes from.

Lowlights

When the sun describes

a low arc through the sky,

it reaches in through windows

and illuminates

unremarkable places

beautifully

but

briefly.

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate.

I found these roses unblemished,

one per bush, centre stage.

Hard to believe it's nearly November.

The Met office described this as another unusually warm day

for the time of year.

Leaf Peeping

I have often thought how wonderful it would be

to travel to New England

to see the Fall colours.

But it's a very long way,

would cost a shedload of money,

and might not in essence be quantifiably better,

than standing in front of this one tree,

in my local park.

Quincy

I'll be making poached quinces in orange syrup from

Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook,

but not before I've enjoyed their scent in the bowl for a bit longer.

Meanwhile enjoy Quincy Jones

and Bossa Nova round the kitchen.